HIV treatment and prevention

Mark has just received his diagnosis. He has human immunodeficiency virus — HIV. He is scared and upset because there is no cure for HIV. If Mark had received this diagnosis a few decades ago, he may have died from the disease. But today treatment is available.

How does this treatment work? Firstly, let’s see what happens in the body when HIV infects it. HIV enters helper T-cells, which are part of the immune system and help the body fight infections. A helper T-cell, that’s been infected by HIV is unable to fight the virus, and actually starts producing more copies of HIV! As there is now more and more virus in the body, it gets harder and harder for the immune system to fight this virus, or any other infection.

In the last stage of HIV infection, the immune system is so weak it can’t fight even simple infections like colds. At this stage, a person has AIDS, which stands for acquired immunodeficiency syndrome. But, there is treatment that can prevent HIV infection progressing to the later stages. It’s called antiretroviral therapy. This medication works by stopping helper T-cells from making more copies of the virus.

This reduces the amount of HIV in the body. When there is less of the HIV virus in the body, the immune system has a chance to recover and produce new helper T-cells. This means the immune system stays strong enough to fight off other infections. But people have to keep taking medication because if they stop, the amount of virus increases again. Where Mark lives, antiretroviral therapy is widely available, so people with HIV rarely develop AIDS.

But not everyone who is infected with HIV has access to treatment like Mark does. As of the year 2019, around two thirds of the 38 million people infected with HIV received treatment. But one third — around 12 million people — still don’t have access to treatment. In some places, people with HIV are treated differently and aren’t accepted by society. When people with HIV face this kind of discrimination, they may not get access to testing or treatment.

Another barrier to treatment is cost. Antiretroviral therapy is expensive. Some healthcare systems or individuals can’t afford it. So although HIV treatment exists, ensuring everyone who needs it can access it is an ongoing problem. Alongside treating HIV, there are steps we can take to prevent HIV in the first place.

A common way HIV is transmitted from person to person is during sex. To lower the risk of transmission, people who are sexually active can: use a condom or dental dam, when having sex, get tested for HIV before having sex with a new partner, and make sure their partners get tested. If a sexually active person is already diagnosed with HIV, it’s important they tell their partners. Their partner can then choose to take a daily dose of medication called a pre-exposure prophylaxis, or PrEP, to reduce their risk of contracting HIV. HIV can be transmitted through drug needles, too.

So by not injecting drugs, and never sharing needles, this can prevent HIV transmission. For the rest of his life, Mark has to go to the doctor’s regularly and have frequent blood check-ups. He will have to take his medicine exactly as prescribed and stay healthy, by being physically active and eating a balanced diet. Mark will also have to inform all his partners that he has HIV and take precautions against spreading the virus. Other than that, he will be able to live a normal life.