What are the causes of AIDS

Written By The HealthMeth Team - Updated On Saturday, March 13, 2021 6:00 PM

AIDS

Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome), short for AIDS, is defined as a chronic disease that may be life-threatening in some cases, and is caused by infection with HIV It is one of the types of sexually transmitted diseases, [1] and AIDS is the advanced stage of HIV infection that results from severe damage to the immune system that the virus causes in the body, and it is worth noting that HIV infection does not necessarily mean AIDS. Adherence to appropriate HIV treatment helps reduce the incidence of AIDS, due to its role in limiting disease progression. [2]

To learn more about AIDS, you can read the following article: ( What is AIDS ) .


Causes of AIDS

The human immunodeficiency virus attacks the immune system in the body and weakens it, through its association with a specific type of immune system cells that protect the body from infection and viruses called 4 cluster of differentiation cells. CD4, and as soon as the virus attaches to these cells, it quickly creates thousands of copies of itself, which in turn attack the CD4 cells, and thus the number of these cells decreases until the immune system is not able to perform its work completely normally in the end, and thus the patient is more susceptible to infection and some Types of cancer that threaten life, but it is worth noting that this process takes long periods that may extend to 10 years or more, during which the patient does not feel the disease and will appear healthy, [3] [4]It is worth noting that HIV infection may progress to AIDS if the patient is left without proper treatment, and it can be said that the patient has AIDS if the number of differential mass cells 4 is less than 200 cells per cubic millimeter of blood - it is worth knowing that The number of BD4 cells in a healthy immune system ranges from 500 per cubic millimeter of blood to 1,600 cells per cubic millimeter of blood - or if a patient develops one or more opportunistic infections, regardless of the number of BD4 cells, In the context, it should be said that an opportunistic infection is an infection that affects people who have a weak immune system, or an infection that is more severe when these people are infected with it compared to people who have a healthy immune system. [5] [6]


It is worth noting that HIV is transmitted from one person to another through various body fluids such as blood, semen , vaginal fluids, rectal and anal fluids, and breast milk, as the virus is transmitted if these fluids touch the following areas: [7]

  • The mucous membranes, which include the mouth, rectum, and vagina.
  • Damaged tissue, such as tissue that has been cut or cut.
  • Injections into the bloodstream.


HIV can also be transmitted from a mother to her child during pregnancy and childbirth, and it is worth noting that it cannot be transmitted through normal daily contact, such as: hugging, shaking hands, or sharing personal things, food, or water. [8]


AIDS risk factors

The risk of HIV infection turning into AIDS varies greatly from person to person and depends on several factors, including the following: [9]

  • The age of the person carrying the virus.
  • The body's immune ability to defend against HIV.
  • Infection with some other types of infection.
  • The extent of health care that the patient receives.
  • An individual's genetic resistance to some strains of HIV, as some people have few copies of the gene that helps fight HIV. [9] [10]
  • The type of HIV strain the patient has, some strains of HIV develop into AIDS more quickly than others despite receiving appropriate treatment. [11]


The risk of contracting the virus that causes AIDS

Anyone of any age, race, or gender can become infected with HIV. In addition, there are a group of factors that increase the risk of contracting HIV, and they can be mentioned as follows: [12]

  • Using intravenous drugs through needles or syringes shared by a group of people, which leads to their exposure to mixing of their blood.
  • Male circumcision.
  • Exercising the marital relationship with the affected partner without insulation. [13]
  • Infection with one of the sexually transmitted infections, such as syphilis , herpes , gonorrhea , and bacterial vaginosis, [14] as these diseases cause the appearance of sores on the genitals, which in turn work As an entry point for the virus to be able to pass into the body. [13]
  • Sharing needles and injection equipment for people addicted to intravenous drugs, [14] in addition to steroid drugs and hormones. [15]
  • Exposure to medical procedures that involve making wounds using non-sterile tools, such as: blood transfusions, tissue culture, in addition to exposure to unsafe injections. [14]
  • Using unsterilized needles and tattoo tools . [10]
  • Gender, as women are more likely to contract HIV than men during sexual intercourse. Because the fragile tissue in the vagina can be torn a little during sex, which allows the virus to enter the body, especially in girls under the age of 18, and the vagina contains a large area that can be exposed to the virus, and thus the risk of infection increases. [16]
  • Exposure to a blood transfusion while in areas where the virus is spread, such as: Africa, Eastern Europe, the countries of the former Soviet Union, Asia or Central and South America. [4]


References

  1. "HIV / AIDS" , www.mayoclinic.org , Retrieved 5-15-2020. Edited.
  2. “What are HIV and AIDS?” , www.hiv.gov , Retrieved 15-5-2020.
  3. "HIV / AIDS" , medlineplus.gov , Retrieved 15-5-2020. Edited.
  4. ^ A b " of HIV And AIDS" , Www.nhs.uk , Retrieved 15-5-2020. Edited.
  5. “What are HIV and AIDS?” , www.hiv.gov , Retrieved 15-5-2020.
  6. "HIV and Opportunistic Infections, Coinfections, and Conditions" , aidsinfo.nih.gov , Retrieved 5-15-2020. Edited.
  7. "HIV / AIDS" , medlineplus.gov , Retrieved 15-5-2020.
  8. "HIV / AIDS" , www.who.int , Retrieved 3-6-2020. Edited.
  9. ^ A b "Explaining of HIV And AIDS" , www.medicalnewstoday.com The , Retrieved 22-5-2020. Edited.
  10. ^ A b "What Puts You at Risk for HIV ?" , www.webmd.com , Retrieved 22-5-2020.
  11. "HIV and AIDS basics" , www.womenshealth.gov , Retrieved 5-22-2020.
  12. "HIV / AIDS" , www.nchmd.org , Retrieved 5-22-2020. Edited.
  13. ^ A b " of HIV / AIDS" , Www.mayoclinic.org , Retrieved 22-5-2020. Edited.
  14. ^ A b t " of HIV / AIDS" , Www.who.int , Retrieved 22-5-2020. Edited.
  15. "Explaining HIV and AIDS" , www.medicalnewstoday.com , Retrieved 5-22-2020. Edited.
  16. "How To Does of HIV / AIDS Affect Women?" , www.nichd.nih.gov , Retrieved 22-5-2020.