HIV and Aids: News Updates and Information

Updated/Revised Date: 20th Sep 2022
Author: Sexual Diversity | Contact: SexualDiversity.org
Additional References: HIV and Aids Publications

Synopsis: General information, news, and articles relating to HIV and AIDS, including signs, symptoms, and transmission methods.

Definition

Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV)

HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) infection in humans came from a type of chimpanzee in Central Africa. Studies show that HIV may have jumped from chimpanzees to humans as far back as the late 1800s. HIV is a virus that attacks the body’s immune system. If HIV is not treated, it can lead to AIDS (Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome). There is currently no effective cure. Once people get HIV, they have it for life. But with proper medical care, HIV can be controlled. People with HIV who get effective HIV treatment can live long, healthy lives and protect their partners.

Main Section

More than 1.1 million people in the United States are currently living with HIV infection, and almost 1 in 6 (15.8%) are unaware of their infection.

HIV : Human Immunodeficiency Virus

H - Human - This particular virus can only infect human beings.

I - Immunodeficiency - HIV weakens your immune system by destroying important cells that fight disease and infection. A "deficient" immune system can't protect you.

V - Virus - A virus can only reproduce itself by taking over a cell in the body of its host.

AIDS : Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome

A - Acquired - AIDS is not something you inherit from your parents. You acquire AIDS after birth.

I - Immuno - Your body's immune system includes all the organs and cells that work to fight off infection or disease.

D - Deficiency - You get AIDS when your immune system is "deficient," or isn't working the way it should.

S - Syndrome - A syndrome is a collection of symptoms and signs of disease. AIDS is a syndrome rather than a single disease because it is a complex illness with many complications and symptoms.

HIV Symptoms Can Include:

• Rash
• Fatigue
• Headache
• Sore throat
• Swollen glands
• Fever (most common symptom)
• Muscle and joint aches and pains

Certain body fluids from an HIV-infected person can transmit HIV:

• Blood
• Semen
• Breast milk
• Rectal fluids
• Vaginal fluids
• Pre-seminal fluid

HIV is Spread Mainly By:

• Having sex with someone who has HIV.
• Vaginal sex (penis in the vagina) is the second highest-risk sexual behavior.
• Having multiple sex partners or having sexually transmitted infections can increase the risk of HIV infection through sex.
• Anal sex (penis in the anus of a man or woman) is the highest-risk sexual behavior. Receptive anal sex ("bottoming") is riskier than insertive anal sex ("topping").

Less commonly, HIV may be spread by:

• Being stuck with an HIV-contaminated needle or another sharp object. This is a risk mainly for health care workers.
• Being born to an infected mother. HIV can be passed from mother to child during pregnancy, birth, or breastfeeding.
• Contact between broken skin, wounds, or mucous membranes and HIV-infected blood or blood-contaminated body fluids. These reports have also been sporadic.
• Eating food that has been pre-chewed by an HIV-infected person. The contamination occurs when infected blood from a caregiver's mouth mixes with food while chewing and is very rare.
• Deep, open-mouth kissing if the person with HIV has sores or bleeding gums and blood is exchanged. HIV is not spread through saliva. Transmission through kissing alone is sporadic.
• Receiving blood transfusions, blood products, or organ/tissue transplants contaminated with HIV. This risk is minimal because of rigorous testing of the US blood supply and donated organs and tissues.
• Being bitten by a person with HIV. Each minimal number of documented cases has involved severe trauma with extensive tissue damage and the presence of blood. There is no risk of transmission if the skin is not broken.
• Oral sex - using the mouth to stimulate the penis, vagina, or anus (fellatio, cunnilingus, and rimming). Giving fellatio (mouth to oral penis sex) and having the person ejaculate (cum) in your mouth is riskier than other types of oral sex.

HIV is NOT Spread By:

• Air or water
• Toilet seats
• Drinking fountains
• Saliva, tears, or sweat
• Insects, including mosquitoes or ticks
• Casual contact, like shaking hands, hugging, or sharing dishes/drinking glasses

HIV Positive Progression to AIDS

Being diagnosed with HIV does NOT mean a person will also be diagnosed with AIDS. Healthcare professionals diagnose AIDS only when people with HIV disease begin to get severe opportunistic infections or their CD4 counts fall below a certain level.

Aids Symptoms Include:

• Pneumonia
• Rapid weight loss
• Extreme and unexplained tiredness
• Sores of the mouth, anus, or genitals
• Recurring fever or profuse night sweats
• Diarrhea that lasts for more than a week
• Memory loss, depression, and other neurologic disorders.
• Prolonged swelling of the lymph glands in the armpits, groin, or neck
• Red, brown, pink, or purplish blotches on or under the skin or inside the mouth, nose, or eyelids

The only way to know if you have HIV is to get tested. Testing is relatively simple. You can get an HIV test from your doctor or healthcare provider, community health center, Veteran's health center, Title X family planning clinic, and other locations. There also are FDA-approved HIV home test kits you can use.

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Latest HIV and Aids Publications
The above information is from our reference library of material relating to HIV and Aids that includes:
	Parent Focused HIV Prevention Intervention Online toolkit helps parents improve communication with gay and bisexual sons about behaviors to help them stay healthy. Publish Date: 13th Nov 2022 - Updated: 5th Jan 2023
	FDA Approves Trogarzo (ibalizumab-uiyk) for Patients with Limited HIV Treatment Options U.S. FDA approves Trogarzo for adult patients with HIV who have tried multiple medications and whose HIV infections cannot be treated with other therapies - multidrug resistant HIV, or MDR HIV. Publish Date: 7th Mar 2018
	Undetectable/Untransmittable: Gay - Bisexual Men Skeptical But Attitudes On The Rise Hunter CHEST study sought to examine how accurate gay and bisexual men perceive this message to be by surveying more than 12,000 men across the United States. Publish Date: 16th Jan 2018
	Transgender Women Take Triple the Number of HIV Tests As Trans Men Study revealed HIV testing among transgender adults was higher in those who identified as female, were African-American or Hispanic, or had a history of incarceration. Publish Date: 1st Nov 2017
	Elton John Condemns Betty Price for Suggesting People Living with HIV Should be Quarantined Georgia State Representative Betty Price suggests people living with HIV should be quarantined to stop the spread of the virus which causes AIDS. Publish Date: 24th Oct 2017