World’s AIDS Day: Transmission, Symptoms, And Prevention

In 1988, the World Health Organization Declared 1 December as World’s AIDS Day. This Post Contains Everything That One Should Know About the Disease!

AIDS is considered a serious illness in the world that is caused by HIV – Human Immunodeficiency Virus. According to the reports, the disease has claimed the lives of 36.3 million people till July 17, 2021. These statistics by the WHO is an indication to HIV/AIDS to be the most serious public health challenge globally. 

December 1 is considered World’s AIDS Day across the globe to spread awareness about the disease and show gestures to those who have lost their lives due to this disease. This year ─ the theme of World AIDS Day is ‘End inequalities, End AIDS’. “With the special focus to reach people who left behind ─ WHO and its partners are highlighting the growing inequalities in access to essential HIV services”, WHO said.

Every passing year, Doctors and other health workers try to understand the seriousness of this chronic disease. Dr. Gaurav Jain, Consultant, Internal Medicine, Dharamshila Narayana Superspeciality Hospital, said ─ “All we have to do is to understand the basics about HIV and ensure the protection and get rid of these social taboos.” 

Basics of HIV/AIDS that Everyone Should Know

Understand these basic things about AIDS to halt the spread of this disease. 

Transmission

• AIDS can spread through multiple sources, according to Dr. Aditya S Chowti, senior consultant internal medicine, internal medicine, Fortis Hospital, Bangalore. 
• By coming in direct contact with certain body fluids such as blood, semen, rectal fluid, vaginal fluid, or breast milk from a person. 
• You can also get infected with HIV by sharing drug equipment like needles. 
• It can also spread by having unprotected sexual intercourse with an HIV-positive person. 
• It can be transmitted from mother to child during pregnancy, birth, or breastfeeding. 
• By receiving blood or organ transplantation from an HIV-infected person.  

Symptoms

• When HIV is converted into AIDS, it may show symptoms like unexplained fatigue, fever, sore around genitals or neck, and pneumonia. 
• During stage 1, within 2-3 weeks, patients may experience fever, chills, rashes, night sweats, muscle aches, mouth ulcers, sore throat, fatigue, and lymph nodes. And these symptoms can last for a few weeks. 
• Stage 2 ─ may not show any particular symptoms. 
• Stage 3 results in a weak immune system, weight loss, recurring fever, night sweats, extreme tiredness, swollen lymph nodes, chronic diarrhea, sores in the mouth and genitals, depression, memory loss, and skin rashes.

Prevention

It is crucial to prevent the disease instead of looking for the cure- Dr. Chowti said. This is how you can prevent AIDS.

• Use protection while having sexual intercourse.
• Make sure you’re not using contaminated needles.
• Get the immediate and proper treatment of any type of disease or infection.
• Mothers don’t breastfeed their children if they are HIV positive.
• Also, ask your tattoo artist to use a fresh needle on your body.
• Conduct a set of premarital tests before marriage.