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After the virus enters the body there is a period of rapid viral replication, leading to an abundance of virus in the peripheral blood. During primary infection, the level of HIV may reach several million virus particles per milliliter of blood. [2] This response is accompanied by a marked drop in the numbers of circulating CD4 + T cells.
HIV is spread primarily by unprotected sex (including anal and vaginal sex), contaminated hypodermic needles or blood transfusions, and from mother to child during pregnancy, delivery, or breastfeeding. [18] Some bodily fluids, such as saliva, sweat, and tears, do not transmit the virus. [19] Oral sex has little risk of transmitting the virus. [20]
[4] In most cases, HIV is a sexually transmitted infection and occurs by contact with or transfer of blood, pre-ejaculate, semen, and vaginal fluids. [5] [6] Non-sexual transmission can occur from an infected mother to her infant during pregnancy, during childbirth by exposure to her blood or vaginal fluid, and through breast milk.
HIV-1 is the more commonly associated with AIDS in the US and worldwide, HIV-2 is more rare, and typically restricted to areas in western Africa and southern Asia. HIV-2 is so uncommon that “HIV” almost always refers to HIV-1. Alright HIV targets CD4+ cells, meaning cells that have this specific molecule called CD4 on their membrane.
The campaign seeks to spread the scientific evidence that undetectable means untransmittable. Since the beginning of the epidemic, perceptions and management of HIV infection have gone through many stages; from assuming the infectiousness, then discovering the routes of transmission (blood, sexual fluids, and breastfeeding), to prevention methods (education, condoms, PrEP, and PEP) and various ...
A microbicide for sexually transmitted diseases is a gel which would be applied to the skin – perhaps a rectal microbicide for persons who engage in anal sex or a vaginal microbicide for persons who engage in vaginal sex – and if infected body fluid such as blood or semen were to touch the gel, then HIV in that fluid would be destroyed and ...
HIV can survive at room temperature outside the body for hours if dry (provided that initial concentrations are high), [31] and for weeks if wet (in used syringes/needles). [32] However, the amounts typically present in bodily fluids do not survive nearly as long outside the body—generally no more than a few minutes if dry. [23]
Virulence (the tendency of a pathogen to cause damage to a host's fitness) evolves when that pathogen can spread from a diseased host, despite that host being very debilitated. An example is the malaria parasite, which can spread from a person near death, by hitching a ride to a healthy person on a mosquito that has bitten the diseased person.