Unfortunately, many people, despite the availability of information today, still believe that HIV and AIDS are one and the same thing, or cannot clearly explain the differences between them. So let’s define what is HIV, HIV infection and AIDS? And what are their differences?

HIV is the human immunodeficiency virus.

As a result of infection with HIV, a person becomes infected with HIV – an incurable, long-lasting infectious disease.

For a long time after infection, the presence of the virus in the body does not lead to any health problems and the person does not feel his illness. Treatment of HIV infection is carried out with the help of drugs that support immunity. After years of HIV existence in the organism (for different people the duration of this period can be different – from several years to 10 or more), the immune system is affected, and the human body loses the ability to resist not only HIV reproduction, but also other diseases and infections.

AIDS is an acquired immunodeficiency syndrome. AIDS is the final stage of HIV infection, when a person’s immunity is weakened to such an extent that other diseases that develop against the background of the disease take an irreversible course and lead to death.

At the moment, HIV infection continues to be an incurable disease, but with a healthy lifestyle, medical supervision and medication, it is possible to favorable course of the disease and prevent the development of AIDS.

How can you get infected and how can you not?

Everyone probably already knows that there are three main ways of HIV transmission:

  • Sexual intercourse without a condom with someone infected with HIV;
  • Sharing injection paraphernalia, especially among injecting drug users;
  • Vertical transmission of HIV from an HIV-infected mother to her child (during pregnancy, childbirth or after birth through breast milk).

If we consider the bulk of cases of HIV infection, all other routes of transmission are much less frequent. Among them, HIV infection through transfusions of donor blood or blood products in countries where mandatory HIV testing of all donor blood samples has not been introduced. Infection by contact with infected blood on an open wound or mucous membrane, or by a bite, is extremely rare. For this reason, one should not share razor blades and toothbrushes, use untreated manicure tools, or apply tattoos with non-sterile tools. HIV is not transmitted through everyday household contacts, such as sharing a bathroom and toilet, drinking from the same cup, or friendly kissing. In health care settings, there have been no reported cases of a health care worker becoming infected after saliva, urine, or blood from an HIV-infected patient has come into contact with intact skin. HIV is also not transmitted through blood-sucking insects.

Control over compliance with sanitary and epidemiological regimes in dental polyclinics and medical centers, which is carried out constantly, excludes the conditions of HIV infection.

No more than a few dozen cases of HIV infection during oral sex have been recorded worldwide. Mostly, these cases of HIV transmission involve ejaculation into the mouth for the receiving partner. The inserting partner only comes in contact with safe saliva that does not contain a dose of HIV sufficient to cause infection. In addition, saliva contains substances that have antiviral effects. The chances of getting during oral sex the causative agents of some sexually transmitted infections are much higher: syphilis, gonorrhea, genital herpes and human papillomavirus including oncogenic types 16, 18.

How long can one live with HIV?

The duration of HIV infection progression to AIDS is individualized for each person and depends on the initial state of the immune system and the properties of the virus itself.

Today, thanks to the availability of specific antiviral therapy, the progression of the disease can be stopped at any stage. How long can one live with HIV while receiving specific treatment? If it is effective and started on time, and the patient is committed to it, it is believed that life expectancy will not differ much from the national average. We have examples of people with HIV living for 24 years from the time they are diagnosed with the infection, receiving treatment in recent years. However, there are also reverse examples…. HIV treatment in Belarus has been carried out on a large scale for 8 years and it is too early to make any categorical conclusions. But one thing can already be stated – a person taking ARV therapy lives, works, gives birth to children, feels full-fledged, and has prospects.