An Aid to HIV

Image Source: Flickr. Kristian Hay

In recent years there has been a strong push toward safe sex in order to prevent the spread of STDs, or sexually transmitted diseases. However, when Americans from ages 18 to 64 were asked about STDs most could list a few major diseases but 12% could not list even one. Only 23% mentioned chlamydia, the most prevalent STD in the nation. It turns out that Americans may realize that they should use condoms and other tools for safe sex, but they don’t exactly know the reasons why.

Image Source: Kaiser Family Foundation.

Sexually Transmitted What Now?

These misconceptions even transfer to HIV, one of the most publicized STDs in the world. 34% of the same set of Americans thought that HIV could be transmitted via sharing a drinking glass, touching a toilet seat, or being in a pool with someone who is HIV+. Most don’t even realize there is a difference between HIV and AIDS.

The Facts

Image Source: Reuters.

So what are HIV and AIDS? HIV stands for Human Immunodeficiency Virus, a condition that be spread only through sexual contact or exposure to infected blood. This virus infects and kills the immune system’s CD4⁺ T cells that normally deal with infections, making it so that a body has trouble responding to viruses or bacteria. Once HIV kills enough T cells, it turns into AIDS, the Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome. At this stage, so many T cells have been destroyed that it is impossible for the body to fight any other infections, making even the common cold a deadly illness.

Looking to the Future

HIV works slowly, so it can take years for it to destroy enough of the immune system to be problematic or even noticeable. There are a lot of symptoms that can indicate HIV infection, but they can be easily mistaken for other diseases. The only real way for people to know if they have the disease is to get tested for it. As of now there is no cure for HIV, only a concoction of medicines that can slow down its progression to AIDS from years to decades. There is ongoing global research for a vaccine, though, and one group of South African scientists recently discovered a potential wayto target the virus itself. For now, though, all people can do is to be safe (and knowledgeable) when having sex.