What is HIV/AIDS?

HIV is a virus that lives in human bodily fluids and slowly but surely weakens the immune system until the body cannot fend off even the most innocuous of everyday infections. For many patients it will be three, four years; for others it may be seven or eight. What is certain is that sooner or later the body’s natural defences will diminish almost to the point of non-existence. There is not necessarily any sudden lapse or intensified suffering that signals the progression of HIV to AIDS. It is a continuum. When the infection-fighting CD4 cells in the blood drop to a certain level the patient is said to have AIDS as opposed to HIV.

People therefore do not die of AIDS; they die of AIDS-related illnesses. It may be a common cold, tuberculosis, diarrhoea; something that could normally be fought off by a healthy person or with the help of medicines readily available and affordable in the Western world. The average West African living with HIV has neither the immune system nor the means to buy medicine, and this makes their plight all the more difficult.

HIV lives in bodily fluids, chiefly blood, semen, vaginal fluid and, to a lesser extent, saliva. The most common way for the virus to be transmitted is through unprotected sex, although infected blood can also be passed during blood transfusions, or through the use of unsterilised needles or razors. It is not spread by mosquito or other insect bites, and the chances of contracting HIV through kissing is also minimal. The virus does exist in saliva, though only in a very small concentration, and both people would realistically need to have open wounds in their mouths for there to be any chance of transmission.

A person living with HIV can maintain an outwardly healthy appearance for many years. They may not realise they have the virus themselves. This highlights the importance of HIV testing. Once a person realises they have HIV they can begin to ensure they change their habits appropriately: eat healthily, exercise, drink less alcohol and, most importantly, practise safe sex. A healthy lifestyle really will extend a person’s life, as we have witnessed.

There is no cure for HIV/AIDS. Once it is contracted it remains in the bloodstream forever. A vaccine against the virus is yet to be discovered. Anti-retroviral (ARV) drugs can help a person living with HIV live longer, but they are costly and side effects can be unpleasant.