Frequently Asked Questions
Q1: What is HIV?
HIV stands for Human Immunodeficiency Virus. As the name suggests it only causes disease in humans, which leads to the depletion of white blood cells leading to lowering of immunity. Once the virus enters the body it lies dormant for many years and hence is known as a 'slow virus'. Most other viruses for example, those causing measles, mumps, chicken pox, etc., manifest the disease in 14-21 days after it enters the body. Hence the incubation period is short (2-3 weeks) whereas in HIV infection it is very long and runs into years..
Q2: What is AIDS?
Once HIV enters the body, it gets attached to a type of white blood cell called T lymphocyte (which is the T cell in the human body's protection against infections). The RNA (genetic material) of the virus then gets converted to DNA (genetic material) by an enzyme that the virus produces. This viral DNA then gets incorporated into the DNA of the human cell (T lymphocyte), and remains there for the lifetime of that cell. This infected cell now becomes a virus factory producing more viruses (HIV) which bud out of the cell, attack new T lymphocytes, and destroy them. Over a period of years, the T cell count of the infected person drops to a critical level and the individual develops many opportunistic infections and hence is then said to have AIDS..
Q3: What’s the difference between HIV and AIDS?
A person living with HIV (medically known as an HIV positive person) is one who has virus in his/her body. Such a person remains infected and is presumed infective for the rest of his/her life. However, s/he will appear to be perfectly normal and healthy and asymptomatic for many years. An asymptomatic HIV infected person does not have Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS). But when an HIV positive person's T lymphocytes (which are responsible for the immunity) count falls to 200 or less, s/he starts developing symptoms for eg. cough, fever, diarrhoea, skin lesions, etc. They are due to opportunistic infections (so called because they develop when the body's immunity becomes deficient) like TB, Thrush, Pneumonia, Cryptococcal meningitis, etc. All persons with AIDS are infected with HIV, but not all persons with HIV infection have AIDS. AIDS is only the end stage of this infection..
Q4: How long does it take for HIV to become AIDS?
Currently, the average time between HIV infection and the appearance of signs that could lead to an AIDS diagnosis is 8-11 years. This time varies greatly from person to person and can depend on many factors including a person's health status and behaviour. Today there are medical treatments that can slow down the rate at which HIV weakens the immune system. There are other treatments that can prevent or cure some of the illnesses associated with AIDS. As with other diseases, early detection offers more options for treatment and preventative health care..
Q5: What’s the connection between HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases?
Having a sexually transmitted disease (STD) can increase a person's risk of becoming infected with HIV, whether or not that STD causes lesions or breaks in the skin. If the STD infection causes irritation of the skin, breaks or sores may make it easier for HIV to enter the body during sexual contact. Even an STD that causes no breaks or sores can stimulate an immune response in the genital area that can make HIV transmission more likely..
Q6: Where did HIV come from?
The most recent presentation on the origin of HIV was presented at the 6th Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections (Chicago, January 1999). At that conference, research was presented that suggested that HIV had "crossed over" into the human population from a particular species of chimpanzee, probably through blood contact that occurred during hunting and field dressing of the animals. The CDC states that the findings presented at this conference provide the strongest evidence to date that HIV-1 originated in non-human primates. The research findings were featured in the February 4,1999 issue of the journal, Nature.
We know that the virus has existed in the United States, Haiti and Africa since at least 1977-1978. In 1979, rare types of pneumonia, cancer and other illnesses were being reported by doctors in Los Angeles and New York. The common thread was that these conditions were not usually found in persons with healthy immune systems.
In 1982 the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) officially named the condition AIDS (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome). In 1984 the virus responsible for weakening the immune system was identified as HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus)..
Q7: How many people are infected by HIV/AIDS?
According to UNAIDS/WHO 2006 annual AIDS epidemic update reports on the latest developments in the global AIDS epidemic. The number of people living with HIV in 2006:
Total 39.5 million (34.1–47.1 million)
Adults 37.2 million (32.1–44.5 million)
Women 17.7 million (15.1–20.9 million)
Children under 15 years 2.3 million ( 1.7–3.5 million)
http://www.unaids.org/en/HIV_data/epi2006/ .
Q8: How may people have died of AIDS?
Almost 8,500 people die every day due to AIDS. AIDS caused 3.1 million deaths in 2004, 510,000 among children under 15. An estimated 32 million people have died from AIDS since the beginning of the pandemic..
Q9: How fast is the pandemic growing?
There were 4.9 million new HIV infections in 2004, or almost 13,500 people per day..
Q10: How is HIV transmitted?
HIV can be transmitted from an infected person to another through:
- Blood (including menstrual blood)
- Semen
- Vaginal secretions
- Breast milk
Blood contains the highest concentration of the virus, followed by semen, followed by vaginal fluids, followed by breast milk.
Activities That Allow HIV Transmission
- Unprotected sexual contact
- Direct blood contact, including injection drug needles, blood transfusions, accidents in health care settings or certain blood products
- Mother to baby (before or during birth, or through breast milk)
Sexual intercourse (vaginal and anal): In the genitals and the rectum, HIV may infect the mucous membranes directly or enter through cuts and sores caused during intercourse (many of which would be unnoticed). Vaginal and anal intercourse is a high-risk practice.
Oral sex (mouth-penis, mouth-vagina): The mouth is an inhospitable environment for HIV (in semen, vaginal fluid or blood), meaning the risk of HIV transmission through the throat, gums, and oral membranes is lower than through vaginal or anal membranes. There are however, documented cases where HIV was transmitted orally, so we can't say that getting HIV-infected semen, vaginal fluid or blood in the mouth is without risk. However, oral sex is considered a low risk practice.
Sharing injection needles: An injection needle can pass blood directly from one person's bloodstream to another. It is a very efficient way to transmit a blood-borne virus. Sharing needles is considered a high-risk practice.
Mother to Child: It is possible for an HIV-infected mother to pass the virus directly before or during birth, or through breast milk. Breast milk contains HIV, and while small amounts of breast milk do not pose significant threat of infection to adults, it is a viable means of transmission to infants.
The following 'bodily fluids' are NOT infectious:
- Saliva
- Tears
- Sweat
- Feces
- Urine..
Q11: How is HIV not transmitted?
HIV cannot spread by casual contact such as touching, holding hands, body contact in crowded public places, shaking hands, working or playing together, sharing food, vessels and clothes, eating food cooked by an infected person, light kissing, mosquito and other insect bites, swimming pools, and toilets..
Q12: How can you tell if someone is infected with HIV?
You cannot tell by looking at someone whether he or she is infected with HIV or has AIDS. An infected person can appear completely healthy. But anyone infected with HIV can infect other people, even if they have no symptoms..
Q13: How do I know if I have AIDS?
You cannot tell whether a person is infected with HIV or has developed AIDS by how they look and appear to you.
A person infected with HIV is diagnosed with AIDS when they develop an AIDS defining illness. This happens when HIV has weakened their immune system to the point at which it has difficulty fighting off infections that it would otherwise have controlled. Because these illnesses take advantage of an weakened immune system, they are also known as opportunistic infections
In many countries anti-viral drugs are available that slow the progress of HIV infection, and stop the virus weakening the immune system. There are also drugs available to prevent and treat some of the specific opportunistic infections..
Q14: What is a HIV antibody test?
An antibody test is one type of HIV test. This test shows whether a person has been infected with HIV. The test looks for HIV antibodies in a person's blood. When HIV enters a person's body, special chemicals are produced, which are known as antibodies. Antibodies are the body's response to an infection. So if a person has antibodies to HIV in their blood, it means they have been infected with HIV (an exception is the case of an HIV negative baby born to a positive mother, who will retain her antibodies for some months). Depending on the clinic, the test results can take from a few days up to three weeks..
Q15: How do I reduce the risk of contracting HIV?
The best ways to protect yourself from getting infected with HIV are to:
Practice “safer” sex if you do have sex.
Do not share needles and syringes.
Ask potential partners if they have HIV infection or are at risk for such an infection.
You can't tell who's infected with HIV by how they look so even people who don't look or feel sick can be HIV positive, and not know it..
Q16: Is there a vaccine to prevent HIV infection?
Despite continued intensive research, experts believe it will be at least a decade before we have a safe, effective, and affordable AIDS vaccine. And even after a vaccine is developed, it will take many years before the millions of people at risk of HIV infection worldwide can be immunized. Until then, other HIV prevention methods, such as practicing safer sex and using sterile syringes, will remain critical..
Q17: Is there any treatment for HIV/AIDS?
Almost all opportunistic infections a person with AIDS develops can be treated with appropriate drugs. Eg. TB, thrush, diarrhoea, pneumonia can all be treated. They can also be prevented by drugs - chemoprophylaxis. When it comes to treatment of HIV itself, there are many antiretroviral drugs available. These should be given in combinations of 2 or 3 drugs for lifetime of the patient. These drugs are expensive, have side effects and need to be monitored using laboratory tests which are very expensive..
Q18: Is there a cure for AIDS?
There is still no cure for AIDS. And while new drugs are helping some people who have HIV live longer, healthier lives, there are many problems associated with them:
Anti-HIV drugs are highly toxic and can cause serious side effects, including heart damage, kidney failure, and osteoporosis. Many (perhaps even most) patients cannot tolerate long-term treatment with HAART.
HIV mutates quickly. Even among those who do well on HAART, roughly half of patients experience treatment failure within a year or two, often because the virus develops resistance to existing drugs. In fact, as many as 10 to 20 percent of newly infected Americans are acquiring viral strains that may already be resistant to current drugs.
Because treatment regimens are unpleasant and complex, many patients miss doses of their medication. Failure to take anti-HIV drugs on schedule and in the prescribed dosage encourages the development of new drug-resistant viral strains.
Even when patients respond well to treatment, HAART does not eradicate HIV. The virus continues to replicate at low levels and often remains hidden in "reservoirs" in the body, such as in the lymph nodes and brain.
In the U.S., the number of AIDS-related deaths has decreased dramatically because of widely available, potent treatments. But more than 95 percent of all people with HIV/AIDS live in the developing world, and many have little or no access to treatment..
Q19: How can I help fight HIV/AIDS?
Everyone can play a role in confronting the HIV/AIDS pandemic. Here are just a few suggestions for how you can make a difference:
Volunteer with your local AIDS service organization.
Talk with the young people you know about HIV/AIDS.
Sponsor an AIDS education event or fund raiser with your local school, community group, or religious organization.
Urge government officials to provide adequate funding for AIDS research, prevention education, medical care, and support services.
Speak out against AIDS-related discrimination..
Q20: Where can I get more information about HIV/AIDS?
There are a range of sources for HIV/AIDS information; some are listed in our Links Section.
Q21: How do we contact Islamic Relief?
Islamic Relief International Head Office
19 Rea Street South
Birmingham
B5 6LB
UK
General Enquiries: 0121 605 5555
Website: www.islamic-relief.com..