HIV | Her Smart Choice
HIVvikramkadmin2019-12-09T18:30:35+08:00
Through blood — through blood transfusions, accidental needlesticks, or needle sharing
From mother to child — a pregnant woman can transmit the virus to her fetus through their shared blood circulation, or a nursing mother can pass it to her baby in her breast milk
Rare ways the virus may be spread include:
Accidental needle injury
Organ transplantation with infected organs
Blood banks and organ donor programs screen donors, blood, and tissues thoroughly to prevent the risk of infection. HIV is NOT transmitted to a person who DONATES blood or organs. People who donate organs are never in direct contact with people who receive them. Likewise, a person who donates blood is never in contact with the person receiving it. In all these procedures, sterile needles and instruments are used.
People who become infected with HIV may not have any symptoms for up to 10 years, but they can still pass the infection to others. After you come in contact with the virus, it can take up to 3 months for a blood test to show that you have HIV.
Symptoms related to HIV are usually due to a different infection in the body. Some symptoms related to HIV infection include:
Rashes of different types, including seborrheic dermatitis and psoriasis
Doctors usually recommend medicine for patients who are committed to taking all their medications and have a CD4 count below 500 cells/mm3 (which is a sign that of a weakened immune system). Some people, including pregnant women and people with kidney or neurological problems related to HIV, may need treatment regardless of their CD4 count.
See: AIDS – support group
Avoid injecting illicit drugs. If you use injected drugs, avoid sharing needles or syringes. Always use new needles. (Boiling or cleaning them with alcohol does not guarantee that they’re sterile and safe.)
Avoid unprotected anal intercourse, since it causes small tears in the rectal tissues, through which HIV in an infected partner’s semen may enter directly into the other partner’s blood.
If you have sex with people who use injected drugs, always use condoms.
If you have sex with many people or with people who have multiple partners, always use condoms.
Safer sex behaviors may reduce the risk of getting the infection. There is still a slight risk of getting the infection even if you practice “safe sex” by using condoms. Abstinence is the only sure way to prevent sexual transmission of the virus.