Opinion / Columnist
Wiping out HIV and AIDS
30 Mar 2018 at 11:42hrs | Views
Most people get confused with terms HIV and AIDS. They relatively believe that HIV and AIDS are the same but there is a slight difference.
Human Immune Virus (HIV) and Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome come from the same pond which is a lentivirus from the genus family.
HIV is when the lentivirus enters the immune system and starts attacking the white blood cells. The white blood cells are the human body's defense mechanism once they start dilapidating the immune system starts to deteriorate.
HIV can basically enter a human being through the transfusion of fluids of the genital glands or blood. Many people are very much afraid of getting tested which relatively enables them to know their status.
They believe once a person has tested positive then their life would now be on the brink but this is not relatively true.
Knowing your HIV status is very much fundamental as this enables one to make decisions that can sustain them for the rest of their livelihood.
The demographic data of much of the world today is made up of youths especially in Africa where life expectancy is relatively around 40 years.
This is largely attributed to one's ignorance of knowing their HIV status. If one is to be found HIV positive they can easily be given Anti Retro-Viral (ARV) drugs to boost their immune system.
The same applies with pregnant women, they can lower or nullify the chances of having their baby getting infected by HIV if they are to get tested as soon as they get pregnant. The baby will also be able to be born negative in the event that the mother is found positive through a process called Prevention of Mother To Child Transmission (PMTCT).
A person who has tested HIV positive can live the same life as one who would have tested negative. If the individual takes the ARVs, maintains a balanced-diet, exercises regularly, refrains from promiscuity and practices safe sex.
However, if one is not to be tested regularly and later discovers that the individual has now AIDS the chances of recuperation will now be low as the white blood cells will now be virtually wiped out curtailing the chances of creating new ones.
Even ARV drugs will at times if not most be unable to resuscitate the individual and the result is a traumatizing death for the ones left behind.
Through counselling and ARVs a person who tested positive can live a normal steady life even up to 90 years or more.
So please get tested regularly and remember to stay positive regardless of the results.
Human Immune Virus (HIV) and Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome come from the same pond which is a lentivirus from the genus family.
HIV is when the lentivirus enters the immune system and starts attacking the white blood cells. The white blood cells are the human body's defense mechanism once they start dilapidating the immune system starts to deteriorate.
HIV can basically enter a human being through the transfusion of fluids of the genital glands or blood. Many people are very much afraid of getting tested which relatively enables them to know their status.
They believe once a person has tested positive then their life would now be on the brink but this is not relatively true.
Knowing your HIV status is very much fundamental as this enables one to make decisions that can sustain them for the rest of their livelihood.
The demographic data of much of the world today is made up of youths especially in Africa where life expectancy is relatively around 40 years.
This is largely attributed to one's ignorance of knowing their HIV status. If one is to be found HIV positive they can easily be given Anti Retro-Viral (ARV) drugs to boost their immune system.
The same applies with pregnant women, they can lower or nullify the chances of having their baby getting infected by HIV if they are to get tested as soon as they get pregnant. The baby will also be able to be born negative in the event that the mother is found positive through a process called Prevention of Mother To Child Transmission (PMTCT).
A person who has tested HIV positive can live the same life as one who would have tested negative. If the individual takes the ARVs, maintains a balanced-diet, exercises regularly, refrains from promiscuity and practices safe sex.
However, if one is not to be tested regularly and later discovers that the individual has now AIDS the chances of recuperation will now be low as the white blood cells will now be virtually wiped out curtailing the chances of creating new ones.
Even ARV drugs will at times if not most be unable to resuscitate the individual and the result is a traumatizing death for the ones left behind.
Through counselling and ARVs a person who tested positive can live a normal steady life even up to 90 years or more.
So please get tested regularly and remember to stay positive regardless of the results.
Source - Daniel Itai
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