WARNING: How is HIV transmitted

The more you know about HIV the less risk of getting it you have. Read this article and find out how HIV is transmitted.

HIV is the human immunodeficiency virus that slowly destroys the affected immune system.  What are the syndromes and how is HIV transmitted through sex? As a result of getting
infected, the human body loses its ability to resist various infections and tumors develop AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome).

Without the appropriate treatment of diseases caused by HIV the infection leads to death within 9-11 years, with AIDS - about 1-2 years. The life expectancy can be up to 70-80 years only if there’s a good treatment and medicines.

The first cases of HIV were identified in 1981. Later in 1983 the human immunodeficiency virus was discovered in two independent laboratories.

These kinds of people are more likely to get HIV:

1. People who use injecting drugs.

2. Those engaged in the unprotected vaginal and anal sex, regardless of sexual orientation.

3. Patients who poured donated blood.

4. Prostitutes.

5. Doctors.

6. Patients with sexually transmitted diseases.

There are currently several ways of the HIV transmission identified.

The sexual contact with an infected person

Through the blood of an infected person

From an infected mother to the child

HIV is mostly transmitted through sex. Sexual transmission of HIV occurs during the person’s contact with the infected semen or vaginal secretions of an infected partner. So this HIV is transmitted from female to male and male to male. Moreover, the risk of infection exists not only during the process of the vaginal or anal sex. If your partner has sores or ulcers in the mouth you can also be affected during the oral sex. Therefore the simplest and the most reliable way to prevent HIV infection and the development of AIDS is using a condom.

HIV is also transmitted through the contaminated blood. The drug addicts who repeatedly use the same syringes have the highest risks of getting an infection. The patients who got infected blood because their doctors haven’t checked it first have a great risk too. You can become infected while surgery if the doctor uses a non-sterile instrument.

However, the modern medicine is quite safe. The doctors mainly use the disposable instruments and donor blood is carefully checked for the infections. So nowadays the risk of contracting HIV while getting a treatment is quite low.

HIV is transmitted from mother to child. This can occur during pregnancy, childbirth and breast-feeding.

HIV-positive women can give birth to a HIV infected and to healthy child too. But it is possible to determine whether the baby is infected only after 3 years after the day of their birth.

The factors that can increase the risk of a child getting HIV are:

- A high concentration of the virus in mother’s body with a low immune status;

- The presence of painful symptoms of AIDS;

- The low social status of the mother, poor living conditions;

- The more pregnancies the mother had, the higher the risk of infection for every following child there is;

- Aborted fetus.

The ulcers and sores in the vagina of the mother also increase the risks of the child becoming infected during giving birth.

In order to avoid the baby getting infected during breast-feeding, HIV-positive mothers are recommended to start giving formula to the infants instead of their own milk.

Nowadays there are many foundations and organizations whose aim is to prevent the spread of HIV and AIDS. If you go to some of those organizations you can take the free HIV test as well as get the condoms and disposable syringes.

The most important methods of HIV prevention are protected sex with one partner and a healthy lifestyle.