HIV Infection

HIV
INFECTION

HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) is a virus that attacks cells of the immune system that help the body fight infection. This makes a person more vulnerable to other infections and diseases. It is spread by contact with certain bodily fluids of a person with HIV, most commonly during unprotected sex (sex without a condom or HIV medicine to prevent or treat HIV), or through sharing injection drug equipment.
If left untreated, HIV can lead to the disease AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome), which is the end stage of the infection.

No effective HIV cure exists. So, once you have HIV, you have it for life
Effective treatment with HIV medicine (called antiretroviral therapy or ART) is available. If taken as prescribed, HIV medicine can reduce the amount of HIV in the blood (also called the viral load) to a very low level. People with HIV who take HIV medicine as prescribed can keep an undetectable viral load. They can live long and healthy lives and will not transmit HIV to their HIV-negative partners through sex.
Effective methods to prevent getting HIV through sex or drug use, including pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), medicine people at risk for HIV take to prevent getting HIV from sex or injection drug use, and post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP), HIV medicine taken within 72 hours after a possible exposure to prevent the virus from taking hold.

HIV cannot spread as a result of touching someone who has it. A person can only contract the virus if they come into contact with the following fluids from a person who already has HIV. The possible routes of the transmission of HIV infection are through blood, breast milk, pre seminal fluid and semen. It is also possible to transmit the infection via the rectal and vaginal route. HIV is not transmissible via insects, pets, water or food.
Those who undergo blood transfusions have low risk of getting the HIV infection since the all the donors blood are screened for blood borne viruses before being given to the recipients.

If healthcare workers are at risk of HIV infection, they must seek medical advice and diagnostic HIV antibody testing. Those who are infected must seek appropriate medical and occupational advice to ensure they pose no risk to patients
HIV-infected health care workers who perform exposure-prone invasive procedures must obtain further expert medical advice on their work practices which may need to be modified or restricted in order to protect their patients
Those who continue to work with patients must remain under close medical supervision and receive appropriate medical and occupational advice as their circumstances change during the course of their illness
Those who undertake invasive procedures must cease their activities immediately
HIV-infected health care workers or their medical advisor must inform their employer on a strictly confidential basis

References