Let’s begin with a few statistics so as to gain perspective on the spread of HIV, and for the purpose of this article, we’ll be discussing about its prevalence in the United States. It’s estimated that about 1.1 million Americans have HIV, with approximately 56,300 new transmissions annually of which 21% aren’t even aware they’ve been infected.
Merits of Early Detection
Detection of HIV early on is crucial to the goal of decreasing patient mortality and morbidity rate across the nation, as well as preventing further transmission of HIV. Screening programs funded by various charities across the country have saved lives of infected and prevented others from contracting it.
- Early HIV detection is the key to slowing down the spread of HIV.
- Early detection enables the person infected to receive timely HIV medications and treatment to fight the infection off.
- Individuals aware of their status are more likely to exercise care in their relationships, and avoid transmitting it to someone else.
- Early treatment is how longevity of patients and higher levels of CD4 are achieved.
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When does an HIV Infection become full-blown AIDS
HIV infection is essentially an initial phase of AIDS, and the lack of treatment eventually results in this disease. Medically, the conversion of HIV to AIDS is determined by a patient’s CD4 levels. When the cell count falls under 200, the patient officially has AIDS. In other cases, the onset of AIDS is apparent as the patient’s immune system becomes so impaired that they contract several AIDS defining infections all at once. One such infection is pneumocystis pneumoni, a disease with the potential to be fatal. If caught early on, this condition is fairly easy to treat; however, if medical attention is not given on time, it can prove to be fatal.
HIV Diagnosis takes Mere Minutes with Technology
In order to speed up the time consumed to get HIV test results and ultimately scale up the testing program, the new Antibody AIDS test has been introduced that can generate results under twenty minutes. This test works by detecting antibodies in saliva or in blood. And with the help of modern day technology, the science of particle agglutination has advanced far enough to make this possible. These newly developed tests for HIV have sensitivities higher than 98% and display a visual response. Many of these tests have been approved by the FDA and are available as DIY tests one can take at home.
In the UK there are a number of online testing services that are appropriately regulated and licensed. One of the leading providers of HIV testing online in the UK is www.theSTIclinic.com where you can get results within 4 hours.
Progression of AIDS Treatment
The recent advancement in AIDS treatment involves medication with far less toxicity relative to its predecessors. These new medications are superior to those developed years ago. Taking these medications have become easier as most patients only need a single pill a day to keep the infection in check for longer periods, not to mention offering patients an improved quality of life.
The HIV test is integral for overcoming AIDS crises in the US. Not only do we have the means and resources to prevent transmission of HIV, but also prevention based treatments combined together with other biological preventive measures can isolate the infection.