Jaymee-Mohini C.

Alcuas
1st Year BSA

1. Differentiate HIV and AIDS

Some of us might think that HIV and AIDS are quite similar with different terms but they
are not. Although they are related. They are different diagnoses. According to a health related
site named Healthline. HIV is a virus that can lead to AIDS, or known as stage 3 HIV.
HIV stands for “human immunodeficiency virus” it is a virus that leads to human body
system deterioration. When a virus enters the body and starts attacking the immune system the
immune system won’t be able to work as it normally should and only humans can contract it.
While AIDS which is “acquired immunodeficiency syndrome” is a condition. Contracting HIV can
lead to the development of AIDS. AIDS, or so they called stage 3 HIV, develops when HIV has
caused serious damage to the immune system. It is a complex condition with symptoms that
vary from person to person (Ellis, 2014)
They are not to be confuse for they are not the same thing. We should educate
ourselves to know that people with HIV doesn’t always have AIDS.

2. Causes of HIV & AIDS

HIV infection is caused by the human immunodeficiency virus. According to an article
made by NHS.uk (2018) Most people diagnosed with HIV in the UK acquire the virus through
unprotected vaginal or anal sex. It also possible to catch it through unprotected oral sex but risk
is lower. Another common way of getting it is by sharing drug needles with someone who is
infected with HIV.

Since this virus doesn’t spread through the air like cold and flu viruses. HIV and
AIDS lives in the blood and in some body fluids. To get HIV, these fluids from someone
with HIV has to get into your blood. Body fluids like: semen, vaginal fluids (also
menstrual blood), breast milk, blood, and lining inside anus.

Other body fluids, like saliva, sweat or urine, do not contain enough of the virus
to infect another person. Taking note that it is not passed through by spit, kissing,
contact with unbroken healthy skin, being sneezed, sharing stuffs, and contact with
animals.A person can have HIV without developing AIDS, but it is not possible to
have AIDS without first having HIV.

3. Symptoms of HIV? Symptoms of AIDS?

There are stages or phases of infection and symptoms may vary for each phase. There
is Acute HIV, Chronic HIV, Symptomatic HIV Infection, and Progression to AIDS.
 Infected with primary (acute) HIV infection, the person will develop a flu that last
for a few weeks. Signs also include: fever, headache, muscle and joint pain, rashes,
sore throat and painful mouth sores, swollen lymph glands mainly on neck, diarrhea,
weight loss, cough and night sweats. In Chronic HIV phase, HIV is still present in the
body and in white blood cells. However, many people may not have any symptoms or
infections during this time. This stage can last for many years if you're not receiving
antiretroviral therapy (ART). Some people develop more severe disease much sooner.

In Symptomatic HIV infection the virus keeps on multiplying destroying cells. The
development of mild chronic signs such as: fever, fatigue, swollen nyph nodes, diarrhea,
wight loss, oral yeast infection, herpes zoster, pneumonia.

HIV typically turns into AIDS in about 8 to 10 years. When AIDS occurs, one’s

immune system has been severely damaged. It’ll be more likely to develop opportunistic
infections or opportunistic cancers.The signs and symptoms of some of these infections
include: sweats,chills, recurring fever, chronic diarrhea, swollen lymph glands, white
spots unusual lesions on tongue and mouth, unexplained fatigue, weakness, weight
loss, skin rashes or bumps (Mayo Clinic Staff, 2020)

4. Is there a cure on HIV & AIDS? If yes, what are those?

Thankfully with the advances in modern technology and science, doctors were able to
find something that will help people with HIV and AIDS. According to a site called “Mayoclinic”
that there is no cure for HIV/AIDS, but there are medications that can slow the further progress
of the disease. Those drugs have been confirmed to reduce death from AIDS in many
developed countries. Everyone diagnosed with HIV should start getting antiretroviral therapy
(ART). ART is a combination of three or more medications from different drug classes. This is
what they considfer as the best approach in chances of lowering HIV in the blood.
The classes of HIV drugs include: Non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NNRTIs) turn off
a protein needed by HIV to make copies of itself, Nucleoside or nucleotide reverse transcriptase
inhibitors (NRTIs) are faulty versions of the building blocks that HIV needs to make copies of
itself, Protease inhibitors (PIs) inactivate HIV protease, another protein that HIV needs to
make copies of itself, Integrase inhibitors work by disabling a protein called integrase,
which HIV uses to insert its genetic material into CD4 T cells, Entry or fusion
inhibitors block HIV's entry into CD4 T cells. (Mayo Clinic Staff, 2020)
 5. How to prevent HIV & AIDS?
To prevent such virus to infect us we must to our part to prevent them. Some prevention
methods are: Getting tested for HIV or Getting tested and treated for STD’s, Choosing less risky
sexual behaviors like sex without a condom or without medicines to treat HIV, Use of condoms
everytime you have sex, Limiting your sexual partners, Talking to your health care provider
about pre-exposure prophlaxis (PrEP), and Do not encourage injecting drugs ( but if needed,
use only sterile injection equipments and never ever share with others) (Basics of HIV
Prevention, 2020).

References used:
Causes HIV and AIDS. (2018, Apri 3). Retrieved from NHS: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/hiv-and-
aids/causes/

Ellis, M. E. (2014, Januray 13). HIV vs. AIDS: What’s the Difference? Retrieved from Healthline:
https://www.healthline.com/health/hiv-aids/hiv-vs-aids

Mayo Clinic Staff. (2020, February 13). Retrieved from Mayoclinic: https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-
conditions/hiv-aids/symptoms-causes/syc-20373524

The Basics of HIV Prevention. (2020, September 16). Retrieved from HIV Info:
https://hivinfo.nih.gov/understanding-hiv/fact-sheets/basics-hiv-prevention