Human Immunodeficiency Virus

There are many diseases that are sweeping through our world and one of the most widely known is the Human Immunodeficiency Virus also known as HIV. What actually is HIV? Many people know of it but what does it do? How does it affect your body and your lifestyle? Many people do not know the answers to these questions.

HIV is commonly mistaken for AIDS. AIDS (Acquired immune deficiency syndrome) is only one stage of HIV and many people don't progress to that point. Once HIV enters the body the virus attacks CD4 cells which are immune system cells. The virus attaches to the CD4 cells and then injects HIV proteins (DNA and RNA) into the cell. The new HIV virus then continues to inject itself into other CD4 cells and the cycle continuously repeats itself. As the virus spreads, the CD4 cells become too weak to fight off other kinds of infections. Even the everyday common cold could turn fatal to someone with HIV.

Unlike the common cold or chicken pocks, you can not get HIV from being close to or just touching someone that has HIV. The HIV virus is contained in the blood, semen, and vaginal fluids so there are only limited ways for the virus to be moved from one host to another. Almost all cases have been transmitted by four ways: Sexual contact; injection with contaminated intravenous needles (IV needles); passage of the virus from a mother to an unborn child; and finally, through blood transfusions or organ donation. It really does not matter how long or how serious you have the virus, you can pass the virus on even if your levels are undetectable. (Gifford, 2000)

It is very important for the person with HIV to be very cautious and careful when having sexual intercourse. Anal intercourse is the easiest way to transmit the virus due to a higher amount of cracking and bleeding. Because of this reason, it is easier for homosexual men to transmit the virus then it is for heterosexual men and women and even homosexual women. Not only can the virus be transmitted to the healthy partner, but unprotected sexual intercourse can also lead to a person already carrying the virus, to become re-infected with a worse strand of the virus that could be untreatable. They also run a higher risk of contracting other sexually transmitted diseases such as syphilis or hepatitis.

The use of "dirty" IV needles is of course a bad idea. When a person with HIV uses any kind of needle, the needle and the syringe may probably contain small amounts of their blood when they are finished. When the next person uses the needle, the virus is immediately injected into the body and they are now infected.

Pregnant mothers who carry the HIV virus are at around a 33% chance of infecting their baby with the HIV virus. The mother's blood runs the risk of passing through the placenta and into their unborn babies' blood. Women can take medications that lower the risk of infecting their young but their baby still has a chance of contracting the virus. Even if their baby is born with out the virus, it is recommended that the mother not breastfeed the baby due to the fact that she still may transmit the virus to the infant.

Blood transfusions were commonly the easiest way to transmit the HIV virus until the mid 1980's when the blood test became available. The current risk for contracting HIV through blood transfusion is very low. (Gifford, 2000)

There currently no cures to the HIV/AIDS virus however there are a few medications that have been found to help prolong life and improve the infected people's quality of life. There are three main types of medications that infected people use.

Nucleoside analogs ("nukes") attack HIV by disrupting one of HIV's enzymes (reverse transcriptase) and instead of the CD4 cell reproducing the HIV virus, it reverts the RNA back to DNA and prevents the CD4 cells from being completely taken over by the HIV and destroyed. Next they take Protease inhibitors (PIs) which attack the HIV in a different stage of its development. After the HIV infects the CD4 cell and takes over the CD4 cell's DNA, it uses the enzyme protease to complete and strengthen the virus. When the PIs are injected into the CD4 cell, it stops the protease enzyme from functioning thus preventing the virus from completely forming and multiplying. The final drug usually taken is Nonnucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NNRTIs). These are similar to the "nukes" but do not contain nucleoside. This drugs primary function is to help prevent some of the more serious complications that arise due to the infection of HIV. Among these are pneumococcal pneumonia, insomnia, anxiety, and aches.

Of course with any drug, a person taking them runs the risk of ADRs (adverse drug reactions). People with the human immunodeficiency virus are more susceptible to ADRs but most people are more apt to try