Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is a medical condition that can never be completely healed, as the virus will remain in the organism despite treatment. Furthermore, HIV can lead to acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), which is the most advanced phase of HIV infection (Eramova, Matic & Munz, 2007). This chronic disease reached its peak in the mid-eighties, when an AIDS epidemic spread across United State and many other nations, causing the death of many individuals carrying this virus (Centers of Disease Control and Prevention, 2016). The virus continues to spread, increasing the number of people living with AIDS, which reached up to 40 million people in 2003, yet the death number has decreased due to sustained prevention programs (Paul, Cadoff & Martin, 2004).
There is a wide spectrum of myths and misconceptions about this disease, which need to be corrected in order to appropriately understand and treat this condition. It is believed that AIDS is transmitted by mosquitos, that it is a fatal disease, which can be spread through air or touches, leading to isolating the infected individuals (Mwamwenda, 2015). However, mosquitos are not responsible for spreading AIDS and people with AIDS can interact with healthy individuals, by touching or breathing the same air without the risk of being infected, because the disease solely transmits through blood transfusion/contact or sexual, unprotected activity (Mwamwenda, 2015). Furthermore, AIDS is not fatal, as there are people living with the disease, treating it rigorously (Tseng & Foisy, 2013).
The diagnosis of AIDS first implies doctor’s confirmation of testing positive for HIV. In addition, compared with healthy people who have around 1000 CD4+ T cells (white body cells that fight infection), the AIDS carriers have less than 200 CD4+ T cells per cubic millimeter (Short, 2009). Furthermore, the diagnosis for AIDS also requires testing positive for at least another illness such as invasive cervical cancer, herpes simplex, pneumonia, etc. (Short, 2009). For diagnosing HIV in infants younger than 18 months, there should be used the “HIV DNA polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test”, while in children older than 18 months it is recommended the ELISA serological test and a confirmatory blot test (Eramova, Matic & Munz, 2007, p. 149).
In effectively treating AIDS, it is desirable that the HIV infection to be discovered as timely as possible, as lateness in discovering the virus might hamper the treatment and the extension of life, due to rapid advancement of this immunodeficiency disease (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2016). It is important to know that patients may have adverse reactions to the medications prescribed in treating AIDS and they should be carefully monitored at every visit, as they might affect the adherence to treatment (Eramova, Matic & Munz, 2007). Another treatment for AIDS, adopted mostly in Africa, is the traditional herbal medicine, based on the African potato, considered an immonostimulant (Hypoxis hemerocallidea) and the Sutherlandia as the remedies recommended by South African Ministry of Health in treating HIV (Orisatoki & Oguntibeju, 2010). Nevertheless, while the traditional herbal treatment is beneficial, especially for AIDS patients in developing countries who do not have access to antiretroviral treatment, it is recommended to mix it with the scientific treatment, as complementary to the antiretroviral therapy (Orisatoki & Oguntibeju, 2010).
The treatment of this disease implies life changes for patients and their families. Besides the firm and rigorous treatment that creates a strict life discipline for AIDS patients, they also require to change their diets, eating healthy foods, based on fruits and vegetables and whole grain diets. Physical exercises must become a habit, with 30 minutes of training for five days in a week. They must be more careful and prevent the contraction of other diseases, getting vaccinations against pneumonia or flu, during the cold seasons (Eramova, Matic & Munz, 2007). While children must develop self – accountability, they need, nevertheless, to be assisted by their parents and family, monitoring their activities and assuring that they respect their treatment programs.
The stigma associated with AIDS infection has decreased in the latest decades not only due to the medical advancements, but very importantly, to community work, which raised awareness on the importance of sustaining the patients for carrying on a fulfilling life. Where more cases of AIDS are registered, clinicians act as intermediaries between patients and community – based organizations that offer them support, but also more information about the disease, its treatment and coping strategies (Eramova, Matic & Munz, 2007). In addition, there are support group that help the patients with food, financially and educationally, such as the Birmingham AIDS Outreach or South Arkansas Fights AIDS, and depending on the region of living, there are various organizations that can be consulted for offering professional assistance (Healthy Americans, 2015).
The acknowledgment of carrying HIV AIDS is commonly accompanied by emotions such as shock, fear, anger, despair or hopelessness, which are the short – term effects that can develop in depression, on a long term (Remien & Rabkin 2001). On a short – term, AIDS affects the academic evolution at the cause of stigma associated with the disease, and on a longer term it can lead to the desire to isolation oneself from the world (Bello, 2011; Remien & Rabkin 2001). Psychosocial implications related with this disease include educational and psychiatric services for both the patient and the family members, but also social services considerations related with housing, employment, money, in case of economic disadvantaged families (Eramova, Matic & Munz, 2007).
Researchers and politicians work together to develop an AIDS – free generation, wherein children are born HIV free and are outside of the risk of contracting the virus in the first two decades of their life (UNICEF, 2013). Other recent findings indicate that efforts are being concentrated for eliminating mother to child transmission of HIV through the early initiation of triple – drug regimens (UNICEF, 2013). Another interesting finding is that children infected with HIV and co-infected with tuberculosis (TB) require both ART and TB treatment concurrently, rather than completing TB treatment first and later applying ART therapy, otherwise the chances for children mortality are very high (Eramova, Matic & Munz, 2007).
References
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Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2016) Today’s HIV epidemic. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Eramova, I.. Matic, S. & Munz, M. (2007) HIV/AIDS treatment and care. Clinical protocols for the WHO European Region. Copenhagen: World Health Organization.
Healthy Americans (n.d.) Groups supporting the prevention and public health fund. Retrieved from http://healthyamericans.org/health-issues/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/Groups-Supporting-the-Prevention-and-Public-Health-Fund.pdf.
Mwamwenda, T.S. (2015) Myths and misconceptions regarding global pandemic HIV/AIDS. Life Science Journal. 12(2s): 117-1274.
Orisatoki, R.O. & Oguntibeju, O.O. (2010) The role of herbal medicine use in HIV/AIDS treatment. Archives of Clinical Microbiology. 1(3): 1-4.
Paul, S.M., Cadoff, E.M. & Martin, E. (2004) Rapid diagnostic testing for HIV – clinical implications. Business Briefing: Clinical Virology & Infectious Disease.
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Short, W.R. () nagging the care of patients with HIV infection. AMA Journal of Ethics. 11(12): 962 – 968.
Tseng, A. & Foisy, M. (2013) Handbook of HIV drug therapy. Toronto: Toronto General Hospital.
UNICEF (2013) Towards an AIDS – free generation. New York: UNICEF.
