HIV PREVENTION AND TREATMENT
Prevention:
Use of a condom can reduce the risk of sexually transmitted diseases (STD) and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) transmission. Laboratory studies have shown that latex condoms provide an effective barrier against even the smallest STD pathogens. Condoms can provide different levels of protection of a range of STDs, depending on how it is transmitted. Thus, they have higher protection against HIV that can be transmitted through genital fluid.
Between 5% and 10% of recent HIV infections worldwide result in sharing used needles. More people who inject drugs are more vulnerable and are at greater risk of being exposed to HIV and its effects. Approximately 30% of HIV infections are caused from used, unsterilised needles that carry the risk of HIV transmission. If you are a drug addict and cannot stop injecting drugs then use clean needles not used ones, this can reduce the risk of HIV from transmission by injection.
Getting tested for HIV is great way to prevent the disease. If you and/or your partner believe that you are at risk of getting HIV, then it is a good time to get tested even if it does come back negative.
The Basics of HIV Prevention | HIV/AIDS Fact Sheets | education Materials | AIDSinfo. (n.d.). Retrieved May 19, 2015, from http://aidsinfo.nih.gov/education-materials/fact-sheets/20/48/the-basics-of-hiv-prevention
People Who Inject Drugs and HIV/AIDS. (n.d.). Retrieved May 19, 2015, from http://www.avert.org/people-inject-drugs-hiv-aids.htm
Treatment:
The main aim for antiretroviral treatment is to keep a low amount of HIV in the body. This stops the weakening of the immune system and allows it to repair it self from the damage caused by HIV. This is the only affective treatment that works great and allows the sufferers to live long and healthy lives if they have access health services. This treatment consists of taking medication daily for the rest of a person's life. These drugs are known as anti - HIV, anti - AIDS, ARVs and antiretroviral.
A vaccine is a medicine to help prevent or control a specific infection or virus by increases the immune systems defence. About 40 million people living with HIV and each day 14,000 people are infected with this virus. Many drugs have helped reduce the affects of HIV and has improved the lives of many people but yet, we do not have a cure. Thats why many researchers are working extremely hard to develop a HIV vaccine.
There are plenty of different types of drugs to help control and reduce the HIV levels in your body. These drugs are called antiretroviral drugs. There are 25 of them in 6 different types and each drug has a particular role to fight off the virus. A treatment plan is the best way to prevent the virus from spreading and the right amount of medication is required to be taken each day. Research display that a mixture of drugs is the best way to help control the virus and help reduce the chances of it becoming resistant to the treatment.
http://www.webmd.com/hiv-aids/guide/understanding-aids-hiv-treatment?page=2
http://www.avert.org/hiv-and-aids-treatment-care.htm