Serious Health Warning from The Community's Eye

 _Episode 01: HIV/AIDS

I received a call from a very reliable contact who happens to be a staff and good authority at Irrua Specialist Teaching Hospital (ISTH) this morning (Saturday) and the intel I got was shocking and scary to hear and to digest.

He (name withheld) reported with an urgent tone that this message should be passed and that there's a need to begin or amplify previous campaigns in the said matter.

The Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS) was the report he gave me in anonymity. He pleaded that we do a thorough work in ensuring that this does not become a terrible problem in the coming years as so many girls and women (married and single) are HIV positive and the bulk of the positive tests carried out at the dermatology unit of ISTH are most residents of Auchi and the communities around.

The fear expressed by this contact is that many of these ladies are asymptomatic and are mostly very easy on the eyes.
He told me that though COVID-19 receives a lot of attention because of its nature of transmission and severity, HIV/AIDS remains a deadly disease that people must not loss sight of in a hurry.

HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) is a virus that attacks the body's immune system. If HIV is not treated, it can lead to AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome). Once it leads to AIDS, the immune system of the affected is totally compromised and it's only a matter of days before same passes away.
Again the danger here is that while the infected host is not usually aware, it may take years to fully manifest and during this time, the host may have transmitted this virus to a lot of other unsuspecting victims (unintentionally).

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PATHOGENESIS
Mode of  transmission: HIV is  transmitted through the following modes
1-  SEX: Sexual mode is by  far  the  most  common mode  of transmission, and accounts for 75% of total cases in the world

a. Heterosexual route (male to female via vaginal (coitus) is the commonest mode However, the  risk of transmission through  sexual route is minimal (0.1–1% per coitus)

b. Anal intercourse (among h0m0sexual males or even male to female) has higher risk of transmission than vaginal intercourse.

2- Blood transfusion: this is the least common mode of transmission (5%) but the risk of transmission is maximum (90–95%)

3- Percutaneous/mucosal  transmission  modes: this is transmission via material such  as needle stick injury, injection drug abuse and sharing razors or tattooing or splashes of infected blood on eyes, etc. These are among the less effective modes of transmission

4- Perinatal mode: In the absence of any intervention, the risk of transmission from mother to fetus is about 20–40%
Transmission may occur at any time during pregnancy and breastfeeding but the risk is maximum during delivery
Risk is maximum if mother is recently infected or has already developed AIDS.

Note that THERE IS NO EVIDENCE OF HIV TRANSMISSION BY CASUAL CONTACT OR KISSING OR INSECT BITE.

Most of these infected hosts who have tested positive to the virus will not go about telling their spouses, friends, acquaintances etc.
Worse still, they may decide to go on a sharing spree (mostly on vendetta).

WE MUST BE CAREFUL!

Again, this is not to say that a lot of men are not (already) carriers of this deadly viral infectious disease. It's a two way street but the dermatologist reiterated that most times and more recently a lot of women have been coming for tests (to know their status) and that from their records, stats show that 89% of positives usually come from Auchi and her neighboring communities.

Please I know we may not be able to stop illicit sexual activities but we can reduce transmission by using contraceptives (cöñdöms).
More so, KNOW YOUR STATUS by doing a test TODAY!

Early detection is key and this would greatly aid the treatment (even though there's no permanent cure yet).

TREATMENT
Antiretroviral Therapy (ART)
Antiretroviral therapy (ART) denotes the approved drugs used for the treatment of HIV/AIDS.

The drugs do not kill all the viruses or cure the disease. However, they have the following goals:

1- clinical goals: Prolongation of life, improvement in quality of life

2- Virological goals: Greatest possible sustained reduction in the viral load

3- Immunological goals: Immune reconstitution; both quantitative and qualitative improvement

4-Transmission goals: Reduction of HIV transmission from infected person to others.

Having given you the information at my disposal, it is required of you as a matter of RESPONSIBILITY to go for a test, know your status and take the best decision on healthy living going forward.

If POSITIVE, know that HIV is not a death sentence. Your treatment begins immediately and you must be religious about it so you can live a healthy life of fulfilment.
If NEGATIVE, do well to be careful (going forward). Abstain from illicit sex with numerous sexual partners, use contraceptives and if possible stick to a partner that is negative.

SHARING IS CARING 🙏🏽

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