HIV cannot be cured; it can be managed, but requires lifelong medication. In Singapore, HIV rates have been increasing. No vaccine is currently available.
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The human immunodeficiency virus, or HIV, is a major public health problem worldwide. The virus attacks the immune system, and causes a disease called acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, or AIDS. This leaves the patient vulnerable to other infections (called opportunistic infections), which are ultimately fatal. While not the most common sexually transmitted disease, HIV in Singapore affects a significant number of people.
Symptoms
The initial, or primary, infection by HIV may cause no symptoms in some people. In others, there’s a flu-like illness, including fever, fatigue, sore throat, muscle aches, and headache. This initial infection passes, but the virus is still present within the body and can be easily transmitted to others, even while no symptoms are present.
It takes many years for HIV to begin causing symptoms of immunodeficiency. Slowly, as the numbers of immune cells decline, opportunistic infections begin to occur. Rare types of pneumonia, rare cancers, and other illnesses that don’t pose a problem for healthy people begin to cause problems for the HIV patient. There may also be generalized symptoms such as fevers, night sweats, and fatigue. As the infection progresses, the patient eventually succumbs to one of these infections.
Testing
Testing for HIV is usually done by a blood test. There’s a screening test that’s used for initial testing; if this is positive, then another test is done to confirm the diagnosis. A salivary test is now available and is used for screening in some cases; a positive result must still be confirmed by a blood test. The tests don’t become positive right away, so if you’ve been exposed, testing will be repeated several times over the course of six months.
In Singapore, HIV screening tests are recommended for all pregnant women, for anyone with a known exposure (for instance, healthcare workers who receive a needlestick), and once a year or even more often for those who engage in risky behaviors (such as frequent unprotected sex with new partners, or intravenous drug use).
Treatment
While there is no cure for HIV, it can be managed with medications. These are taken in combinations of at least three medications, to avoid the development of resistance in the virus. These medications may be started immediately upon diagnosis, although some organizations recommend waiting until the disease has progressed to a certain point before starting them, because these drugs are very expensive and have significant side effects. Once started, the medications can never be stopped for any length of time, and must be taken for life.
Prevention
Although an HIV vaccine is under active development by scientists, there’s not currently one available. To avoid HIV, you must avoid coming into contact with infected bodily fluids. This means practicing safe sex (using condoms, abstaining, or restricting sex to a mutually monogamous relationship), avoiding sharing needles during drug use or tattooing, being careful to avoid needlesticks if you’re a healthcare worker, and avoiding touching anyone’s blood or bodily fluids with ungloved hands.
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