The essentials about HIV

HIV stands for Human Immunodeficiency Syndrome, i.e. the human immune deficiency virus. The symptoms of HIV infection are the most powerful weapon of this virus precisely because many people have no symptoms, do not notice them and therefore have no idea about the infection. This fact makes HIV so treacherous.

The acute phase of HIV is 2-6 weeks after risky contact with an infected person. We emphasize risky precisely because HIV has its own transmission routes and is actually considered a disease that is not easily transmitted, not even by ordinary contact.

Ordinary contact and therefore the way you do not get infected is meant by shaking hands, hugging, kissing (where there is no injury to the mucous membranes), sharing dishes, sharing towels, coughing and sneezing, it is not transmitted even by insect bites, in the pool or in the sauna.

We consider unprotected sexual intercourse (vaginal and anal and anal intercourse is the riskiest), oral sex carries a lower risk if there are injuries to the mucous membranes. The blood route, which was previously also demonized, now has a clearer definition. The HIV virus dies in the air, so let's take a closer look at the blood route of transmission. This means sharing injection equipment where blood meets blood, as well as contact with infected blood directly through an open wound or mucous membrane. Transmission from mother to child during pregnancy, childbirth or breastfeeding (however, we know from the data that every pregnant woman is tested for HIV and this route of transmission is in very low numbers).

The symptoms that appear are very similar to the flu. Fever, fatigue, exhaustion, sore throat, headache, muscle and joint pain, enlarged lymph nodes especially in the neck, groin and armpit areas. Rash on the trunk and face most often, night sweats and diarrhea. However, these symptoms usually disappear on their own within a few weeks and the person feels that everything is fine and basically does not think of any connection with HIV and its previous behavior, regardless of any risk of infection.

The asymptomatic phase can last for years and the only possible way is early testing for HIV. If the virus continues to multiply asymptomatically in the body, it permanently damages the immune system and its detection can take 5-10 years and of course longer. This is the cruel fact why many people do not even know that they have HIV.

The advanced phase, i.e. untreated HIV, is called AIDS. AIDS stands for Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome.

In the AIDS phase, we are already talking about an advanced stage of HIV infection, when the immune system is already seriously damaged and weakened.