To avoid contracting HIV infection, it is important to know where it comes from. And, of course, protect yourself in every possible way.
The source of HIV infection is an HIV-positive person at any stage of the disease. Including, at the very first - during the incubation period, when even laboratory examination may not establish HIV infection. It is impossible to identify an HIV-positive person by appearance, behavior and other signs. HIV status can only be determined through a special examination.
HIV infection affects only humans, animals natural conditions They don't get infected with HIV.
The human immunodeficiency virus can be found in all biological fluids (blood, semen, vaginal secretions, breast milk, saliva, tears, sweat, etc.), in addition, the virus can overcome the transplacental barrier - that is, get from mother to child. However, the concentration of viral particles in biological fluids is different - therefore, some fluids human body more contagious than others. The virus infects cells immune system, in the body of an infected person, HIV can be present in various environments and tissues. For example, in lymphoid tissue brain and internal organs.
Biological substrates in terms of HIV transmission
The most dangerous biological fluids, from the point of view of HIV transmission, are the following - blood, semen and pre-ejaculate, vaginal and cervical secretions, and mother's breast milk. In other fluids of the human body, the concentration of the virus is insufficient for infection, or the fluid is not released into external environment. These include - cerebrospinal fluid(cerebrospinal fluid), urine, saliva, tear fluid, secret sweat glands. HIV infection does not occur through these fluids.
For the transmission of HIV infection, in addition to the source of infection and the susceptible person, there must be appropriate conditions. Firstly, the virus must be released into the external environment with biological fluids - under natural conditions, HIV can be released with semen, with discharge from the genital tract, with breast milk. IN pathological conditions the virus can be shed in the blood. Secondly, for infection HIV virus must enter the internal environment of the body. That is, if the virus gets on intact skin, HIV infection will not occur.
HIV transmission can be carried out in the following ways: natural - contact, vertical, and artificial (or, in other words, artificial). The routes of HIV transmission can be very different - sexual, transplacental (from mother to child), during injections, blood transfusions, and organ and tissue transplants. The main mechanism of transmission of the pathogen is contact, through sexual contact. The leading role of sexual transmission is due to the high concentration of the virus in the semen and vaginal secretions of an HIV-infected person.
IN recent years, sexual transmission of the virus accounts for 70% of all cases of infection, of which 52% are through heterosexual and 18% through homosexual contacts. The reality of HIV transmission in the male-to-male, male-to-female and female-to-male directions is widely accepted.
The vertical route is transmission of infection from an HIV-positive pregnant woman to her child. Infection can occur directly when the virus penetrates the placenta during pregnancy, childbirth, and also during breastfeeding. It is known that intrauterine infection of a child with HIV early stages pregnancy occurs in 20-30% of cases in the absence of prevention of perinatal HIV transmission.
The likelihood of a baby becoming infected while breastfeeding is about 12-20%.
The injection route of HIV transmission is very widespread among drug addicts who use injection forms drugs - through a syringe and dishes for preparing solutions for intravenous administration. This route has accounted for approximately 25% of all infection cases in recent years.
Theoretically, HIV can be transmitted through transfusion of blood and its components from an HIV-positive donor, but in practice this route of infection exists only in countries where blood quality control is not carried out. In Russia, this path does not occur in practice.
HIV can be transmitted through blood. Moreover, for infection it is necessary that the blood of an HIV-infected person enters directly into the blood of another person - HIV does not live outside the human body. Such a situation in everyday life can arise, for example, when general use with an HIV positive man holding a razor and a toothbrush. When shaving, micro-cuts in the skin often occur and blood may remain on the razor. Household HIV infection through a razor actually occurs in practice!
The same goes for a toothbrush. When brushing your teeth, your gums may bleed heavily. Using this brush after HIV-infected person can also lead to HIV infection.
In addition, contact with infected blood can occur through a cut on a person with HIV infection. In this case, you need to treat the wound, stop the bleeding and apply a gauze bandage or adhesive plaster.
There are no other ways of household transmission of HIV.
To prevent HIV infection at home, it is important to follow the rules of personal hygiene - always use only personal toothbrush and a razor. If there is a need to come into contact with the blood of an HIV-positive person, for example, when dressing a bleeding wound, this must be done with rubber gloves.
AIDS is attacking humanity, and measures must be taken to create a defense system capable of stopping the spread of infection. Only after this will it be possible to go on a counter-offensive and achieve complete destruction of the disease, as was done with smallpox.
What “defense” measures need to be taken? They can be divided into two parts: social, state and international events, as well as personal and individual protection measures.
Like any phenomenon that has a social essence, the fight against a disease needs a legal basis. Many states are now introducing systems of legal measures, and it is not yet entirely clear which of them will be the most effective. Definitely experience individual countries Over time, it will be analyzed and a unified international system will be created on its basis.
According to the theory of L.V. Gromashevsky, to stop the spread of a contagious disease it is necessary to act in three directions.
Firstly: it is necessary to limit the ability of the source of infection to become infected: B in this case we are talking about limiting the ability of those already infected with HIV to infect other people through sexual intercourse or through blood transfusions. If AIDS were transmitted through the air or through household items, then it would make sense to keep people infected with HIV in special isolated rooms or in leper colonies, like people with leprosy. But AIDS has little ability to spread, so it is quite enough to prohibit infected people from giving blood for transfusion and organs for transplantation, as well as limiting their sexual activity.
The question often arises: can a sexually promiscuous person voluntarily change his lifestyle? Most people answer this question in the negative. Indeed, the experience of foreign researchers shows that only 20% of infected people follow the advice of doctors. That is why Soviet legislation provides for criminal punishment for knowingly contracting HIV infection. In this case, infected persons are not only morally, but also legally responsible for the infection.
Can we be sure that infected people who know about it will not engage in sexual intercourse? Probably not. Just as criminal liability for theft does not provide a guarantee against theft. They may not identify themselves or act under a false name. Nevertheless, the measure taken by the Soviet government will limit the spread of infection. And those who dare to have sexual relations with unknown or little-known people should remember that among the latter there may be not only those who know about their illness, but also those who are unaware of it.
Some in the West are concerned that the contamination law infringes on the human right to “free love.” In fact, such “freedom” costs society too much.
However, another question arises: can someone infected with the virus get married? What to do with those who were infected, for example, through a blood transfusion, while already married. Naturally, in such cases no one opposes married life. However, the partner of the infected person must know the whole truth about the disease. Having received specialist advice, having complete information about precautionary measures, he himself will decide the question of the possibility of sexual intercourse with a carrier of the virus.
It has been established that basic preventive measures ensure the safety of the uninfected spouse. First of all, it means the mandatory use of a male condom (condom). Moreover, this must be done correctly; a condom must be worn from the very beginning to the end of sexual intercourse, no matter in what form it occurs.
So, measures to limit the activity of the source of infection - an infected person - are legal and moral guidelines.
The second condition that supports the existence of the disease is the presence of the main transmission factors - sexual intercourse and procedures, including medical and non-medical
manipulations that allow the blood of an infected person to enter the blood of a healthy person.
As for sexual relations, to refuse them would be tantamount to the self-destruction of humanity. Another thing is that the spread of the virus is only possible if people have several sexual partners. Let’s assume that neither you nor your sexual partner had any other relationships, which means they could not have acquired the virus through sexual contact. If you have 2, 3, 5 or more partners, who in turn also have sexual intercourse, then the risk of infection increases in proportion to the number of your partners multiplied by the number of partners of your partners.
Faithful married life- an ideal option for protection against sexual transmission of AIDS.
Noteworthy is the fact that those who have many sexual partners, as a rule, enter into relationships with also promiscuous intimate life people. Foreign researchers do not recommend for boys and girls sex life with partners who are older and more sexually experienced, whose previous “experience” can lead to infection with AIDS and sexually transmitted diseases.
Sometimes, as an excuse for their moral laxity, they claim that large number sexual partners is due to the fact that, they say, they select the most suitable one. This thesis does not stand up to criticism, since a short-term relationship, as a rule, cannot give a correct assessment of a partner, and sexual harmony is usually achieved by a long life together. In cases of any problems in the sexual sphere, it is better to seek advice and help from a sex therapist than, at the risk of infection, endlessly changing partners. By choosing partners, you can “select” AIDS.
If you assume that your partner could become infected with the virus that causes AIDS, as well as sexually transmitted diseases, you need to either refuse the relationship, or be sure to protect yourself with a condom during sexual intercourse. Women should demand that an unfamiliar partner use a condom. This measure will reliably protect them not only from AIDS and sexually transmitted diseases, but also from unwanted pregnancy and unhealthy abortion. However, it should be remembered that others contraception AIDS cannot be prevented from being infected.
Some countries offer mandatory HIV antibody testing for everyone who gets married. We do not see the advisability of such a check. By mutual agreement, the bride and groom can be tested in an anonymous AIDS examination room, and then find out the result over the phone. There is also no doubt about the need mandatory examination blood and organ donors. Indeed, although there are much fewer people infected through blood transfusion than those infected through sexual contact, the very fact of contracting AIDS during medical treatment medical care seems monstrously tragic. In addition to blood testing, in a number of countries donors are asked to indicate in a questionnaire whether their blood is suitable for transfusion or only for processing and research, whether they take drugs, or whether they are homosexuals. Such a humane approach is necessary because the poor and socially excluded, for whom giving blood can be a significant source of income, are not deprived of it, and possibly contaminated blood is used without risk to others. Of course, this measure does not replace the mandatory testing of all blood transfusions for AIDS, viral hepatitis and syphilis.
Blood in which antibodies to the virus are found can be used to produce drugs that kill the virus. Thus, the production of immunoglobulins involves treatment with alcohol, which kills the virus, and the production of albumin involves prolonged temperature treatment, which also destroys the virus. The method of heating blood clotting factors to treat hemophilia is now being used throughout the world.
Organ transplantation poses a serious problem. Often, organ donors are people who died in disasters, and in these cases testing has to be done posthumously. as soon as possible. However, due to the efficiency of the research, it can be solved. Sperm donors should be subject to constant checks.
Many people leading an orderly lifestyle are concerned about the possibility of infection in a medical facility during injections and other medical procedures (dental, gynecological, etc.).
Modern measures for processing instruments, including boiling, guarantee the death of the virus. However, some nurses, breaking the rules, sometimes they inject with one syringe, changing only the needles. This is unacceptable. Processing tools is really labor-intensive, so a complete transition to disposable tools is necessary. Until the medical industry provides disposable needles, people receiving large number injections, it is advisable to use personal needles and syringes. In many countries, due to the danger of AIDS, the free sale of syringes and needles is allowed.
You should not be afraid of vaccinations carried out with needleless injectors (pistols). They are created in order to protect against infection; The virus that causes AIDS cannot get into the vaccine.
Although cases of infection from razors, lipsticks and toothbrushes have not been reported, it is necessary to use personal hygiene items.
When you come to the hairdresser, do not hesitate to check whether the master disinfects the manicure tools. Avoid acupuncture treatments outside of a medical setting, tattoos, and earlobe piercings with non-sterile instruments.
Thus, using fairly simple methods you can protect yourself from infection with the virus that causes AIDS. Every person should know them and use them every day.
Some publications unreasonably give people hope that an AIDS vaccine will soon be created. However, according to scientists, it will be possible to create a vaccine against AIDS no sooner than in 3-5 years. It will take another 5-10 years to test this vaccine. Where can we find a sufficient number of volunteers who would dare to become infected with the AIDS virus to find out whether it prevents infection or not? It will take a lot of time to prove the harmlessness of the vaccine. Obviously, it will be necessary to vaccinate large groups of the population and compare the incidence in the group of vaccinated and unvaccinated groups. Finally, the question arises: who should be vaccinated? Probably, many will not need this vaccination at all, since they lead a lifestyle that excludes infection, or they will already be infected by the time it is administered.
Avoid casual sex, as well as sexual contact with homosexuals, drug addicts and people who are promiscuous.
The more sexual partners you have, the higher your risk of contracting AIDS. Using a condom reduces the risk of infection. Do not use random injection syringes. If you have any suspicions, consult your doctor. It is important to remember that protection from AIDS depends on your behavior.
How to avoid AIDS - methods of prevention Prevention of AIDS is the most effective way which will help you maintain your health. The Right Attitude to life, good life guidelines, leading a healthy lifestyle - these are the main directions in which a person should move if he wants to protect himself from AIDS. It is necessary to remember every minute that life is given to a person once, and health must be protected, since without it life will no longer be a joy. The acquired human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is the main causative agent of AIDS. This virus is transmitted sexually, therefore, you need to be very careful when choosing sexual partners, and if you are not one hundred percent sure about it, mandatory condoms must be used. You can be confident in your partner, but you cannot be confident in all of his previous partners, which is why you should not lose your head and not have sexual intercourse without protective equipment. Sexual relations with one, permanent partner are a guarantee that AIDS will bypass you. How to protect yourself from AIDS in various institutions? It is also extremely important to avoid contact with unknown medical instruments that may contain the virus. When visiting doctors, you need to be very careful to ensure that the instruments they use are sterile, and if they are broken, you may need to replace the instrument. Very often, reuse of disposable scalpels, syringes, and dental supplies causes infection with many diseases, including HIV and AIDS. To protect yourself from AIDS, during appointments with a doctor and procedures, you must independently ensure that all disposable instruments are sealed and opened in front of you. The main risk group is injection drug addicts, who very often use one syringe for the whole company. The fact is that the HIV virus is very often transmitted through a needle, which very quickly in the body of a drug addict, whose immunity is rather weak, turns into AIDS. Procedures in hairdressing and nail salons can also cause HIV and AIDS. The cause of this infection is often instruments that have been improperly treated with disinfectant solutions, which, if handled unprofessionally, can damage the skin and introduce HIV into the human body through the blood. The process of applying a tattoo can also carry some danger. The needle used to apply the design to the skin is a potential source of infection when used again. It's unfortunate, but in some cases, people who lead healthy image life, have sexual relations with one regular partner, and also become infected with HIV and AIDS. AIDS is caused by blood transfusion, use of donor sperm, or organ transplantation. Therefore, in order to protect yourself from AIDS, before performing these procedures, you must carry out all necessary tests. For whom is it especially important to protect yourself from AIDS? It seems that nowadays everyone, young and old, knows what AIDS is and how it stands for acquired human immunodeficiency syndrome. The disease is caused by the terrible human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), which can silently “sit” in the body for many years, being transmitted in various ways to other people. The main thing in how to protect yourself from AIDS is to protect yourself from contracting HIV infection, since there are no other ways in the world to simply avoid contracting it: today AIDS is still one of the few, and perhaps even the only, disease that is completely incurable. It claims the lives of more and more people every year. Therefore, you, first of all, should know how to protect yourself from AIDS. Forewarned is forearmed! There are several main ways of transmitting the human immunodeficiency virus: through the main body fluids - blood, semen, and also through vaginal discharge and breast milk of new mothers. By quite for obvious reasons The first at risk of infection are people who use intravenous drugs - because in their environment there are cases of using shared syringes (specifically needles) or shared containers with narcotic substance- this is common practice. How to protect yourself from AIDS in a clinic? Always be careful when you are in the clinic. Sad statistics, but in practice there are many cases of infection of healthy people in medical institutions. Therefore, be careful: any objects that penetrate your skin or injure it (be it injection syringes, needles for piercing, tattooing, or maybe manicure instruments) must (!) be sterile. To avoid AIDS, it is better not to use the services of dubious salons, clinics and dental offices at all. Take care of yourself and your family! How to avoid AIDS - tips 1. The most well-known way of transmitting AIDS is through sexual intercourse. Have one permanent, reliable sexual partner. Well, if casual sex is inevitable, use a condom. 2. As mentioned earlier, injecting drugs is another way of infection. If you use them, then use a sterile syringe and needle every time. A sufficient amount of virus remains in the lumen of the needle and on the walls of the syringe to infect another person. Of course, to avoid AIDS, it is better to give up drugs altogether. 3. If someone needs something artificial, especially a person unknown to you, it is better to use gauze, folded in several layers, or a handkerchief. Scientists say that it is not transmitted through saliva, but through small wounds or cracks in the mouth it is quite possible to become infected. 4. If you are caring for a person with AIDS or are constantly in contact with their blood, to avoid AIDS, use disposable gloves. If your skin has damage, cuts, or wounds, avoid such contact until they are completely healed. 5. At an appointment with a dentist, cosmetologist, when taking tests in a laboratory and when performing any other injections, make sure that your needle and syringe are sterile, and better yet, disposable. Don't be embarrassed to ask the nurse to open the package in front of you. If you need frequent injections to protect yourself from AIDS, it is better to buy disposable syringes yourself. 6. When you do come into contact with an infected person, to avoid AIDS, consult a doctor as soon as possible. Best option if you manage to get to medical institution in the first 12-72 hours after contact. The doctor will prescribe you a drug for emergency prevention AIDS, which will not allow the infection to spread.
HIV is a human immunodeficiency virus. Last stage HIV infection is known as AIDS, an acquired immunodeficiency syndrome that occurs approximately ten years after infection.
In about a third of those infected, the first symptoms appear 1–8 weeks after infection. Symptoms may include: fever, sore throat, headache, joint pain, eczema and inflammation of the lymph nodes. The first symptoms disappear within a few weeks. After the asymptomatic first stage and when the first symptoms have passed, the virus continues to spread in the body. A person may feel completely healthy. The asymptomatic stage usually lasts several years. As the disease progresses, enlarged lesions appear on the neck, subclavian fossa and armpits. lymph nodes. The general condition weakens and the usual symptoms are night sweats and elevated temperature. At the AIDS stage, a person’s resistance decreases so much that he easily becomes ill with various infectious diseases and tumors. The patient's condition depends on what diseases he develops and how they can be treated.
HIV infection is usually diagnosed by a blood test. Since the test is based on the formation of antibodies, a possible infection is not immediately visible. A negative test result can only be considered reliable six months after the risk situation occurred.
Drug treatment for HIV infection is developing rapidly. Although no cure has yet been found for the infection, treatment existing drugs can significantly improve the quality of life of patients and prolong it. HIV medications only work when taken exactly and consistently according to dosage instructions. Drug use in practice prevents the exact dosage required by HIV drugs.
If you have been diagnosed with HIV infection, it is important that you attend follow-up examinations and take good care of general condition and always consult a doctor if you have any illness infectious disease. Avoid anything that can weaken the body's immune system.
Routes of infection
HIV infection occurs through blood, semen or vaginal secretions. Typically, the risk of infection occurs through unprotected sex or intravenous drug use. Sources of infection can be shared needles, syringes and other accessories for preparing and administering drugs. Razors, toothbrushes, and tattoo supplies can also cause infection if they contain another person's blood. The infection can be transmitted from the mother to the child during childbirth or lactation. The biggest risk occurs immediately initial stage infection and at the stage of AIDS.
HIV infection does not occur through everyday communication, shaking hands, visiting the toilet, sauna, or insects.
Methods of protection
During sexual intercourse, a condom should be used until the very end of the act. When consumed intravenous drugs You should only use your own clean syringes, needles and filters, dosing cups and other equipment. Don't take blood oaths. When applying tattoos, take care to ensure the procedure is sterile.
Consider other sexually transmitted diseases
If you have any untreated sexually transmitted disease - chlamydia, gonorrhea or syphilis - your risk of getting HIV increases. Sexually transmitted diseases cannot be cured without therapy. Antibiotics are used for treatment. If you suspect you have a sexually transmitted disease, contact a sexually transmitted disease clinic or your local health center. Many sexually transmitted diseases can have various negative consequences in the future, such as: childlessness, joint diseases, as well as diseases nervous system, incl. dementia. Timely diagnosed and treated venereal disease reduces the risk of negative consequences. If you have an untreated sexually transmitted disease, you can infect other people.
It is difficult to notice a sexually transmitted disease by its appearance. There is a risk of infection every time you have sex without a condom. The only way to protect yourself from sexually transmitted diseases is correct use condom until the very end of the act. If you have had unprotected sex or a condom breaks or slips off, you should get tested even if you don't have any symptoms. Diseases do not appear immediately, but approximately 10 days after unprotected sexual intercourse. Diagnosis and treatment of sexually transmitted diseases is carried out by skin and venereal clinics, local clinics and private medical services.
Additional information can be obtained from the following places:
Pauli Karvonen(Pauli Karvonen)
doctor, Helsinki youth center, A-clinic foundation
Sources:
A-klinikkasäätiön Prevnet-ohjelman tiedote "HIV ja siltä suojautuminen"
Keski-Suomen sairaanhoitopiirin ohje "Verivarotoimet" 11/1998.
Paavonen J: Perinataalinen HIV-tartunta. Duodecim 1996;112(2):145.
Yleislääkärin käsikirja ja tietokanta 3/2000, Kustannus Oy Duodecim.
