The war against HIV/AIDS is far from being over. This is because,
globally, more than 34 million people now live with HIV/AIDS and the
number keeps increasing.
Medical experts tell us that though
there’s no cure for HIV/AIDS yet, when detected early, HIV can be
managed and prevented from progressing to AIDS. The Director-General of
the National Agency for the Control of AIDS, Prof. John Idoko, advises
every sexually active person to regularly undergo HIV screening, so that
they will know their HIV status.
Epidemiologist and Deputy
Director, HIV/AIDS Division, Federal Ministry of Health, Mr. Segilola
Araoye, recommends being tested at least once a year if you do things
that can transmit HIV infection, such as injecting drugs or steroids
with used injection equipment; having sex for money or drugs; having sex
with an HIV infected person; having more than one sex partner since
your HIV test; and having a sex partner who has had other sex partners
since your last HIV test.
Experts say you are more likely to be
infected with HIV if you have ever shared injection drug needles and
syringes; have ever had sex without a condom with someone who had HIV;
have ever had a sexually transmitted disease like Chlamydia or
gonorrhoea; received a blood transfusion or a blood clotting factor
between 1978 and 1985; and if you have ever had sex with someone who has
done any of those things.
And if you happen to be one of those
people who still dither about having HIV screening, here are the
symptoms to look out for as you wonder whether or not you are
HIV-positive.
The first one is fever. Family doctor, Eugene
Osazie, says within a month or two of HIV entering the body, 40-90 per
cent of people experience flu-like symptoms known as “acute retroviral
syndrome.” She also notes that sometimes, HIV may not manifest for
years. “As such, many people may even be HIV-positive without being
aware,” she says.
She notes that such fever may be accompanied by
certain symptoms such as fatigue, swollen lymph glands, and a sore
throat, which may last for a few weeks. “By this time, the virus is
moving into the blood stream and starting to replicate in large
numbers,” Osazie warns.
She also warns that when HIV enters the
bloodstream, it begins to attack certain white blood cells known as CD4
cells — the specialised cells that are a part of our immune system. “The
immune system then produces antibodies to fight off infection. When you
take an HIV test, doctors are actually looking for the presence of
these antibodies, which confirm that HIV infection has occurred,” Osazie
counsels.
Again, you should be worried if you now feel fatigued
by simple activities that you were used to, such as walking; or if you
feel pain in the joints and muscles, among others.
“One of the
things that should ginger you up is when you start having swellings in
the armpits, groin and neck, as these are some of the parts of the body
where you have the lymph nodes.
“The lymph nodes are a sort of
garrisons, as they act as filters for foreign particles and are
important in the proper functioning of the immune system. When they are
inflamed or swollen, therefore, it is an indication that something has
gone wrong in the body, and only a competent medical screening can tell
us what is cooking,” Dr. David Anyaegbuna of DuCross Clinics, Festac
Town, Lagos, says.
Sore throat and headaches are also things to
worry about if you have been engaging in risky behaviours as outlined
above, experts warn. Ditto unexplained rash or boils, Anyaegbuna says.
Physicians
also say nausea, vomiting and constant stooling (diarrhoea), as well as
weight loss should be a wake-up call for HIV screening, as these may be
signs that the immune system is being depleted systematically.
Doctors
also advise that if you have prolonged dry cough that has become
resistant to regular antibiotics; or if you always have night sweats
even when the weather is cool; or if you develop mouth ulcers or genital
herpes, go for HIV screening.
The online portal, health.com,
also warns that if the colour of the nail changes, or if it thickens,
splits or becomes discoloured with black or brown lines, HIV may be
responsible.
As HIV courses through the body, Anyaegbuna says,
the virus damages the nerves. It is then people start having tingling in
the hands and feet — otherwise known as “peripheral neuropathy,” as you
find among those who have diabetes.
Gynaecologists also warn
that if, as a young or middle aged woman, you have fewer and lighter
periods, it may be a manifestation of advanced HIV, which sometimes
increases the incidence of menstrual irregularities.
Idoko agrees
that those working in the field of HIV/AIDS need regular skills
acquisition training. And in order to further equip resource persons,
the Federal Ministry of Health, in collaboration with global bodies that
include the World Health Organisation, holds regular stakeholders’
meetings, during which workers are trained to better understand relevant
issues.
At one of such trainings in Lagos recently, a WHO
official, Dr. Niyi Ogundiran, notes that the trainings aim to provide
caregivers and those working in the field of HIV/AIDS practical
knowledge about how to provide support for people living positively.
“The
training also seeks to sharpen caregivers’ communications skills to
enable them to provide appropriate guidance for people living with the
virus,” Ogundiran says.
On the paucity of funds that tends to
affect health care delivery in the country, Araoye advocates continued
judicious utilisation of available resources in order to curb the spread
of the disease.
