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THE NIGHTMARE CONTINUES... What Women Should Know About AIDSIt
hardly seems possible that more than a decade has passed since the first
known cases of AIDS were reported to the Center for Disease Control in
Atlanta. The early cases in
this country involved homosexual men and intravenous drug abusers, and
were largely confined to San Francisco, New York and Los Angeles.
Most
Americans followed the news with curiosity and, for the most part, felt
unthreatened. The early information about the disease suggested that AIDS
was a consequence of who or where you were.
It turns out that it's not who you are, but what you do that
counts. Each
year, the statistics become more alarming; the fatalities continue to
rise, and more and more cases involve women. In
spite of all the publicity about the AIDS "epidemic" during
recent years, misinformation and myths about the disease are still
circulating and perpetuating confusion.
Even if you are positive that AIDS could never touch you or a loved
one, take the time to read the following facts.
The more you know, as they say on TV, the better able you are to
protect yourself. WHAT
IS AIDS? AIDS
is a disease, caused by a virus, that breaks down part of the body's
immune system, leaving a person defenseless against a variety of unusual,
life-threatening diseases. AIDS,
as most people now know, is an acronym:
Acquired
-- passed from one person to another.
Immune
-- the body's defense system to protect it from disease.
Deficiency
--failure of the defense system.
Syndrome
-- a group of symptoms which, when they occur together, mean a person has
a particular disease or condition. AIDS
is caused by a retrovirus called "human immunodeficiency virus"
or HIV. This particular virus
is tiny, even in the microscopic world of bacteria, amoebas and viruses. It is fragile, easily killed by even common household bleach.
It cannot survive even short periods outside the body. Viruses
are quite choosy about where they do their dirty work.
The polio virus, for example, targets nerve cells in the spinal
cord; the hepatitis virus goes straight to the liver; and the AIDS virus
chooses the white blood cells (T-cells) and macrophages of the immune
system. The
body's defense system against assault by germs, viruses, bacteria and
other living organisms is usually quite efficient in fighting off attack. But the system is not perfect; occasionally a cold or flu
virus will make it past the antibodies -- the body's first line of
defense. If there are too
many viruses, or if the antibodies don't "recognize" them as
threats, a person gets sick. Much
of what causes a person to feel badly -- fever, chills, headaches -- is
really the body's own defenses at work fighting off the invading
organisms. Unfortunately,
the AIDS virus is an expert guerilla warrior, able to escape the first
line of defense and aim its deadly force directly at the
"helper" T-cells. Once
it is "locked on," the virus passes through the cell's
protective membrane, and in the process, strips away its own outer
envelope which allows it to "float" inside the host cell. When
the antibodies fail, the immune system brings out the heavy artillery --
the white blood cells. Like a
voracious Pac-Man®,
they seek out the infected cells and eat them.
What makes the AIDS virus different is that it attacks the very
cells that normally protect us, by getting inside them and taking over the
controls. They
turn the white cells into mini-factories that make more viruses and
release them so that they, too, can make even more viruses.
Under the assault, the weakened defense system is rendered helpless
and the invasion is complete.
HOW IS AIDS SPREAD? While
the AIDS virus has been found in a number of body fluids and secretions
(blood, semen, saliva, urine, breast milk), scientific studies have shown
that the virus is spread in only a very few ways.
Anyone infected with HIV
may transmit the virus to others through: ,Sexual
contact involving the exchange of body fluids.
AIDS can be spread from men to women, men to men, and women to men. ,
Sharing contaminated needles and syringes by users of intravenous drugs. ,
Transfusion of blood or blood products contaminated by the virus. (This
method of transfer is now virtually eliminated by donor screening and use
of the AIDS antibody test at all the nation's blood centers.) ,
Transmission from infected mothers to their infants. The
AIDS virus is not spread by casual contact.
You can't get AIDS from being coughed or sneezed on; by eating food
prepared by someone who has AIDS; using public toilet facilities,
telephones, or swimming pools; or by sharing an office with an infected
person. There
has never been a single instance where AIDS has been spread through
ordinary, non-sexual contact in a family, work or social setting. WHAT
ARE THE SYMPTOMS?
White spots around or in the mouth that last for weeks. Many
of these symptoms are similar to those of the common cold or the flu. The
difference is the severity and the length of time they last.
The virus affects people differently; some do not get ill at all;
others develop only a few symptoms and in varying levels of severity;
others get very ill and die. The
Centers for Disease Control (CDC) estimate that between 30 and 50 percent
of the people who test HIV-positive will go on to develop full-blown AIDS
within five years. Many
researchers believe that virtually everyone who is infected with
the virus will eventually get AIDS. If
you are worried about being infected with the AIDS virus because of having
engaged in risk behavior (more than one sex partner, sharing IV drug
needles, receiving a blood transfusion before 1985), ask your doctor to be
tested for HIV antibody. THE
AIDS TEST AIDS
cannot be self-diagnosed, and since there is no way of telling if present
or past sexual partners may have been exposed to AIDS, you may want
to
be tested if you are sexually active. While
this test cannot tell if someone has AIDS or AIDS Related Complex (ARC),
it can tell whether or not a person has HIV antibodies in his or her
blood. If the antibodies are
there, the person has been infected; however, a positive test does not
mean that you will get AIDS or ARC. A
positive result does mean that you carry the virus and can infect others
through unprotected sex or other risk behavior. Before
taking the test you should know that it can take several weeks or months
after exposure to the virus before there are enough antibodies in the
blood to show up. That means
if you were exposed a week or two before taking the test, it would
probably come back negative which may give false security and allow you to
transmit the virus to others. If
the test does come back positive, another test is done to confirm the
results. If the confirmation
test is also positive, even if you have no symptoms, it is essential that
you let your sex partners know that they have also been exposed to the
virus. Be sure to inform any health care professional who may treat
you -- including your dentist
-- that you have tested positive for HIV. REDUCING
YOUR RISKS... AIDS
is one of the most complex epidemics in human history.
What makes it different from the Bubonic Plague, for example, is
that information and understanding give us the personal ability to avoid
the behavior
that puts us at risk for getting the disease. Unless
you are in a mutually monogamous relationship with someone who is not
infected, Practice Safe Sex. Condoms
may not offer perfect protection, but they can reduce the chances of
infection if used properly. The
AIDS virus cannot pass through latex, so use condoms made of that
material. Never use any kind of oil or petroleum-based lubricant with
latex condoms, however, as they can dissolve the latex. Ask
any potential sex partner about his previous experiences.
It may be appropriate for both of you to agree to be tested. Abstinence
is the best policy if you are at all unsure about your potential partner's
sexual history or experience. Continue your education about AIDS. Learn the facts about how to protect yourself and your loved ones. In the war against AIDS, knowledge is your best defense. Your survival is up to you.
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Randy A. Birken, M.D., F.A.C.S., F.A.C.O.G. Copyright 2000-2006 Randy A. Birken, M.D., F.A.C.S.,
F.A.C.O.G. All Right
Reserved
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