UNICEF estimates about 38.4 million people are living with HIV globally – 1.2 million of these live in the US. Since the beginning of the HIV epidemic, it is estimated that over 80 million people have contracted the virus, while 39 million have died from AIDS-related complications. Similarly, the fact that 1 in 7 people with HIV is unaware of their status explains why HIV is more common than you might think.
HIV is a preventable disease, yet every year there are approximately 2.6 million new infections, most of which occur in Sub-Saharan Africa. Fortunately, the advances in medical treatment have helped stem the tide, allowing more people with HIV to live long and healthy lives.
Various treatments are available, and new ones are constantly being developed. Thanks to these advances, experts believe that by 2030, the number of people dying from AIDS-related complications will reduce by 95%. Let’s walk through the steps we’ve taken to help us deal with the virus.
Enhanced Diagnosis
The key to any treatment is effective diagnosis. Diagnosis was typically complicated and lengthy in the early days of the HIV epidemic. It could take weeks or even months to get results. Thankfully, that’s a thing of the past.
Several quick and easy methods to test for HIV are available today. For instance, the rapid HIV test can give you results in as little as 20 minutes.
What’s more, these tests are quite accurate. The accuracy of the rapid HIV test is about 92%. This implies if you test positive, there is a very high chance that you have the virus. Besides, follow-up tests can confirm the results of the rapid test.
Antiretroviral Therapy
The treatments for HIV have also become much more effective. In the epidemic’s early days, there was no way to treat the virus effectively. People with HIV often progressed to AIDS and died within a few years.
The most common and effective form of treatment for HIV is antiretroviral therapy (ART). ART involves taking a combination of drugs that attack different stages of the virus’ life cycle. While such treatment can’t cure HIV, it can greatly prolong your life by suppressing it and reducing the amount of HIV in your body.
The available ARTs can also lower your viral load to undetectable levels. Thus, while the virus is still present in your body, its low level cannot be detected by a viral load test.
What’s more, ARTs help reduce the risk of developing AIDS-related complications. As a result, HIV is no longer a chronic ailment bedeviling infected people as they can lead a normal life without cause for alarm.
Clinicians recommend that if you’re infected with HIV, you should commence treatment immediately. By so doing, you can keep the virus in check and improve your quality of life.
Longer-acting Agents
Treatment using highly active drugs is not enough, as HIV can develop resistance to them over time. However, physicians are helping avert this problem by employing longer-acting agents that stay in the body for a more extended period.
The most common long-acting agents are integrase strand transfer inhibitors (InSTIs). InSTIs work by blocking an enzyme HIV uses to insert its genetic material into the DNA of human cells. Hence, such agents reduce the need for daily medication while maintaining their efficacy.
Vaccines
A vaccine is a preventive measure used to build immunity against infections. While there is no vaccine for HIV yet, scientists are working on it. And some progress has been made in this respect. For instance, in January 2022, Moderna and IAVI announced the administration of the first doses of an experimental HIV vaccine. If all goes well, this could be a breakthrough in the fight against HIV.
Prevention Is Key
While there is no cure for HIV, it is preventable. The most effective way to prevent HIV is by using condoms during sex.
If you’re pregnant and have HIV, you can also take medication to reduce the risk of transmission to your child. Azidothymidine (AZT) – an antiretroviral – has been shown to lower the risk of transmission by up to 67%.
Similarly, people who don’t have HIV can take pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), a drug that can reduce the risk of infection. When taken as prescribed, it can lower your risk of contracting HIV by 99%, according to the CDC.
HIV is a serious virus, but thanks to advances in diagnosis, treatment, and prevention, it’s no longer the death sentence it once was. With early diagnosis and treatment, people with HIV can lead long and fruitful lives. And with continued research, we may one day see a cure. Until then, prevention remains our best defense against the virus.
