HIV & AIDS
Welcome to the HIV/AIDS section of your G-jali journey, where we provide vital information on HIV/AIDS awareness.
HIV
Stands for Human Immuno-deficiency Virus. HIV is a virus that attacks the immune system.
There is no known cure for HIV, once you get HIV, you have to live with it for life. If HIV is not managed or treated with Anti-retroviral drugs (ARVs), it leads to AIDS.
AIDS
Stands for Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome.
This is the most advanced stage of HIV infection. It is characterized by the occurrence of opportunistic infections e.g. Tuberculosis, pneumonia, etc.
Basic Facts about HIV
- People living with HIV can enjoy a long and healthy life by taking antiretroviral treatment which is effective and available for free to all.
- Testing for HIV is the only way to know your HIV Status.
- Antiretroviral Treatment stops HIV from replicating – i.e. from making copies of itself. This reduces the viral load to low levels. Your CD4 count then increases.
- HIV is found in semen, blood, vaginal and anal fluids, and breastmilk.
- HIV can’t be transmitted through sweat, saliva or urine.
- Abstinence, Being faithful to a sexual partner whose HIV status you know and using male and female condoms during sex are the best ways to prevent HIV and other sexually transmitted infections.
- If you’re pregnant and living with HIV, the virus in your blood could pass into your baby’s body, during birth or afterward through breastfeeding. Taking HIV treatment and adhering eliminates this risk.
Modes of Transmission
HIV is transmitted through the following ways;
Risk factors for HIV
Risk refers to the increased likelihood or chances that a person may acquire HIV infection as a result of specific behaviors that enable HIV transmission to occur.
What are some of the factors that can increase the risk of getting or transmitting HIV?
- Having unprotected sex. Most people get HIV by
having sex. During sex, the virus can enter the body through the vagina, penis, rectum, or mouth. - Alcohol and Drug Use. Being drunk or high affects your ability to make safer choices; you are more likely to engage in risky sexual behaviors.
- The sharing of needles, syringes, and sharp objects raises the risk of HIV.
- Having sexually transmitted infections (STIs), you may be more likely to get or transmit HIV.
- High Viral Load. The higher someone’s viral load, the more likely that person is to transmit HIV.
- Transmission from mother to child by a mother who is HIV positive and is not on care.
- Unsafe blood transfusion.
Adherence
Adherence is the process of starting HIV treatment, keeping clinical appointments, and taking ARVs daily as prescribed by a health care worker.
Adherence helps a person to achieve viral load suppression, live healthy lives, and live longer. Missing ARV allows HIV to multiply, which interferes with how the drug functions (drug resistance) and may lead to treatment failure.
Any person who tests HIV positive should be enrolled in a health facility and be
provided with Anti-retroviral therapy (ART).
Frequently Ask Questions (FAQs)
There is no cure for HIV, although antiretroviral treatment can control the virus, meaning that people with HIV can live long and healthy lives.
Testing for HIV is the only way to know for sure if you have HIV. Many people do not have any symptoms and can live for many years without knowing they have the virus.
You should get tested if you’ve:
- Had sex without a condo
- Shared needles when injecting drugs
- Put yourself at risk of HIV in any other way or are worried you might have.
Even if you havent recently put yourself at risk of infection, making HIV testing part of your sexual health routine is a good habit to get into. Getting an HIV test is quick, easy and almost always free. It s also the only way to know for sure whether or not you have been infected and involves a quick saliva or blood test.
Because choosing to take an HIV test can be hugely beneficial for yourself and your loved ones, the decision to test should be yours alone to make.
FAST FACT: In Kenya, the age of consent for HIV Testing is 15 years old.
You can get tested for free at any public health facility and private health facility but at a fee.
An HIV self-test (or rapid self-test) is an antibody test that can be used at home or in a private location. With an HIV self-test, you can get your test results within 20 minutes.
An HIV self-test (or rapid self-test) is an antibody test that can be used at home or in a private location. With an HIV self-test, you can get your test results within 20 minutes.
Read the instructions included in the test kit before you start.
- For an HIV self-test, you must swab your gums to collect an oral fluid sample and then test your sample.
- Your results will be ready within 20 minutes.
- If you don’t follow the directions as described, the test may not work. There is a phone number included with the HIV self-test if you need help using the test or visit your nearest health facility for support.
NOTE: A HIVST is used for screening and all positive outcomes need to be confirmed at a health facility.
- No HIV test can detect HIV immediately after exposure, including a blood test. This is because of the window period—the time between when a person gets HIV and when an HIV test can accurately detect it. One should always take precaution to protect themselves from HIV.
- Any person who tests HIV positive should be enrolled in a health facility and be
provided with Anti-retroviral therapy (ART).
