World Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) Day has been designated on 1 December every year since 1988. It is an international day dedicated to raise awareness of the AIDS pandemic caused by the spread of HIV infection. If we go into the history of this deadly disease it is estimated that HIV infection came from a type of chimpanzee in Central Africa. And when humans started to hunt this animal for meat it is how it passed on to them. Over the decades the disease spread to Africa and then the other parts of the world. HIV continues to be a major global public health issue believed to claim 36.3 million lives so far. Although there is no cure for it, proper diagnosis and treatment can help patients to lead long and healthy lives. The human immunodeficiency virus targets the immune system and thereby makes it weak to fight infections. The most advanced stage of the infection is AIDS which is defined by the development of certain cancers, infections and long term clinical manifestations.
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The conditions which put a human at higher risk are having unprotected anal or vaginal sex, having different sexually transmitted diseases or infections like syphilis and bacterial vaginosis, through contaminated needles and blood transfusions. HIV can be diagnosed through tests alone. There were approximately 37.6 million people across the globe with HIV in 2020. Of these, 35.9 million were adults and 1.7 million were children. India has the third largest HIV epidemic in the world. In 2017, HIV prevalence among adults was an estimated 0.2%. This figure is small compared to most other middle-income countries but because of India’s huge population this equates to 2.1 million people living with HIV. One can prevent it by being monogamous, having just one partner can lower risk for HIV and other STIs. One should also abstain from too much douching. Douching removes some of the normal bacteria in the vagina that protects us from infection. Alcohol or drug abuse may lead to risky behaviors such as sharing needles to inject drugs or unsafe copulation. These steps work best when used together.
