Symptoms of HIV that may appear in the first months of the disease include: immunodeficiency, enlarged lymph nodes, flu, fatigue and night sweats. If you only suspect that you may be HIV positive - get an HIV test - for free and anonymously at one of the consultation points.

HIV(Englishhuman immunodeficiency virus ) is the human immunodeficiency virus of the lentivirus genus. You can catch HIV by having unprotected sex (i.e. without a condom), using an infected person's needle, or during childbirth if the mother is HIV-positive, and by breastfeeding.

After entering the human body, the virus binds to cells that have receptors that capture it and make it easier to enter the cell (T lymphocytes associated with the immune system have the most of these receptors). The virus begins to multiply intensively here, and the immune system loses, despite attempts to fight the virus.

HIV symptoms

The consequence of losing the fight against the virus is a decrease in lymphocytes in the body and a significant decrease in immunity, which allows the development of AIDS. From the moment of HIV infection to full-blown emergenceAIDS , an average of 10-12 years passes.

The problem of HIV affects more and more women. Every fifth person living with HIV in our country is a woman. Unfortunately, among women, the percentage of undiagnosed infections may be significantly higher.

After the virus enters the blood, there is a period of about 1.5 months of incubation. After which there is a period of severe flu-like symptoms, there may also be a rash on the face and changes in the lining of the mouth. The acute period goes into the latency phase of HIV status, which can last up to several years (but sometimes it only lasts a few months).

After the asymptomatic period, typical clinical symptoms of infection appear, i.e. enlarged lymph nodes, weakness, night sweating. The patient may have shingles or oral thrush.

If the virus develops into AIDS - the patient will suffer severe infections (caused by microorganisms that are harmless to a he althy person), including

  • protozoa (toxoplasmosis, watery diarrhea, pneumonia requiring hospitalization),
  • fungal (disease systemsgastroenteritis, pneumonia and severe meningitis)
  • viral (pneumonia, retinitis, herpes infection, shingles)
  • bacterial (tuberculosis)
Important

In Poland, there are currently 14 thousand. HIV infections. However, these data are incomplete, because according to experts, even up to 70 percent. Poles living with HIV do not know about it, so we can have up to 35 thousand. infected!

Map of HIV infection in Poland

Average annual number of newly detected HIV infections in 2013-2017, by voivodship. Data as of August 10, 2018.

Source: NIZP-PZH

HIV infections, AIDS cases and AIDS deaths in 1986-2017

Source: NIZP-PZH

Could the HIV problem affect you?

In Poland, more cases of HIV infection are observed every year. The most disturbing fact is that more and more carriers are emerging among heterosexual men in their 40s and mature women who are unaware of the infection.

Experts observe that many of the women who find out about the infection are women whose children have already left home, and after parting ways with their husbands, they try to get together again.

There is a belief in society that HIV affects only homosexuals and drug addicts, while at consultation points with a positive result there are more men over forty, often settled, having a well-arranged professional life, and sometimes even family life, adventure or have sex with casual partners.

Men declaring themselves heterosexual come to the tests when the disease is already in an advanced stage, when the complete restoration of the immune system is no longer possible, and the body responds to treatment less well due to age.

- Heterosexual people are afraid of a positive result. In addition, many of them still believe that HIV simply cannot affect them because they are not part of the group of men who have sex with men or use drugs. As a result, they examine themselves much less frequently than non-heterosexual people. This applies to both men and women - says prof. Zbigniew Izdebski, sexologist and vice-president of the Polish AIDS Scientific Society.

- Women in our country usually find out that they live with HIV very late. It often happens on the occasion of the death of a partner who died of AIDS without even knowing what was wrong with him, says Joanna Gałaj from the Association of AIDS Volunteers Be with Us.

Casual sex- only with a condom!

- The main source of HIV infection is sex without a condom. This applies to everyone, because although the statistics are still dominated by men who have sex with men, it is known that the number of heterosexual men and women living with HIV in Poland is systematically growing and will continue to grow - believes Dr. Magdalena Rosińska, an epidemiologist from the National Institute of Public He alth - National Institute Hygiene.

HIV infections are most often detected in Poland today in people who have risky sexual contacts. Contrary to popular belief, they can be both men who have sex with men and heterosexual people.

And while MSM (men who have sex with men) are usually risk-aware and get tested more often, the number of heterosexuals who know they are infected is still alarmingly low. They unwittingly pass the virus on to others or die of AIDS.

The situation is getting more and more serious as the number of newly detected infections is growing rapidly, which is confirmed by epidemiological data.

Where to go for help

The National AIDS Center has a list of clinics where you can get HIV / AIDS testing anonymously and free of charge.

HIV is not a sentence, it is an effective treatment

- HIV has not been a death sentence for a long time. Thanks to new therapies, you can live with him for a long time and relatively comfortably. But you have to be tested and then healed. A man who does not know that he has HIV is likely to die prematurely himself, and may hurt someone else sooner. That is why education is so important. We need to talk about the threat of HIV, and in our country too little has been said about it - emphasizes prof. Anna Boroń Kaczmarska from the Pomeranian Medical University.

- We still know too little and underestimate knowledge about HIV prevention. We attach particular importance to educating young people in this field. People need to know which behaviors are risky and what that means. They must begin to pay attention and investigate themselves if they have not been paying attention. And if they get a positive result, do not panic, but start treatment - confirms prof. Andrzej Gładysz from the Medical Academy in Wrocław.

Category:

Infectious diseases