The origin of AIDS and HIV and the first cases of AIDS?

The origin of AIDS and HIV has puzzled scientists ever since the illness first came to light in the early 1980s. For over twenty years it has been the subject of

fierce debate and the cause of countless arguments, with everything being blamed. So what is the truth? Just where did AIDS come from?

The first recognized cases of AIDS occurred in the USA in the early 1980s. A number of gay men in New York and California suddenly began to develop rare

opportunistic infections and cancers that seemed stubbornly resistant to any treatment. The discovery of HIV, the Human Immunodeficiency Virus, was made soon after. While some were initially resistant to acknowledge the connection (and indeed some remain so today), there is now clear evidence to prove that HIV causes AIDS. It is likely that we will never know who the first person to be infected with HIV was or exactly how it spread from that initial person.  A more pressing concern for scientists today should not be how the AIDS epidemic originated, but how those it affects can be treated, how the further spread of HIV can be prevented and how the world can change to ensure a similar pandemic never occurs again.

What I need to know about HIV test?

HIV is usually diagnosed by a blood test, known as an HIV antibody test or an HIV test. This test looks for antibodies formed by the immune system if HIV is present. If HIV antibodies are found, the test is referred to as positive. The person is HIV antibody positive, often referred to as HIV-positive. If antibodies are not found, the test is negative and the person is HIV antibody negative or HIV-negative.

There is a gap, or ‘window period’, between infection and the formation of antibodies. This can last from a few weeks to three months. During this window period, the HIV antibody test will be negative even if HIV is present. That is why people who think they may have been infected need to wait for at least three months before they have a test.

What happens when someone has HIV?

Most people who become infected with HIV do not notice that they have been infected. A few weeks after infection, the body’s immune system reacts to the virus by producing antibodies. Some people with HIV have a short ‘sero-conversion’ illness at the time these antibodies are created. The likely symptoms are the normal response to many other infections, and may include a sore throat, a fever or a rash. With ‘Asymptomatic infection’, the infected person may have no further outward signs or symptoms for many months or years. Some people with asymptomatic infection have swollen lymph nodes, but this is not a sign of immune system damage. Likewise, colds or flu are not more common often in HIV positive individuals. People who have HIV and feel completely well may have signs of immune damage detectable in laboratory tests on their blood. In time, immune damage may become more severe, though the increasing use of combination therapy may result in more people with HIV remaining well for longer.

AIDS itself does not have symptoms and there is no test for AIDS. The doctor will look for the specific illness causing the person’s symptoms. If they are caused by one of the AIDS-defining illnesses, and if the patient has HIV, then he or she is said to have AIDS. Someone with AIDS is likely to enjoy periods of comparatively good health between bouts of serious illness. Some people have lived for several years with an AIDS diagnosis. People taking anti HIV drug combination therapy will be less likely to develop AIDS.

Available treatments for HIV and AIDS?

Research studies show that the most effective way to attack HIV is with a combination of anti-HIV drugs. Increasingly, it is possible to prevent or treat opportunistic infections using new drugs. Combination therapy is a huge advance in the treatment of HIV, and many people have done very well on it. Combination therapy is not easy to take (the various drugs have to be taken at different times according to a strict timetable), and there are side effects. It does not however work for everyone. Sometimes the drugs stop working because people develop resistance to them.

Some people with HIV and AIDS use complementary treatments to help with their symptoms. Examples are acupuncture, aromatherapy and homeopathy. There is no vaccine or cure available yet to treat HIV/AIDS. There is no truth in the myth that the disease is cured by having sex with virgins.