The HIV can spread in three ways:
Contaminated Blood transfer
Intimate sexual relations
Use of syringes and needles that are contaminated.
The HIV could also spread to the baby from an infected pregnant woman. People with HIV infection show no symptoms even up to 10 years of being infected; however, they can pass the virus on to others during this period. The HIV Western blot tests and HIV ELISA detect antibodies in the blood. These antibodies work against the virus. If there are antibodies present in the blood stream, it indicates that you are body has the HIV virus within it. In the event of the test being negative, the presence of the antibodies is also negated and it would mean that you are not infected with HIV. However, you will have to take the test once again in three months. If the HIV western blot tests and HIV ELISA then show positive, it means that there are antibodies present in your blood stream. At this point, further tests must be done to determine the level of HIV present in the bloodstream. For the treatment of HIV infection, doctors recommend drug therapy. However this is for patients who have been taking their medications regularly and have a CD4 count of below 500 cells/mL. Some people, such as pregnant women and people with kidney problems caused by HIV may need to go through treatment regardless of their CD4 count.
It is very important that people with HIV take all doses of their medications. If they don’t, the virus will become resistant to the drugs. There are various types of anti-viral drugs used in therapy. In infected pregnant women, treatment is done to reduce the chances of transmitting the virus to the baby.
HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) is the virus that causes AIDS (acquired immune deficiency syndrome). The HIV retrovirus may be passed from one person to another when infected blood, semen, vaginal secretions or other bodily fluids come in contact with an uninfected person's broken skin or mucous membranes. People with HIV have what is called HIV infection and are fit and well. Some of these people will develop AIDS as a result of their HIV infection. Growth hormone is a popular bodybuilding and performance enhancing aid, and the use of recombinant human growth hormone (rHGH, or simply GH) to treat various conditions in HIV infection has been debated with excitement for years. Indeed it is licensed for the treatment of wasting syndrome in advanced stages of AIDS. GH is also a commonly used bodybuilding and performance enhancing drug, which can be purchased on the black market, used to help both muscle anabolism / strength and reduction in body fat levels. Both of these applications have possible significance in the treatment of HIV.
Other than in the treatment of wasting disease, results from the studies using rHGH to treat body changes associated with HIV and/or drugs used to treat HIV have been very favorable. One which has been studied extensively is the use of rHGH in reducing HIV-associated adipose redistribution syndrome (HARS). However, the positive effects of HGH treatment in HIV may be more direct. Several studies have proposed that rHGH may bolster the immune system in ways that might improve clinical outcomes in HIV. Like cancer cachexia, advanced stages of AIDS are characterised by severe muscle wasting and weakness. The reasons for this are because the patient often has a very poor appetite and food intake, as well as there being direct wasting effects from the HIV and some associated diseases which the patient may have, e.g. pneumonia. The patient then enters a downward cycle with diminished strength, poor food intake and further wasting, and it's often this which leads to eventual death. Both anabolic steroids (AS) and rHGH therapy are used clinically to both slow the effects of wasting and to help improve appetite. Both have been shown to prolong life significantly and improve quality of life in advanced stages of AIDS.
HIV-associated adipose redistribution syndrome (HARS):
HARS is a type of lipodystrophy (abnormal distribution of body fat), where there is accumulation of excess truncal fat and visceral adipose tissue, as opposed to regular gynoid (glutes and hips) or android (abdomen) deposition. This is observed in HIV infected people, moreso as virus load increases. Although not a debilitating condition in itself (indeed extra body fat can prolong life if followed by wasting), HARS is unpleasant for the individual, giving reduced confidence in body image, another negative aspect of the disease.
rHGH therapy has been shown to significantly reduce HARS, leading to an improved body image, and significant improvement in psychological well-being. Numerous studies have demonstrated the benefits of this, leading to rHGH being licesenced for the treatment of HARS in some countries. It should also be noted that improvement in psychological well-being could also contribute to a positive clinical outcome, in that it reduces the effects of wasting.
Non-HIV-related illnesses – hepatitis
Hepatitis B
Hepatitis C
Liver transplants
Hepatitis A
Hepatitis means inflammation of the liver. The liver is the largest internal organ in your body. It is located at the upper right-hand side of the abdomen. Having a healthy liver is important for everybody, but it is especially important for people with HIV. The liver plays a vital part in processing medicines used to treat HIV and other conditions. Viral infections that affect the liver, such as hepatitis A, hepatitis B and hepatitis C, can make you ill and also mean that the liver is unable to process medicines properly.
Co-infection with hepatitis B virus or/and hepatitis C virus is increasingly becoming a cause of illness in people with HIV. Both these viruses affect the liver, can make you very ill and can be fatal. However, it is also possible to recover from these conditions spontaneously, and for them to be treated. Hepatitis B virus (often known as HBV) is common in some of the communities affected by HIV in the UK, as it can be contracted in the same ways as HIV, particularly through contact with blood, semen or vaginal fluid, and from mother to baby. It is possible to clear HBV without treatment, through the response of the immune system. If this does not happen (which is the case for about 10% of people), the infection can remain for many years and become ‘chronic’. People with HIV are more likely to develop chronic hepatitis B. HBV can cause severe or even fatal damage to the liver. Long-term infection with hepatitis B can cause liver cancer, and rates of liver cancer in people with HIV are elevated because of hepatitis B and hepatitis C. However, you may not have any symptoms at all for many years. During this time, it is still possible to pass HBV on to others. Using condoms correctly, every time you have sex, can protect against hepatitis B if you have a detectable HBV viral load. HBV can also be passed on through saliva, unlike HIV. You should be tested soon after your HIV diagnosis for hepatitis B, to see if you have been infected with the virus. If you have had a previous infection, and have recovered from it, you will then be immune to HBV. A vaccine is available to protect you against hepatitis B. If you don’t have the virus, and a test shows that you do not have natural immunity against it, it is recommended you are vaccinated against it. It is now recommended that all people with HIV, who have never had HBV, should have an annual test to check their immunity levels and be offered a booster vaccine if their immunity level has dropped below protective levels since their last vaccine. Your regular HIV monitoring involves checking the health of your liver. If you are co-infected with hepatitis B, this becomes even more important. Your healthcare team will regularly monitor your liver function using blood tests. Ultrasound examinations may also be performed, particularly if your liver shows signs of damage. Treatments are available for hepatitis B. These include antiviral drugs such as adefovir (Hepsera) and interferon alpha. Some anti-HIV drugs also work against hepatitis B. These are 3TC (lamivudine, known as Zeffix when used to treat hepatitis B and Epivir when used to treat HIV), tenofovir (Viread) and FTC (emtricitabine, Emtriva). Tenofovir and FTC are available in a combined pill called Truvada. There is conflicting evidence about the impact of hepatitis B on the progression of HIV disease. Anti-HIV drugs can be used safely and effectively in people with hepatitis B. However, when some people start HIV treatment, they experience a short-term flare-up of hepatitis B. This is because the immune system is getting stronger and is fighting hepatitis B. Some doctors try to stop these flare-ups happening by starting treatment for HIV and hepatitis B at the same time. Because of the risk of developing drug resistance, you should only take anti-HIV drugs that are effective against hepatitis B as part of an HIV treatment regimen. Nor should you take adefovir unless you are taking HIV treatment because of a risk of resistance. If you are going to take treatment just for hepatitis B (and not for HIV), you should take interferon alpha. Which drugs you are treated with will depend on your CD4 cell count and whether you already need HIV treatment.
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