Probabilities of contracting HIV: An investigation.

Probabilities of contracting HIV: An investigation.

HIV, the virus that attacks the immune system, is primarily transmitted through specific bodily fluids—blood, semen, vaginal fluid, rectal fluid, and breast milk—when these fluids enter the bloodstream of an uninfected person via mucous membranes, open wounds, or direct injection.

The main methods of HIV transmission are:

1. Sexual contact: Most commonly through anal or vaginal sex with an HIV-positive partner. Receptive anal sex carries the highest risk (about 1.4%), followed by vaginal sex with lower but significant risk per exposure.
2. Sharing injection equipment: Using needles or syringes contaminated with HIV-infected blood, such as in intravenous drug use.
3. From mother to child: During pregnancy, labor, delivery, or breastfeeding if the parent has untreated HIV.
4. Blood transfusions or organ transplants: Rare today due to rigorous screening but possible if infected blood products are used.

Less common routes include oral sex (risk is very low) and accidental needle sticks. HIV is not transmitted by casual contact such as shaking hands, hugging, sharing utensils, or through air or closed-mouth kissing.

Prevention methods include:

1. Using condoms consistently and correctly during vaginal, anal, and oral sex to reduce transmission risk.
2. Limiting the number of sexual partners and knowing the HIV status of partners.
3. Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP): Daily antiretroviral medication taken by HIV-negative people to significantly reduce infection risk when exposed to HIV.
4. For people who inject drugs: Using needle exchange programs and supervised injection sites to avoid sharing contaminated equipment.
5. Antiretroviral therapy (ART) for people living with HIV: Daily medication to reduce viral load to undetectable levels, which effectively eliminates the risk of sexual transmission (“Undetectable = Untransmittable”).
6. Avoiding contact with blood and contaminated needles: Safe handling in healthcare and community settings.
7. Preventing mother-to-child transmission: Through ART during pregnancy, safe delivery practices, and alternatives to breastfeeding when possible.

In 2022, approximately 39 million people worldwide were living with HIV. Achieving and maintaining viral suppression significantly reduces the risk of HIV transmission. In the United States, around 1.2 million people have HIV.

HIV treatment as prevention involves people with HIV taking antiretroviral (ART) drugs to lower their chance of transmitting HIV to others. An HIV infection can eventually lead to stage 3 HIV, formerly known as AIDS, if a person does not receive treatment.

For those who may have been exposed to HIV, Post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) can prevent HIV infection if started within 72 hours of exposure. People living with HIV can take medications such as Preexposure prophylaxis (PrEP) and PEP to prevent transmitting HIV to others.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that people who use injectable drugs seek help and can contact the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) at 800-662-4357 or visit FindTreatment.gov. People can find support and resources for HIV prevention, treatment, and lifestyle management through various organizations such as the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program, the International AIDS Society (IAS), the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS, and A Positive Life.

1. The science of predictive medicine, in the context of health-and-wellness, suggests that individuals with atopic dermatitis may have a higher risk of developing depression.
2. Treatment for HIV, a type of virus that targets the immune system, involves the use of antiretroviral therapy (ART) to lower viral load and prevent sexual transmission.
3. The Januvia medication, often prescribed for type 2 diabetes, has been linked to an increased risk of HIV and certain cancers.
4. A healthcare professional can predict the onset of mental-health issues, such as depression, by types of conditions affecting the skin, including psoriasis and dermatitis.
5. In the realm of sexual-health, using condoms is a preventive method to type-specific sexually transmitted infections (STIs), including HIV and herpes.
6. A Question, AQ for short, is a tool used in mental-health assessments to identify symptoms of depression and anxiety.

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