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A lot has occurred within the years since AIDS was first recognized, together with many constructive developments in each prevention and therapy. In the present day, we appear to be listening to much less and fewer about this epidemic within the media, which can inadvertently give the impression that we’re out of the woods. However we’re not.
On condition that we’re at present within the midst of AIDS Consciousness Month let’s check out the state of HIV/AIDS on this planet at present, the place we’re within the seek for a remedy, what you are able to do to guard your self (and your companions) from this virus, and what the long run holds with respect to HIV and AIDS.
How Have Charges of HIV Modified Over Time?
Worldwide, HIV infections reached their peak within the mid-Nineteen Nineties. Since then, we’ve managed to chop the an infection price in half. Deaths are additionally down by about two-thirds from their peak. Undoubtedly, that is all excellent news; nevertheless, the epidemic is much from over.
There are nonetheless round 1.5 million new HIV infections occurring every year and about 650,000 AIDS-related deaths yearly.
In the USA particularly, there are round 35,000 new infections every year and round 18,000 related deaths.
It is very important word that, inside the U.S., infections disproportionately impression males who’ve intercourse with males, individuals of shade, younger adults, and people residing within the south. Worldwide, nevertheless, an infection charges are highest in sub-Saharan Africa, and a majority of all people who carry the an infection are ladies and ladies. Thus, the image (and burden) of HIV/AIDS appears totally different throughout the globe.
The place Are We within the Seek for a Remedy?
Regardless of many years of analysis and billions of {dollars} in funding, we nonetheless don’t have a remedy for HIV/AIDS. The character of this virus makes it terribly tough to eradicate from the physique as a result of the virus primarily hides inside sure cells.
HIV drug remedies handle any virus that exists and escapes outdoors of those cells and might decrease the extent of the virus within the bloodstream to undetectable ranges. The issue, although, is that this “latent” or dormant virus continues to be hanging out, and we’ve got not but discovered a method of safely concentrating on it.
That mentioned, one newer strategy that’s nonetheless being examined entails a medicine that primarily “wakes up” the virus inside the cells that carry it after which places a goal on their again. Referred to as the “kick and kill” technique, the drug forces the dormant virus to activate itself and, in doing so, it alerts the immune system to the presence of these contaminated cells and primarily places successful out on them (i.e., different immune cells come to take them out).
It’s a intelligent approach that exhibits promise in animal research, however it should require a number of additional testing earlier than we all know whether or not it should work in people. Nevertheless, this improvement means that perhaps—simply perhaps—we’ll have a remedy in the future.
How Can I Forestall HIV An infection?
Scientists are hoping to in the future develop a vaccine towards HIV—in actual fact, they’ve already spent billions of {dollars} looking for one. Once more, nevertheless, the character of this virus has made it fairly tough to forestall it by vaccination efforts.
That mentioned, there are numerous issues you are able to do to guard your self towards an infection. First, nevertheless, it’s good to perceive how the an infection is almost certainly to be unfold. The commonest modes of transition embrace sexual activity (each anal and vaginal), injection drug use, and mother-to-child (e.g., by childbirth or breastfeeding).
For injection drug customers, shared needles are the commonest method HIV spreads, which is why many native communities have arrange needle-exchange packages. Thus, avoiding soiled needles is essential to avoiding an infection for this kind of transmission.
For pregnant ladies and new moms who’re HIV+, it’s potential to decrease the danger of HIV transmission to at least one’s little one to close zero by a mix of the mom taking HIV drugs, the toddler taking HIV medicine for just a few weeks after beginning, and avoiding breastfeeding.
For defense throughout sexual exercise, traditionally, the principle technique of prevention has been using barrier strategies, notably condoms. Condoms are probably the most highly effective (and accessible) instruments we’ve got obtainable for stopping HIV and different STIs.
Nevertheless, condoms are imperfect as a result of folks make a number of use errors, akin to tearing the condom, placing it on after intercourse has began or earlier than intercourse is over, utilizing it greater than as soon as, and utilizing a condom that’s expired. It’s, due to this fact, vital to make use of condoms accurately and constantly to maximise protecting advantages!
A more moderen innovation in HIV safety is the medicine PrEP (pre-exposure prophylaxis). Taken within the type of a tablet (or, extra just lately, as an injection), PrEP can cut back the danger of HIV an infection by sexual exercise by as a lot as 99% if you happen to take it as prescribed. PrEP can even cut back the danger of HIV an infection by injection drug use.
When you’re enthusiastic about studying about whether or not PrEP is likely to be best for you, please speak to your healthcare supplier. Nevertheless, remember that PrEP solely gives safety towards HIV; buying different STIs continues to be potential, which is why combining PrEP with condoms is really useful.
What Does the Future Maintain?
Advances in HIV prevention and therapy imply that we’ve got dramatically decreased the variety of new infections and at the moment are at a degree the place contaminated people are projected to have a near-normal lifespan. Nevertheless, now is just not the time to get complacent at what has been achieved.
We might cut back an infection charges additional if extra contaminated folks began HIV remedy. It’s estimated that almost 1 in 5 people who find themselves contaminated with HIV have no idea it, which creates a big alternative for the virus to unfold. Because of this, we urgently must do extra testing and schooling round this STI.
We additionally must redouble public well being efforts with respect to HIV as a result of they faltered throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. With all the eye turned to COVID, STI testing dropped off, and folks had issue accessing therapy—and, on the similar time, folks nonetheless had intercourse.
Whereas life is returning to regular in some ways, the worldwide financial state of affairs implies that assets are stretched, and with a lot of it nonetheless going towards the pandemic, progress on HIV prevention has stalled, with charges of latest infections reducing at slower charges than earlier than. Nevertheless, most worrisome is that, in some components of the world, HIV an infection charges are on the rise after years of falling, together with in components of Europe, Asia, Africa, and Latin America.
Distinguished HIV and AIDS organizations have promised an finish to the epidemic by 2030, and that continues to be inside the realm of potentialities. However to ensure that that to occur, all of us must do our half.
References:
Kim, J. T., Zhang, T. H., Carmona, C., Lee, B., Seet, C. S., Kostelny, M., … & Zack, J. A. (2022). Latency reversal plus pure killer cells diminish HIV reservoir in vivo. Nature communications, 13(1), 1-14.
Lehmiller, J. J. (2017). The psychology of human sexuality. John Wiley & Sons.
UNAIDS. (2022). World HIV and AIDS statistics – truth sheet. Retrieved from: https://www.unaids.org/websites/default/information/media_asset/UNAIDS_FactSheet_en.pdf
UNAIDS. (2022). Tens of millions of lives in danger as progress towards AIDS falters. Retrieved from: https://www.unaids.org/en/assets/presscentre/pressreleaseandstatementarchive/2022/july/20220727_global-aids-update
World Well being Group. (2022). Why the HIV epidemic isn’t over. Retrieved from: https://www.who.int/news-room/highlight/why-the-hiv-epidemic-is-not-over
