The HIV virus is the most devious, serious and still, incurable threat of our time. Unfortunately, there are no limits of this virus – it can attack anyone regardless of sex, gender, age or race.
The first and most important thing, living in a country who has approximately 1.1 million people affected with HIV in the States, is the simple trick to use a condom until you get to know someone really good! Out of these people, it is estimated that 1 in 7 people doesn’t even know he/she has the HIV virus.
Here are some things you didn’t know about HIV.
Everyone who has the virus HIV, doesn’t necessarily develop AIDS.
HIV is very serious because AIDS is the final and mortal result that develops from it. A person who has developed AIDS lives maximum 3 more years after being diagnosed.
“For some people it only takes two years and for others it can take 20 years — it really depends on the person. The earlier you get treated for HIV, the better chance you have at living a healthy life. If left untreated, HIV will turn into AIDS, and ultimately lead to death.”
If a person has an undetectable viral load, they can’t transmit HIV during s*x.
“If you are on proper antiretroviral therapy and you are truly undetectable, you will not transmit the virus to your se*ual partner because — the risk is so low it’s immeasurable,”CDC reports. Only 25% of the HIV patients in the States have successfully reached this stage. Mostly because it’s an expensive treatment and out of reach for most of the population. However, being undetectable doesn’t mean stopping using condoms – if you love and care for your partner, you should always be sincere.
HIV can be indeed treated, but not completely cured.
But this treatment could save not only you, but also, your partner! You could live longer and enjoy spending time with your partner, who will stay healthy.
“If every single person who had HIV got diagnosed and treated properly, to the point where everyone is undetectable, then the generation would be completely HIV-free.”
There is actually a medication that can reduce getting HIV during a sexual intercourse for about 90%. This is an amazing statistic! The medication is called PrEP – Pre-exposure prophylaxis.
HIV test are really available and reachable and better yet – anonymous.
“The current guidelines from the US Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) recommends that doctors routinely screen teens and adults aged 15 to 65 years, pregnant woman, and people of any age who are at higher risk.”
Gay s*x between males is scientifically proven to be the most common way of getting HIV, but globally, the statistics show that more women have it than men. This doesn’t mean that women can’t transmit it to their woman partners, but the risk is lower.
Fortunately, if the mother is affected with HIV and early diagnosed, the transmission to her child can be prevented. So, it’s a worldwide recommendation for pregnant women to get tested for HIV.
Currently, there’s still no cure or vaccine that can be said it cures HIV for good.
However, the numerous and expensive researches look promising. There’s a case, commonly known in medicine as “The Berlin patient”, who had both HIV and leukemia. He had a bone marrow transplantation who ended up clearing HIV from his body, because the donor had a genetic mutation.
Since 1987, science is working on finding a cure for HIV and the results are optimistic. However, wearing a condom can take a second, and save many lives.