An HIV infection can change your life for ever. Not only do you have to deal with the stigma of getting infected with HIV, you would also be required to be prepared to look frail and sick. You may even have to face some discrimination at the work place.

As it is, HIV can make your life a complete hell. However, with recent medical developments, the lifespan of people living with HIV has increased considerably. With a number of antiretroviral drugs having entered the market, the average HIV infected guy can hope to live a longer life.

Now, since HIV is such a deadly disease, therefore, you need to go through really strong medication, in order to keep AIDS at bay. However, these strong medications take a toll on your health, along with your physical appearance as well. As a result people begin to look frail and weak, with maximum damage been done to the skin, which tends to turn loose.

Of late, there have been a number of health treatments, which caters to the needs of the HIV patients. One such treatment is Sculptra. It is a sort of inject able filler, which rebuilds the skin from inside. It does so, by stimulating the collagen of the body to add more volume to the skin.

This gives you a tighter and firmer skin, which has more elasticity. And if you do have doubts about Sculptra, then in that case, you would be glad to know that, Sculptra has recently been approved by the Food and Drug Administration department, for the cosmetic treatment of the skin for people living with HIV.

Sculptra is a skin filler made of Poly-L-lactic acid and is injected under the skin. The result is a fairly good looking skin which a person living with HIV can never imagine. The effect usually last for two years.

Some of the major advantages of Sculptra are as follows:

1. It helps a person living with HIV to lead a healthy life, by looking healthy. As it is, Sculptra would not make you feel healthy, but would definitely give you that fuller look. So, people do not actually know that you have HIV, unless and until you tell them about it.
2. A healthy looking skin can actually work wonders in giving boost to your self confidence. With an improved self confidence, your motivation level rises as well. As a result, you tend to live longer.

Although Sculptra does little to heal HIV infection, it is a great deal helpful in improving the mental state of the patient. This is because; a person with HIV infection has to undergo a lot of emotional trauma. Sculptra can go a long way in lessening this trauma.

Being asked by your physician to undergo an HIV test done may result in a lot of anxiety and stress. In many cases, patients may assume him/her to be infected, even before they actually go for the tests. Due to social as well as personal causes, a patient may feel insecure and go through a broad range of emotions. Most often people panic and refuse to go for the test, due to the fear of testing positive.

It therefore, becomes very important to take a few steps before the tests are conducted, in order to provide emotional succor to the person undergoing an HIV test. The following are a few steps which can be taken to do so:

1. Pre-test advice

• The first thing that you need to do, before undergoing an HIV test, is to get mentally prepared fro it. This is because, unless and until you are mentally prepared for it, there are always chances of you getting panicked and refusing to go for the tests at the last minute.
• You can go for a pre test counseling to overcome the wide rang of emotions that you may be going through. This would help you in going through the test without any mental fatigue. By giving a boost to your confidence level, a pre test counselor would ensure that you face the test with no or less anxiety and fear.
• Another thing that you can do is to spend some time with your family and friends. Watch a movie with your buddies, or help in setting up a tree house for your kids. Such activities would help you a lot in lowering your stress level and help you in facing the test with full confidence.
• You must always remember that, irrespective of what might be the outcome, you would always enjoy life the way that you did earlier, minus the risks that you had been getting yourself into.

2. Post-test advice

• Even if your initial tests confirm you to be HIV negative, you must always wait for the second tests, which would typically happen after six months to the first tests. During this period, you need to get your self mentally prepared to face the results.
• If you have been diagnosed with HIV, then in that case, you would definitely need a post-test counseling, to overcome the trauma that you might be going through. Such a session would help you realize the fact that all is still not lost and there is still a lot that you could do.
• Along with this, you can get in touch with some healthcare provider, which would help you in getting information regarding proper medication and other facilities. As it is, you would get to know about the various antiretroviral drug therapies which are available to you.

Life is so beautiful, that it does not end with an HIV infection. All you need to do is realize this fact. Even if you are an HIV patient, there is a lot that you could do. The best thing is to spread awareness in regard to HIV. Also, you yourself can provide pre and post counseling sessions to those who are undergoing HIV tests and help them get out of the trauma.

What makes HIV such a lethal virus, is the fact that it affects the immune system of the body, leaving you exposed to a number of diseases, with virtually no help of any kind from your immune system.

Now, because the immune system of our body is responsible for warding off potential threat to the body, in the form of external threats (such as virus, bacteria and protozoa), therefore a weakened immune system would mean that even medicines would not work. This means that an HIV+ patient has little hope. This is because HIV is still an incurable disease till date; and though we have many scientists claiming to find a cure, we still lack conclusive evidence on their part.

So, how does the Human Immunodeficiency Virus actually affect your immune system? The answer lies in the complex nature of HIV. As it is, HIV is a part of the family of Retroviridae and is an RNA virus. Unlike the human cells, which store information in the form of DNA or deoxyribonucleic acid, HIV stores its information in the form of RNA or ribonucleic acid.

Now, once the virus enters the human body, it performs an unusual function of converting the RNA into DNA. This it does so, by entering a target cell and then converting RNA information into double stranded DNA by way of a reverse transcriptase, which is already present in the virus particle. Once this happens, the contaminated DNA is then integrated into the cellular DNA by way of integrase.

The primary focus of HIV is to infect vital cells in the immune system, such as CD4+ T cells and dendritic cells. This results in lowering of the levels of CD4+ T cells. With the CD4+ T cell count going below a critical level, the immune system of the body of the body weakens and you are vulnerable to a number of diseases and infections.

Now let us see how, does the virus lower your CD4+ T cell count. It does so, in mainly three ways. First, by inflicting direct damage to the cells, secondly, by increasing the rate of apoptosis (the rate of natural death of cells) in infected cells and thirdly, by way of killing infected CD4+ T cells.

A major difficulty in finding a cure for HIV is its genetic variability, which is very high. The main reason for this is variability is the fast replication cycle of the virus, which results in producing as many as with the generation of 109 to 1010 virions per day. Add to this a very high mutation rate and you have a lethal situation leading to the formation of many variants of HIV in a single infected patient in the course of one day. The situation gets more complex, in case if a single cell is simultaneously infected by two or more different strains of HIV.

HIV being such a deadly virus, with no cure till date, the only thing that an HIV positive person can do to increase his/her lifespan is to improve upon the immune system of the body. As it is, vitamins can play a major role in this.

HIV is a virus that weakens our immune system. It therefore, becomes very important for a person suffering with HIV to keep his immune system in good shape, in order to delay the arrival of AIDS.

Since the primary aim should be to keep your immune system in good shape, therefore, proper nourishment plays a very vital role in this regard. As it is adequate nutrition in the form of Vitamins, minerals and more importantly in the form of carbohydrates and fats can play a very pivotal role in delaying the onset of AIDS, thereby improving the lifespan of the patient.

Vitamin C is by far one of the most essential vitamins as far as strengthening the immune system is concerned. You can get a good supply of Vitamin C, by including lots of citrus fruits like lemon and tomatoes in your diet chart. However, vitamin C has its own disadvantages in case of antiretroviral drug therapy.  It would be therefore better, to consult a physician, to know about your ability to intake Vitamin C.

Vitamin B12 is another vital nutrient for an HIV positive person. Studies have shown that proper intake of Vitamin B12 can help in fighting problems like deficiency could lead to anemia, depression, neuropathy, rashes, and fatigue, along with serious problems like lymphocytes. Products like beef and chicken are rich in vitamin B12.

Along with these, proper dosage of Vitamin A can help in enhancing the production of helpful body chemicals that fights off the ill effects of HIV. As it is, Beta-carotene can be very effective for an HIV positive person in delaying the arrival of AIDS. Products like eggs, fish and milk are good sources of vitamin A.

Along with these, vitamin B1 and B6 can also prove to be very good for you in warding off the ill effects of HIV.

A major aspect of HIV infection is acute weight loss. Proper intake of carbohydrate and fat can help you in overcoming this problem. In fact, it has been found that, people with HIV infection burn more calories than average. Due to this reason, an above average intake of carbohydrates and fats is often recommended.

Protein is also another important nutrition that should be a part of your diet chart. This is because, people with HIV infection, tend to have a very low lean mass count. An adequate dose of protein can help you deal with this problem.

With the help of proper nutrition, you can improve upon the immune system of your body and increase your life expectancy as well. However, you must always remember, that, a more than required intake of nutrition can also be quite harmful. You should therefore, consult your doctor, to know about your proper dose of nutrition.

HIV/AIDS has the potential to cause far more damage than any terrorist attack. It is a lethal disease and sadly, it still does not have any cure. As it is the only way to cure it is by way of prevention.

A major cause of the spread of HIV at such a fast rate has been the lack of awareness. It therefore becomes very important for us to spread education in this regard. This is because; the higher the numbers of HIV positive people, higher are the chances of others to get infected by this disease.

Due to this reason, it is very important for us to spread education in this regard. Typically, AIDS education would help us in the following ways.

Prevention
Since HIV is still an incurable disease, therefore, prevention from HIV/AIDS is the only solution that we have, as far as curing the disease is concerned. By spreading AIDS education we can help in prevention of this disease.

The best way of prevention from HIV infection through sex, is to go for total abstinence from sexual activity. So, by staying away from sexual activity till a person is married to another person who is tested free of HIV; would save him/her from HIV infection via seminal/ vaginal fluids. Apart from this, many people indulge in unprotected sex. A condom can be an effective way to avoid HIV.

Apart from that, open cuts and wounds are another mode of HIV infection. Also, usage of sterilized needles and disposable syringes can also be an effective way of avoiding AIDS. In case of blood transfusion, it is always better to get the screening details of the blood. Similarly in case of organ transplantation screening would save a person from getting infected with HIV.

By spreading education about all the above modes of prevention, we can effectively stop the spread of the virus.

Treatment
Treatment is another area, where AIDS education can play a very vital role. This is because, although HIV is an incurable disease till date, various medications facilities are available which can help conditions from getting worse and delay the arrival of AIDS.

With the help of theses medications an HIV infected person can lead a fairly normal life for a considerably longer period of time. HIV medication helps in preventing the virus from spreading further for a considerably long time. It tries to stop the virus from growing further, as well as stopping it from infecting the unaffected cells. So, AIDS education can help an HIV positive person to live longer.

As it is, by way of spreading awareness, about HIV/AIDS, we can considerably lower the chances of it spreading further. Not just that, AIDS awareness can be an effective tool eradicating various myths and misconceptions regarding AIDS and help those affected with HIV, in leading a normal and healthy life.

Genetically modified foods have been a part of our diet, for a very long time. An entire generation of kids has been brought up on genetically modified foods, mainly genetically modified soy.

While the fight continues between the agro firms and the anti-biotech brigade on the production of genetically modified foods, average people like me are left to wonder; whom to trust. While agro firms would tell you that GM foods are alright for consumption, the anti-biotech brigade would come up with a different version, telling you about the harmful effects of consuming genetically modified stuffs.

Anyhow, genetically modified stuffs are here to stay and we can love them, or we can hate them, but we can not simply ignore them. The latest addition to the long list genetically modified foods, is GM soy for HIV/AIDS patients.

The company, in news is Solae, which is a US-based soy ingredient company. With its announcement, to commission a study to find out whether soy products can be used to improve the health of HIV/AIDS sufferers in South Africa, it has once again brought the issue of GM food consumption in the forefront.

As it aims to make soy protein-enhanced drinks for HIV/AIDS sufferers in Africa; in collaboration with the World Initiative for Soy in Human Health and the University of Stellenbosch in South Africa; the debate gets hotter and hotter. While around ninety percent of soy produced in the U.S. is genetically modified, South Africa, on the other hand, is steadily becoming a hub of genetically modified crops. In fact, according to a recent study the bulk of soy currently being grown in South Africa is genetically engineered.

We already see signs of a battle brewing up between both the lobbies, with the anti-biotech brigade claiming that this is just another conspiracy between the biotech industry and the academia to exploit the vulnerability of HIV/AIDS sufferers in Africa to market genetically modified products. However, Solae has agreed to let the findings of this study peer-reviewed and published in a respectable scientific journal.

Now, if the GM soy actually works, then it can work wonders for millions of people all across the globe, who are suffering from HIV/AIDS; and at the same time, are not able to afford the antiretroviral drug therapy. Africa, as it might be known to you, is perhaps the worst affected region, as far as the HIV/AIDS catastrophe is concerned. GM soy can prove to be a boon for them, provided, it actually works the same way as claimed.

Whether GM soy can actually help people suffering from HIV/AIDS, would be figured out in future. Till then we need to keep our fingers crossed and hope that the turnout comes up with a positive result.

HIV is a virus that weakens our immune system. It therefore, becomes very important for a person suffering with HIV to keep his immune system in good shape, in order to delay the arrival of AIDS.

Since the primary aim should be to keep your immune system in good shape, therefore, proper nourishment plays a very vital role in this regard. As it is, Vitamins can play a very pivotal role in delaying the onset of AIDS, thereby improving the lifespan of the patient.

Proper intake of vitamins would not only help an HIV positive person to strengthen his immune system, but would also help in coping up with strong medication which is a common feature of antiretroviral drugs.

Vitamin nutrients like Vitamin A, B1, B6, B12, C and E have been found to be very efficient in strengthening the immune system of the human body. This is very important for an HIV positive person because a strong immune system can downplay the development of HIV and further resist the arrival of AIDS.

Vitamin C is by far one of the most essential vitamins as far as strengthening the immune system is concerned. You can get a good supply of Vitamin C, by including lots of citrus fruits like lemon and tomatoes in your diet chart. Apart from that, most citrus fruits like lemon also have antioxidant properties, which help in prevention of cancer and are also effective in flushing out toxins which cause damage to the cells and the tissues of the body.

Vitamin B12 is another vital nutrient for an HIV positive person. Studies have shown that proper intake of Vitamin B12 can help in fighting problems like deficiency could lead to anemia, depression, neuropathy, rashes, and fatigue, along with serious problems like lymphocytes. Products like beef and chicken are rich in vitamin B12.

Along with these, proper dosage of Vitamin A can help in enhancing the production of helpful body chemicals that fights off the ill effects of HIV. As it is, Beta-carotene can be very effective for an HIV positive person in delaying the arrival of AIDS. Products like eggs, fish and milk are good sources of vitamin A.

Along with these, vitamin B1 and B6 can also prove to be very good for you in warding off the ill effects of HIV.

HIV being such a deadly virus, with no cure till date, the only thing that an HIV positive person can do to increase his/her lifespan is to improve upon the immune system of the body. As it is, vitamins can play a major role in this. However, excess of vitamin intake can cause damage too. It is therefore better to consult your doctor, who would prescribe you with the right dosage of vitamin intake.

HIV is a world wide epidemic and has been responsible for millions of deaths all across the globe. Africa is one of the most severely hit regions, with Swaziland being one of the top most affected countries, with an HIV prevalence rate of 42.6%.

With the average life expectancy dropping drastically, HIV/AIDS was soon declared a national disaster by King Mswati III in 1999. However, despite this, HIV continued to increase its spread and the average life expectancy continued to fall; so much so, that currently it stands at less than 32 years. It may sound unbelievable, yet it is true. Add to this a declining economy and you have a perfect recipe for disaster.

Some of the major reasons for such a disastrous journey are as follows:

1. A major reason for the widespread damage that has been caused by the virus is stated to be lack of proper knowledge in regard to the spread of HIV at such an alarming rate amongst people of Swaziland. As it is, the majority of the population has little or no access to proper education, leading to unawareness in this regard. A result of this; HIV continuing its spread.
2. Lack of proper testing facilities is another cause, as to why HIV has affected Swaziland to such a large extent. Lack of proper infrastructure is a main cause for the inadequate number of testing facilities; as a result of which, this virus has spread to such an enormous extent.
3. Also, Swaziland being a poor nation is not in a position to afford the costly medical treatment, which is required in such cases. So, while the rich nations have been able to upgrade their medical facilities to increase the average lifespan, Swaziland has to remain content with outdated medical facilities, which are many a time, of absolutely no use.

According to a recent report more than thirty three million people across the globe today; are living with the HIV virus. A major reason for this widespread advance of HIV is that in most of the cases it is not actually accompanied by any visible symptoms in the initial stages.

So, a person may be infected with the virus and may still live a very healthy life for a very long time. However signs begin to show, once the immune system breaks down, and the person is on the verge of developing AIDS. By this time, it is already too late.

A person infected with HIV may show some or all of the following initial signs:

1. Sudden weight loss
This is a major symptom which is quite visible and hence should not be taken lightly. An infected person may lose weight drastically, often within a few weeks time. Therefore if you have lost weight drastically over a short period of time, it is better to get an HIV test done.

2. Bouts of extreme exhaustion
A person infected with HIV may suffer from extreme bouts of exhaustion, which are often unexplained. Such unnatural occurrences may happen any time and are warning signs for the patient. As it is, bouts of exhaustion may be due to other reasons, but whatever may be the reason, it is always better to consult a physician.

3. Fever
Fever or Pyrexia refers to a condition where a person suffers from increased body temperature i.e. a body temperature higher than 98.6 degree F. It is accompanied by an increased heart rate, muscle tone, as well as shivering. In case of HIV infection, the patient gets fever on a frequent basis.

4. Night sweats
Night sweats can be referred to as severe hot flashes which occur during the night, resulting in severe perspiration. At times patient gets totally drenched in sweat. Such a stage may last between 30 seconds to several minutes as well. Night sweats may occur due to a number of reasons, but if such a condition occurs on a frequent basis, then you need to get your HIV test done.

5. Chronic Diarrhea
A person infected with HIV, may suffer from chronic diarrhea, which may last for a month or more. Such a condition is extremely critical and needs immediate action. In most circumstances, when medicines do not work in such circumstances, you must get your HIV test done.

6. Easy bruising
A person suffering from HIV may develop easy bruising on the body. This may happen any time and are often unexplained. As the immune system is already damaged, the bruises do not heal easily and may result in open wounds.

7. Chronic yeast infection or thrush
A person infected with HIV may develop chronic yeast infection and thrush, which is an infection of the mucous membrane of the mouth, caused by Candida (a fungal genus). Yeast infection may occur due to many reasons and are pretty common especially among women.

It is always better to get your self tested for HIV, so that you do not spread the virus to your loved ones. It is therefore; better, to get an HIV test done if you suffer from the above symptoms. It might be possible, that you may suffer from the above symptoms, without any HIV infection, but nevertheless, timely detection can improve the lifespan of the patient by a very great margin.

Although it is a relatively new disease, HIV has already killed millions of people all across the globe. With more than thirty three million infected people all across the globe, the role of the UN becomes all the more important.

As it is, UN has played a very vital role in addressing the problem called AIDS. In fact, it was one of the very few organizations which took initiative in this regard and took some concrete steps to prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS. The following are some of the important steps which were taken by the UN to lower the impact of HIV/AIDs:

1. World AIDS Day

Observing 1 December as the International World AIDS Day is by far the most important step in regard to promoting awareness as well as prevention of HIV/AIDS. The first World AIDS Day was observed on 1 December 1988, with support from the United nations General Assembly. As a result the International World AIDS Day came into force. The idea was to spread education in regard to how HIV gets spread and how to save one self from getting infected with HIV.

2. UNAIDS

In 1996, another important step was taken by the UN and the United Nations program on AIDS (UNAIDS) was formed. It was further decided, to create a universal campaign which could function, all through the year in educating and preventing the spread of the disease further. This resulted in the World AIDS Campaign in 1997.

3. International Conference on AIDS and STIs in Africa (ICASA)

Formation of the International Conference on AIDS and STIs in Africa is another important step in this regard. As you might know that more than ninety percent of those affected with HIV are inhabitants of third world nations of Asia and Africa, it becomes very important to focus on these areas to prevent the spread of HIV to unmanageable limits. It was due to this reason that the ICASA was set up to address the grave situation posed by HIV in Africa.

As it is, UN has been playing a very vital role in spreading education about HIV/AIDS, all across the globe. The idea is to teach people about transmission, prevention and treatment facilities in regard to HIV/AIDs. This has been quite helpful in addressing the current situation, which may appear bleak today, but definitely gives us enough scope for a silver lining in future; thanks to UN for the effort they have taken on their part to curb this problem called HIV/AIDS.