World AIDS Day Is Celebrated On December 1
Every year on the 1st of December, World AIDS Day is commemorated globally. It is a day when people around the world come together to extend support to those having AIDS and remember the warriors who succumbed to AIDS. World AIDS day was founded in the year 1988 and is the first-ever international day to be celebrated for global health.
Let’s create awareness this day by learning more about AIDS.
What Is AIDS?
AIDS stands for Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome. It is a severe and life-threatening condition that is caused when a person gets infected by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). HIV, or human immunodeficiency virus, transmits sexually in most cases. Hence, AIDS is a type of sexually transmitted infection (STI). However, there are other modes of transmission of HIV as well.
AIDS is a disease in which HIV causes severe damage to the immune system and hampers the body’s ability to fight infection and diseases by affecting the immunity. Currently, there is no effective cure available for AIDS.
How Is AIDS Or HIV Transmitted?
AIDS or HIV is usually transmitted through the bodily fluids of the infected person like the blood, semen, breast milk, or vaginal and rectal fluids. AIDS, or the virus causing AIDS, does not transfer through food, air, water, or normal contact like being in the same room as the infected person.
AIDS or HIV is transmitted through the following modes,
- When an infected person comes in sexual contact with the healthy individual
- Upon sharing infected needles of injection or in a tattoo parlor
- Through blood transfusions
- From a pregnant mother to the baby during pregnancy, childbirth, or while breastfeeding.
Symptoms Of HIV
The various symptoms of an HIV infection include the following,
- Fever
- Swelling in the lymph nodes, especially in the neck
- Headache
- Rashes
- Diarrhea
- Loss of weight
- Nausea
- Chills
- Sore throat
- Stomach upset
- Night sweats
When these early symptoms of HIV infection occur, the person infected often ignores them, thinking they are similar to the common flu. Even upon consulting a doctor, the condition is misdiagnosed as flu at certain times. However, it is during this time the viral load is particularly high.
Modes AIDS doesn’t transmit through
AIDS does not transmit through normal contact with an infected person. Hence, isolating and excluding the infected person from normal day-to-day activities is unnecessary. AIDS doesn’t transmit,
- Through food sharing
- Through air and water
- Normal contact, like being in the same room as the infected person
- By shaking hands or hugging the infected person
- Through tears, saliva, or sweat of the infected person
Tips To Prevent The Contraction Of AIDS And HIV
Prevention is better than cure- There are certain preventive tips that can be followed to prevent the risk of contracting AIDS. These tips include the following,
- Practicing safe sex
- Going to tattoo parlors and piercing parlors using sterilized needles
- Ensuring the use of new needles only
- Getting screened for HIV regularly
Take Away
Many people believe that AIDS may spread by being even in simple contact with the infected person. However, this is not true. AIDS doesn’t transmit through simple contact. And isolating the person infected and excluding them from participating in basic daily activities is unjust. This World AIDS Day 2022, create awareness about AIDS, its transmission, and prevention and extend support to those affected.
To address the inequalities that hold back the progress in ending AIDS and to extend support and harmony in the fight against HIV, spreading World AIDS Day awareness is more important.
