With the rapid spread of AIDS, AIDS prevention and treatment has become an important public health and social hotspot issue of global concern. Although there is still no effective treatment drug, AIDS is completely preventable. The most effective way to prevent the spread of AIDS is to promote a healthy lifestyle and maintain high moral values.
To date, there is no effective treatment or vaccine for AIDS in the international medical community. However, it is widely believed that antiretroviral therapy can slow down the progression of the disease and prolong the life of patients. This therapy, commonly known as “cocktail therapy,” was proposed by Chinese-American scientist Da-Yi Ho in 1996 to treat AIDS by combining three or more antiviral drugs. This therapy can reduce resistance to a single drug, maximize the inhibition of viral replication, and partially or even fully restore the damaged immune function of the body.
Basic knowledge of AIDS prevention and control
The theme of World AIDS Day 2009 is “Universal Access and Human Rights”.
1. AIDS is a serious infectious disease with a high risk of death, but it can be prevented. There is no effective vaccine or cure for the disease, but better treatments are available to prolong life and improve quality of life.
AIDS, known as Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS), is a serious infectious disease caused by the AIDS virus (known as Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV)).
After HIV invades the human body, it destroys the immune function, making the body susceptible to a variety of infections and tumors, and eventually leading to death.
HIV is weak against the external environment and can survive for hours to days at room temperature after leaving the body; it can be completely inactivated in 20 minutes at 100°C. Drying and commonly used disinfectant drugs can kill the virus.
The blood, semen, vaginal secretions, breast milk, and wound exudate of HIV-infected patients and patients contain a large amount of HIV, which is highly contagious.
Antibodies to HIV are not detectable in human blood until 2-12 weeks after infection with HIV, but before antibodies are detected, the infected person is already infectious.
After an average incubation period of 7-10 years, HIV-infected people develop into AIDS patients who appear to be normal people before the onset of the disease and can live and work for years without any symptoms, but can transmit the virus to others.
When the immune system of an HIV-infected person is severely damaged and cannot maintain minimal resistance to disease, the infected person develops into an AIDS patient, often with symptoms such as chronic low-grade fever of unknown origin, weight loss, night sweats, chronic diarrhea, cough, and skin rash.
Although the available antiviral drugs and treatments cannot cure AIDS, the implementation of standardized antiviral treatment can effectively inhibit viral replication, reduce the risk of transmission, delay the onset of disease, prolong life, and improve quality of life.
Antiviral treatment should be administered to AIDS patients under the guidance of a physician trained in AIDS prevention and treatment skills.
Patients with AIDS should adhere to the standardized medication and seek help from medical personnel in a timely manner if problems arise during treatment. Discontinuing medication at will or taking antiretroviral drugs irregularly or at irregular doses may lead to the development of HIV drug resistance and reduce the effectiveness of treatment, or even treatment failure.
So far, no effective vaccine has been developed to prevent AIDS.
2. AIDS is transmitted through sexual contact, blood and mother-to-child transmission, but daily life and work contact with HIV-infected or sick people will not be infected.
In the world, sexual contact is the most important way of AIDS transmission. Currently, intravenous drug use through shared syringes is the main route of HIV transmission in China, but the proportion of HIV transmission through sexual contact is increasing year by year.
AIDS can be transmitted between men and women and between men through sexual intercourse (vaginal, oral, anal). The more sexual partners you have, the greater the risk of HIV infection.
Sharing intravenous drugs with syringes is an important risk behavior for HIV transmission through blood.
HIV can be transmitted by importing blood or blood products contaminated with HIV, and by using instruments that enter the body without strict sterilization for surgery, injections, acupuncture, tooth extraction, and cosmetic procedures.
A woman infected with HIV has the potential to transmit AIDS to her fetus or baby through pregnancy, childbirth and breastfeeding. About 1/3 of fetuses and infants will become infected if no precautions are taken.
In daily life and work, you will not get AIDS from shaking hands, hugging, ritual kissing, eating together, sharing work tools, office supplies, money, etc. with a person infected or sick with HIV.
AIDS is not transmitted through public facilities such as toilet rings, telephone sets, eating utensils, sleeping utensils, swimming pools or baths.
Coughing and sneezing do not transmit AIDS.
Mosquito bites will not spread AIDS.
3.Being clean and abiding by sexual ethics is the fundamental measure to prevent HIV infection through sexual contact.
Establishing a healthy concept of love, marriage, family and sex is the fundamental solution to prevent and control the spread of AIDS and STDs.
Sexual freedom, multiple sexual partners and unprotected sexual behavior can greatly increase the risk of contracting and spreading AIDS and STDs.
Prostitution and prostitution are important risk behaviors for the spread of AIDS and STDs.
Premature sexual activity among young people can have adverse effects on physical and mental health.
Fidelity between husband and wife can protect both parties from contracting AIDS and STDs through sexual means.
4, the correct use of quality condoms, early treatment and cure of sexually transmitted diseases can greatly reduce the risk of infection and transmission of AIDS, STDs.
Condoms can greatly reduce the risk of contracting AIDS and STDs, and should be used throughout each sexual encounter.
Condoms are not 100% effective in preventing HIV and STDs, but they are far safer than not using them.
Other than the proper use of condoms, no other contraceptive measures are effective in preventing AIDS.
Due to biological differences, the risk of HIV transmission from a male to a female is significantly higher than from a female to a male. Women should initiate the use of female condoms or require each other to use condoms during sexual intercourse.
Condoms should not be reused, and should be tied and discarded after each use.
People with STDs or those with genital abscesses, ulcers, or inflammation are more likely to contract HIV and transmit the virus to others. Early detection and standardized treatment of STDs and various genital infections can reduce the risk of contracting and transmitting AIDS.
When you suspect that you have an STD, you should get tested and treated as early as possible and strive for a cure, and also mobilize people who have sexual contact with you to get tested and treated.
Some women have no obvious symptoms of STD infection and are not easy to detect. If you have multiple partners and other high-risk behaviors, you should go to the hospital regularly for examination and treatment.
The actual hospital can provide standard and confidential STD consultation, examination, diagnosis and treatment services. If you are looking for treatment from a licensed drug dealer, you will be misdiagnosed and mistreated, prolonging the course of the disease, increasing the difficulty of treatment and increasing the chance of HIV infection.
5. Sharing syringes for intravenous drug use is a high-risk behavior for contracting and spreading AIDS.
Drug use is an illegal act that not only endangers the health and life of the drug user, but also endangers the family and society.
People who share syringes with others are at a particularly high risk of contracting AIDS.
Not sharing syringes, using clean syringes or syringes that have been strictly sterilized can effectively reduce the risk of HIV transmission from drug use.
People who do not use condoms when having sex with people who inject drugs can easily contract AIDS and STDs.
Methadone maintenance treatment or needle exchange among injecting drug users can cut off the route of HIV transmission through blood from injecting drug use
The following are some examples of how to avoid unnecessary injections and transfusions.
6. Avoid unnecessary injections, blood transfusions and the use of blood products; if necessary, use blood or blood products that have been tested for HIV antibodies and use disposable syringes or strictly sterilized instruments.
Promoting blood donation without compensation, eliminating blood trafficking and selling, and strengthening blood management and testing are important measures to ensure the safety of blood use.
Strictly screening blood donors and discouraging people with risky behavior from donating blood are important guarantees of blood safety.
Conduct strict HIV antibody testing on blood and blood products to prevent the spread of AIDS through the blood collection and supply route.
Avoid unnecessary injections, transfusions and use of blood products as much as possible, and use tested blood and blood products, as well as plasma substitutes or your own blood, when necessary.
The use of disposable or self-destructing syringes is an important part of preventing the transmission of HIV through blood. If conditions are not available, syringes must be disinfected for one person with one needle and one tube for each use.
Knives, needles and other instruments used in hotels, motels, bathhouses, barbershops, beauty salons, footwashing rooms and other service industries that pierce or abrade the skin must be strictly disinfected.
7. Preventive measures such as timely antiviral drug intervention, reduction of damaging operations during delivery, and avoidance of breastfeeding for HIV-infected pregnant women can greatly reduce the possibility of fetal and infant infection.
In areas with a high prevalence of AIDS, vigorously promoting maternal maternal health care, HIV counseling and testing, and hospital delivery are key measures to prevent mother-to-child transmission of AIDS.
Pregnant women who are infected with HIV should, under the guidance of their doctors, take antiviral drugs during pregnancy and delivery, reduce injurious and dangerous operations during hospital delivery, and avoid breastfeeding after delivery to prevent transmission, which can greatly reduce the chance of transmitting HIV to the fetus or infant.
Pregnant women who are found to be infected with HIV in early pregnancy should consult with their physician to fully understand the potential risks of HIV to the fetus, baby and themselves, and voluntarily choose whether to continue the pregnancy.
Pregnant women tested for HIV infection who choose to terminate their pregnancy should seek counseling and termination of pregnancy services at their local health care facility.
HIV-infected pregnant women who choose to continue their pregnancy should seek free antiviral medication for prevention of mother-to-child transmission and infant testing services at the local hospital or maternal and child health institution that undertakes HIV antiretroviral treatment.
HIV-infected mothers should undergo infant feeding counseling, practice artificial feeding of the resulting infant, avoid breastfeeding, and eliminate mixed feeding. And free HIV antibody testing in the 12th and 18th month of infancy.
8. Voluntary HIV counseling and testing is an important prevention and treatment measure for early detection of infected and sick people.
People who have had high-risk sex, shared syringes for drugs, sold blood, suspected of having received unsafe blood transfusions or injections, and pregnant women in areas with a high prevalence of AIDS should take the initiative to go to the local HIV voluntary counseling and testing (VCT) clinic (office) for counseling and testing.
The state implements free voluntary HIV counseling and testing. People who voluntarily undergo HIV counseling and testing can get free counseling and HIV antibody primary screening tests at medical institutions designated by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and health administrative departments at all levels.
AIDS counseling rooms and screening laboratories are available at all levels of disease prevention and control centers and legal medical institutions approved by the health administration.
Counseling and testing are confidential. With informed consent, individuals can voluntarily choose whether to undergo HIV antibody testing.
Individuals who test positive for HIV antibodies may receive guidance assistance or referral information services through counseling regarding HIV antibody confirmation testing, treatment, prevention of mother-to-child transmission, prevention of infection to others, and access to care.
Receiving HIV counseling and testing can eliminate or relieve the psychological pressure caused by the suspicion of HIV infection, and can also understand their physical condition and take appropriate measures in time to protect themselves and others.
9. Caring for, helping and not discriminating against HIV-infected people and patients, and encouraging them to participate in AIDS prevention and treatment work are important measures to control the spread of AIDS.
HIV-infected and sick people are victims of the disease and should receive humanitarian sympathy and help.
AIDS patients among rural residents and people with financial difficulties who do not participate in medical insurance systems such as basic medical insurance in urban areas can go to infectious disease hospitals designated by local health administrative departments or general hospitals with infectious disease areas (departments) to receive free antiviral drug treatment.
The zhengfu at all levels will include AIDS patients who have difficulties in living in the scope of zhengfu assistance, give the necessary living relief according to the relevant state regulations, and actively support productive HIV-infected people to carry out productive activities.
Local zhengfu should carry out the psychological rehabilitation of AIDS orphans and provide free and compulsory education through various means.
Discrimination against HIV-infected and sick people is not only detrimental to the prevention and control of AIDS, but can also become a destabilizing factor in society.
HIV-infected and sick people are an important force in the prevention and control of AIDS and should be encouraged to participate in AIDS prevention and control.
Families and communities should create a friendly, understanding and healthy living and working environment for HIV-infected and sick people, help them adopt a correct attitude towards life, change high-risk behaviors, and create conditions for them to participate in AIDS prevention and control work.
10.AIDS threatens every person and every family and affects the development and stability of society, and AIDS prevention is the responsibility of the whole society.
The AIDS epidemic in China has entered a period of rapid growth and is at the critical point of spreading from high-risk groups to the general population. If not controlled in a timely and effective manner, it will have a serious impact on China’s economic development, social stability, national security and national prosperity.
The basic principles of AIDS prevention and control in China are: prevention first, prevention and treatment combined, and comprehensive management.
AIDS prevention and control must not only be the responsibility of the health department, but also must establish an AIDS prevention and control mechanism led by the zhengfu, with the cooperation of multiple departments and the participation of the whole society, to form a social environment conducive to AIDS prevention and control.
Non-zhengfu organizations are an important part of AIDS prevention and control, and can play an important role in educating key populations, intervening with high-risk groups, and caring for infected people and patients.
Citizens should actively participate in AIDS prevention and control publicity and education, learn and master the basic knowledge of AIDS prevention, avoid risky behaviors, strengthen self-protection, and tell others what they have learned.
It is the common responsibility of every family, every school, every community and the whole society to carry out education on AIDS/STD prevention and drug refusal, life skills training and adolescent sex education among young people to protect them from AIDS/STD and drug hazards.