Krishnan's Blog

Currently, the average time between HIV infection and the appearance of signs that could lead to an AIDS diagnosis is 8-11 years. This time varies greatly from person to person and can depend on many factors including a person's health status and behaviors. Today there are medical treatments that can slow down the rate at which HIV weakens the immune system. There are other treatments that can prevent or cure some of the illnesses associated with AIDS. As with other diseases, early detection offers more options for treatment and preventative health care.

HIV is the virus that causes AIDS . H - Human: because this virus can only infect human beings. I - Immuno-deficiency: because the effect of the virus is to create a deficiency, a failure to work properly, within the body's immune system. V - Virus: because this organism is a virus, which means one of its characteristics is that it is incapable of reproducing by itself. It reproduces by taking over the machinery of the human cell. A - Acquired: because it's a condition one must acquire or get infected with; not something transmitted through the genes I - Immune: because it affects the body's immune system, the part of the body which usually works to fight off germs such as bacteria and viruses D - Deficiency: because it makes the immune system deficient (makes it not work properly) S - Syndrome: because someone with AIDS may experience a wide range of different diseases and opportunistic infections. See Also How Can I tell if I am affec...

Casual contact through closed-mouth or "social" kissing is not a risk for transmission of HIV. Because of the potential for contact with blood during "French" or open-mouth, wet kissing, CDC recommends against engaging in this activity with a person known to be infected. However, the risk of acquiring HIV during open-mouth kissing is believed to be very low. CDC has investigated only one case of HIV infection that may be attributed to contact with blood during open-mouth kissing. In this case both partners had extensive dental problems including gingivitis (inflammation of the gums). It is likely that there was blood present in both partners' mouths making direct blood to blood contact a possibility.

There is considerable debate within the HIV/AIDS prevention community regarding the risk of transmission of HIV through oral sex. What is currently known is that there is some risk associated with performing oral sex without protection; (there have been a few documented cases of HIV transmission through oral sex). While no one knows exactly what that risk is, cumulative evidence indicates that the risk is less than that of unprotected anal or vaginal sex. The risk from receiving oral sex, for both a man and a woman, is considered to be very low. Currently, risk reduction options when performing oral sex on a man (fellatio) include the use of latex condoms, but also include withdrawal before ejaculation without a condom (avoiding semen in the mouth) and/or refraining from this activity when cuts or sores are present in the mouth. When performing oral sex on a woman (cunnilingus), moisture barriers such as a dam (sheet of latex), a cut-open and flattened condom, or household plastic wr...

The only way to determine whether you are infected is to be tested for HIV infection. You can't rely on symptoms to know whether or not you are infected with HIV. Many people who are infected with HIV don't have any symptoms at all for many years. Similarly, you can't rely on symptoms to establish that a person has AIDS. The symptoms associated with AIDS are similar to the symptoms of many other diseases. AIDS is a diagnosis made by a doctor based on specific criteria established by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

In our bodies, we carry many germs - bacteria, protozoa, fungi, and viruses. When our immune system is working, it controls these germs. But when the immune system is weakened by HIV disease or by some medications, these germs can get out of control and cause health problems. Infections that take advantage of weakness in the immune defenses are called "opportunistic". The phrase "opportunistic infection" is often shortened to "OI". TESTING FOR OIs You can be infected with an OI, and "test positive" for it, even though you don't have the disease. For example, almost everyone with HIV tests positive for Cytomegalovirus (CMV) . But it is very rare for CMV disease to develop unless the CD4 cell count drops below 50, a sign of serious damage to the immune system. To see if you're infected with an OI, your blood might be tested for antigens (pieces of the germ that causes the OI) or for antibodies (proteins made by the immune system to fight ...