Information about HIV/AIDS

By: Mary Rose

It is three decades since the discovery of the HIV virus but we are still lacking information about HIV / AIDS. According to UNAIDS estimates, there are now 33.2 million people living with HIV, including 2.5 million children. Although there is no foolproof cure or vaccine for HIV virus, the International AIDS Vaccine Initiative (IAVI) will ensure that medicines are available at an affordable cost even in third world countries. The search for the vaccine for AIDS remains the challenge for the world today.

Let us delve into some more information about HIV /AIDS. What is causing the spread of the infection? Ignorance. One in three youngsters in the world are still ignorant about how the infection spreads. We have to wake up to the harsh reality of the epidemic and the world's leaders must demonstrate real commitment to keep their promise. We cannot wait another quarter of a century for a vaccine. The need of the hour is the four Ms-motivation, money, medicines and manpower.

Let me burst the bubble on some common myths about HIV /AIDS. Blood donation can cause HIV infection. People today are afraid of donating blood. HIV does not spread through donation of blood, as hospitals and blood banks use disposable syringes. Another myth is that HIV / AIDS spreads through mosquito and bug bites, air, saliva and touch. It is a very important piece of information about HIV / AIDS that it is not spread through mosquito and bug bites, air, saliva and touch.

Promiscuous men and women have largely been held responsible for fuelling the HIV /AIDS epidemic in the world. Stigma towards HIV-positive people needs to be countered if the threat of HIV /AIDS is to be overcome. Stigma is hard to track and its impact even harder to measure. Those vulnerable to and experiencing social stigma and discrimination will be puzzled if they were told that awareness and knowledge about HIV/AIDS is higher than before.Awareness is not translating into tolerance or a shedding of stigma. The good information about HIV / AIDS is that the number of people contracting HIV infection is dropping worldwide.

Protection against HIV/AIDS and preventing its spread is certainly a key message, but protection using stigma and alienation will go nowhere. It is always challenging to fight for legislation and better policy outcomes. Certain states have law against discrimination of HIV-positive children in schools. But laws and policies cannot be substitutes for a humane approach.

The Author, Mary Rose has authored several books including books related to health and fitness. For more information log on to http://www.casanads.com/bm/hf.htm

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Aids Information

By: Juliet Cohen

Aids is a very serious illness. AIDS stands for Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome. AIDS is caused by a virus called HIV, the Human Immunodeficiency Virus. AIDS may also spread by sharing drug needles or through contact with the blood of an infected person. Women can give it to their babies during pregnancy or childbirth. The first signs of HIV infection may be swollen glands and flu-like symptoms. These may come and go a month or two after infection. Severe symptoms may not appear until months or years later. HIV is genetically variable and exists as different strains, which cause different rates of clinical disease progression. HIV/AIDS stigma is more severe than that associated with other life-threatening conditions and extends beyond the disease.

The symptoms of AIDS are primarily the result of conditions that do not normally develop in individuals with healthy immune systems. Most of these conditions are infections caused by bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites that are normally controlled by the elements of the immune system that HIV damages. Opportunistic infections are common in people with AIDS. HIV affects nearly every organ system. People with AIDS also have an increased risk of developing various cancers such as Kaposi's sarcoma, cervical cancer and cancers of the immune system known as lymphomas. Sexually transmitted infections (STI) increase the risk of HIV transmission and infection because they cause the disruption of the normal epithelial barrier by genital ulceration and/or microulceration.

There is currently no cure for HIV or AIDS. Current treatment for HIV infection include of highly active antiretroviral therapy, or HAART. Daily multivitamin and mineral supplements have been found to decrease HIV disease sequence among men and women. Various forms of alternative medicine have been tried to treat symptoms or alter the course of the disease. Reverse transcriptase (RT) inhibitors medicines interfere with a critical step during the HIV life cycle and keep the virus from reproducing. Protease inhibitors medicines interfere with a protein that HIV uses to produce infectious viral particles. Other drugs can prevent or treat opportunistic infections (OIs). In most cases, these drugs work very well. The newer, stronger ARVs have also helped reduce the rates of most OIs.

Aids Treatment and Prevention Tips

1. Clean the needle before using.

2. Don't have sex with prostitutes.

3. Do not share needles or syringes.

4. Get professional help for terminating the drug habit.

5. Antiretroviral treatment for HIV infection consists of drugs

6. Fusion Inhibitors, such as enfuvirtide are blocking HIV entry into cells.

7. Don't have sexual contact with anyone who has symptoms of AIDS.

8. Avoid having sex with anyone who has multiple and/or anonymous sexual partners.

9. Avoid sexual contact with anyone who has had sex with people at risk of getting AIDS.

10. Avoid oral, genital and anal contact with partner's blood, semen, vaginal secretions, feces or urine.

Juliet Cohen writes articles for Women Health. She also writes articles for Early Pregnancy and Pregnancy Calendar.

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HIV / AIDS Complementary Treatment

by: Jan Greeff

HIV/AIDS: COMPLEMENTARY MANAGEMENT VIA IMMUNE-ENHANCEMENT

Latest technology complementary and supportive products are achieving remarkable results.

A leading firm of clinical consultants who have been contracting to Medical Aid Funds to manage approximately 6 500 persons living with HIV/AIDS on an ongoing basis for many years, reports as follows:

"We are contracted to render HIV disease management services to numerous patients of several medical schemes. We have been using Phytogard as an immune booster for the past 4 years with exceptional results.

Some patients are currently controlled on Phytogard alone and maintain or improve their CD4 counts while reducing Viral Loads.

Five of our contracted medical schemes are funding the inclusion of Phytogard in our disease management protocols."

The success of Phytogard is mainly due to Foodstate*tm technology. For the first time in history specialised vitamin and mineral combinations are presented to the body as food. Utility is improved by up to 15 times compared to chelated chemical isolates and inorganics.

The unique, synergistic and cost-efficient combination of ingredients in Phytogard has been developed in collaboration with leading laboratories from all over the world. They consist of vitamins A and B12, Selenium and Zinc, all in Foodstate*tm form, n-Acetyl Cysteine, Betasitosterols and Alpha Lipoic Acid.

These products can add significant value to complementary health services worldwide.

For more information, please contact Jan Greeff in Barberton, South Africa

Tel. +2713 712 2436 e-mail to grewe@absamail.co.za. SMS only to +278 454 838 90 or visit http://wellness.oppiweb.com.

About The Author

I’m Jan Greeff, married to Juanita since 1973. We have four children, four grandchildren, and are known as the wellness family.

I have been a Lifestyle Consultant for more than twelve years. It has been my privilege to be instrumental in safe, natural intervention to improve the quality of life of countless persons.

My intervention strategy is aimed at achieving optimum wellness via balanced nutrition, moderate exercise and fulfilling relationships.

AIDS/HIV Information

by: Melissa Albright

AIDS is an acronym for Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome it causes a destruction of the immune system. It is the most advanced stage of the HIV virus (HIV stands for Human Immunodeficiency Virus). AIDS is defined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) as the presence of a positive HIV antibody test and one or more of the illnesses known as opportunistic infections.

The HIV virus, type 1 or 2 is widely known to be the cause of AIDS. HIV breaks down and attacks your T cells so your body is unable to defend itself against different infections. The HIV virus also attacks your peripheral nervous system, this causes nerve and muscle pain, especially in the feet, legs, and hands.

HIV is spread through direct contact with semen or blood of an individual that is infected. This can be transferred in many ways the most common is unprotected sexual intercourse. Other means of infection are infected blood transfusions, mother to infant (at time of birth, or through breast milk), sharing needles with an infected person, and rarely a healthcare worker that gets pricked with an infected needle.

Often people who are infected with HIV have few symptoms and in some cases there are none. Other times, symptoms of HIV are confused with other illnesses such as the flu. This may be severe, with swollen glands in the neck and armpits, tiredness, fever and night sweats. This is where as much as 9 out of 10 of the infected individuals will develop AIDS. At this point the person may feel completely healthy and not even know that he/she has the virus. The next stage begins when the immune system starts to break down and the virus becomes more aggressive in damaging white cells. Several glands in the neck and armpits may swell and stay swollen for an extended period of time without any explanation. As this disease progresses boils or warts may spread over the body. They may also feel tremendously tired, night sweats, high fevers, chronic diarrhea, and they may lose a considerable amount of their body weight. Most cases have shown thrush as a symptom as well. At this point the person is in the final stages of HIV--AIDS. Severe chest infections with high fever are common and survival rate is above 70% but decrease with each recurrence.

A person is diagnosed with AIDS when he/she has one or more positive HIV screening and the presence of an AIDS defining condition. Some of the common conditions include but are not limited to: Meningitis, Encephalitis, Dementia, Pneumonia, Kaposi sarcoma, and Lymphoma. There is also a blood test called an Immune Profile that can be done. This test is used to measure the loss of immunity and help decide on the best treatment. There is a test that is rarely used due to its high cost, it is known as a Viral Load: This test detects the virus itself, and also measures the amount of HIV in the blood. It shows how quickly the HIV infection is likely to advance. A high viral load suggests that the person may progress rapidly to AIDS.

Although there is no cure for AIDS there are medical treatments that aide in prolonging, and maintaining the best quality of life possible. These include two nucleoside inhibitors, lamivudine and zidovudine. Actual treatment plans will vary with each patient, along with the physical aspect of this disease. The psychological side has to be addressed in order for a treatment plan to be effective.

The easiest way to escape contracting this disease is to avoid the risk factors that you are in control of. Such as: unprotected sex, not sharing a needle, and if you are in the healthcare field be sure to use all precautions necessary to avoid an accidental prick from a possible infected needle (remember that in this diseases early stages it is common for the person not to even know they are infected). Today AIDS is the fifth leading cause of death among all adults aged 25 to 44 in the United States. Among African-Americans in the 25 to 44 age group, AIDS is the leading cause of death for men and the second leading cause of death for women. Our society needs to become aware that by not protecting ourselves we are killing ourselves and that this has to stop.

About The Author

Melissa Albright is the webmaster for the website Know More Get More http://www.knowmoregetmore.com/healthyliving Giving you the information you need.