Key points:
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As its name suggests, the Human Immunodeficiency Virus or HIV is a virus that attacks immune system key cells, damaging its functioning.
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Thanks to antiretroviral treatment, most people with HIV never develop AIDS.
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An infected person can continue to have sexual intercourse, as long as they are in treatment and adequately protected with condoms.
If you’ve just been diagnosed with HIV, it’s quite normal to have thousands of questions.
Due to this, we share some information that may be of interest to you to understand how this virus works and that today, thanks to technology, you can have a good quality of life as long as you adhere to your doctor’s instructions.
As its name suggests, the Human Immunodeficiency Virus or HIV is a virus that attacks the immune system key cells, which destroys or damages their function, progressively reducing the immune system.
This means that your body is gradually exposed and unable to protect itself from diseases.
Thanks to antiretroviral treatments, most people with HIV never develop AIDS, they work by stopping or altering the reproduction of the virus in the body, which decreases the viral load.
Does having HIV mean having AIDS?
No, AIDS or Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome is the most advanced stage of HIV.
If not treated early, most people infected with HIV begin to show symptoms of AIDS 8 to 10 years after contracting the disease.
These symptoms or infections can be:
- Candidiasis and frequent infections of the upper respiratory tract.
- Chronic diarrhea that persists for a month or more.
- Pulmonary tuberculosis.
- Brain toxoplasmosis.
- Kaposi’s sarcoma.
Can I have a normal life?
In general yes, HIV or AIDS is spread by unprotected sexual transmission, through blood transfusions, by sharing contaminated needles without correct practices in health care centers, by drug injections, and between mother and child during pregnancy, childbirth, and breastfeeding.
An infected person can continue to have sexual intercourse, as long as they are in treatment and adequately protected with condoms.
The lifestyle of a person with HIV should be healthy, if all the measures prescribed by the doctor are followed, the quality of life can be equal to that of a person without the virus.
The best way to detect HIV is through a blood test that looks for levels of both HIV antibodies and the p24 antigen.
If you had unprotected sex, go immediately to our Clinical Laboratory to rule out this disease.
Ask about our services:
Observatorio Campus: 55 5230 8000
Santa Fe Campus: 55 1103 1600
Hours of operation: Monday to Sunday from 07:00 to 21:00 h
At ABC Medical Center’s Department of Internal Medicine, we can provide you with specialized care. Contact us!
Fuentes:
https://www.webmd.com/hiv-aids/diagnostico-reciente-vih
https://www.unaids.org/es/frequently-asked-questions-about-hiv-and-aids
