Nigerian Doctors explain the transmission, symptoms, viral load, PrEP, PEP, ARVs and treatment of HIV in very simple terms including undetectable viral load and infectiousness or cure.
HIV! HIV! HIV! AIDS! AIDS! AIDS!
NOT a death sentence!
A concise, informative and fun read on all you should know about this disease.
Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) is a retrovirus (can change from RNA to DNA) disease that can be transmitted through contact with bodily fluids (blood,semen,vaginal and rectal fluids and breast milk). Mostly (80% of the time) from smashing (sex) without condoms.
HIV is a bastard that destroys the Superhero (immune system) of the body, that helps fight against infections. HIV cannot be spread through AIR, water, casual contact like hugs, or kissing (but avoid sores sha).
Signs and Symptoms of HIV
– Weight loss
– Reoccurring fever or night sweats
– reoccurring mouth,anal or genital sores
– Diarrhoea lasting for more than a week
– Extreme tiredness– ETC
NOTE: Having these symptoms DOES NOT mean you have HIV, you need to run a test to clarify
A survey carried out by NATIONAL COUNCIL ON HIV/AIDS INDICATOR AND IMPACT SURVEY (NAIIS) in Nigeria which was concluded March 2019 reported that there is a SURGE in HIV/AIDS.
The report shows that
– Akwa Ibom State came out with the highest prevalence of 5.6% (that’s over 400,000 people)
– Benue 4.9% ( do the maths)
– Rivers State ( about 200,000 people) my state Of residence.
HIV comes in 4 clinical stages
Stage 1 – this is usually unnoticed (here’s why most people don’t know they have it). It can last for YEARS.
Stage 3 -weight loss >10%, lots of infections coming through
Stage 4 – This stage is when sh*t hits the fan. The deplorable health state of the individual then transforms from HIV to AIDS.
Here comes the MAGIC:
For known positives, medications are in 3 phases, known as lines of treatment.
A patient with the disease, Viral Load Of above 1000 is unsuppressed
Viral Load below 1000 is suppressed, meaning you’re soooooo healthy.
Viral Load less than 20 or untraceable is even more beautiful..
To achieve a suppressed Viral Load ( less than 1000 copies) , I ADVICE ON STRICT ADHERENCE TO YOUR DRUGS!!! Guess what, these drugs and tests are freeeeeeeeeeeee.
For any positive who can see this, please tell your ART counselor to transition you to TLD if you’re still on TLE (Male or Female). It is HIGHLY effective in dropping the viral load to a suppressed state in a matter of weeks.
PrEP drug : used to PREVENT HIV-negatives from getting infected and it is taken daily. For all those people who practice unsafe sex or have more than one sexual partners or have a partner who is positive, please ask a Dr on PrEP.
PEP drug: This is taken to avoid being infected after being exposed to HIV-causing-factors. Ask your Doctor how.
My Advice:
– Please practice safe sex
– Please get a routine HIV test done
– Please adhere strictly to you drugs
– Remember to ask your Dr. to transition you from TLE to TLD, courtesy WHO recommendation
Now bless someone else with this knowledge
Hehe I Forgot to add;
Prevention of Mother to Child Transmission (PMTCT) Of HIV is highly effective if you;
– are adherent on your drugs (remember to tell your care giver to read on the WHO report allowing everyone to transition from TLE to TLD)
Exposed infants are also placed on drugs immediately after delivery, it helps eliminate the chances of the child becoming +ve and it is HIGHLY effective Remember to remind the Dokita In charge of your care to take a DBS (dry blood spot) sample for your child.
Fun fact: with STRICT adherence to your drug and with your Viral Load being less than 20 copies or undetectable, the risk of transferring HIV to someone else is ZERO!!! STRICT ADHERENCE FOR YEARS, with A REPEATED viral load of LESS than 20 or UNDETECTABLE
What does it mean when they say HIV is no longer detectable in the blood of a positive person?
“Undetectable” means that a test cannot detect the amount of virus in a blood sample from a person living with HIV. Someone who is “undetectable” for 6 or more continuous months while on treatment does not transmit the virus.”
Undectability of the deadly virus equals untransmitability
Undetectable doesn’t mean that there’s no HIV present in blood. It just means the virus is being controlled. If a person with undetectable HIV stops their medications, the virus will return to being detectable which increases.
These terms are often used when describing this evidence-based HIV prevention method: “undetectable”, “TasP” (or “treatment as prevention”), and “U=U” or “undetectable equals untransmittable”. Basically, they all mean the same thing.
