AIDS stands for Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome. It is the resulting disease if you contracted HIV.
It is a kind of disease that destroys the immune system of the body. The virus is found in the mucous membranes of the body and is typically transmitted through body fluids.
As a result, the patient is much more susceptible to develop other diseases because the immune system cannot fight it. As of the moment, there is no cure for the disease. Over the last decades, there has been advanced development in prolonging the life of victims.
Even if there is no cure, people who have HIV can live longer lives through medication.
It is transmitted through unprotected sex, blood transfusion, needle sharing, and from the mother to the child.
Before you can prevent it, you must know how it is transmitted. You must protect yourself at all times. Wearing condoms is one of the best known ways to guarantee prevention, next to abstinence. In addition to this, you should not be sharing needles with people. Avoid the use of illegal drugs.
If you are going to get a tattoo, make sure that the needle used was opened in front of you. In events where blood transfusion is needed, you must be sure that the blood was thoroughly tested and declared HIV-free.
Anyone who is sexually active must be tested. The same applied to those who got a blood transfusion, shared needles, or who got a tattoo. The most common way to transmit AIDS is sex, and you have to get yourself tested if you had intercourse with several partners.
If you are sexually active, you must also get yourself tested yearly. The test is simple, and many hospitals offer the test for free. If HIV is detected early, you can treat it before it transforms into AIDS. And once you know what it is, you will be able to help prevent its transmission to others.
The next step that you must take if you are HIV-positive is to see a doctor who specializes in it. These doctors can discuss the proper treatment and set your expectations. They can also recommend assistance and support programs. In addition, they can provide you with a list of organizations for counseling, and those that can give discounts if you need medication.
You should also tell all your previous sex partners that you have the disease. They must get themselves tested, and get themselves medicated. They can die if you do not tell them. If you are diagnosed with AIDS, you must not be ashamed, and you must be hopeful. The survival rate is better today than it was decades ago.
The first thing you need to do is to talk to a doctor. He will discuss your treatment options and the immediate things you need to do. You can also get information from medication manufacturers, and even from those who already have it. If you have the disease, you must do what you can to read and learn more about it. You must also know that each patient may need a different kind of treatment.
AIDS is no longer a strange disease. It cannot be cured, but it can be prevented. Today, there are many organizations that support AIDS. Medicines are available worldwide, and there is no shortage of books and reference materials.
There are so many databases about HIV and AIDS. They are free to access, and you can also talk to doctors and ask them how to get more information about it. If you help spread the word about the disease, you will be helping other people prevent it.
Today, there is also the internet, where thousands of sites are dedicated to exploring and sharing information about HIV and AIDS. You can explore these sites to learn more, and also use these websites to search for support groups that can help you locally.