Undetectable equals uncommunicable: the new reality of HIV – Wellbeing is life

HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) is a virus that attacks the body’s immune system. More than 3,000 new cases are diagnosed in Spain each year, and 39 million people are infected worldwide.

This disease remains latent for a long time, and most patients do not realize it when they become infected or, at best, experience a cold that goes unnoticed. Many years, even 7-10, can pass without symptoms until the defenses are destroyed, the immune system is weakened (this is what the virus causes); so that all the complications or diseases associated with HIV infection occur.

The year 1996 marked a turning point in the treatment of this infection: a therapeutic strategy was developed that allowed the infection to be controlled. The mortality rate was significantly reduced, although the retroviruses used at that time were extremely toxic and caused many problems.

However, from that moment on, a real scientific race began, and over the last decade, new drugs have been developed that have left these problems behind, very effective treatments and unusually well tolerated by the vast majority of patients, making them much easier to take.

There is no cure for the infection, but the latest treatments ensure that these patients are in perfect health throughout their lives. Furthermore, the goal of modern treatments is to make the virus undetectable, so that the viral load is minimal and these people do not transmit the infection; thus helping the immune system to recover quickly and allowing people affected by HIV to lead normal lives with a life expectancy that is almost the same as the rest of society.

The importance of early diagnosis

It is a viral infection that is transmitted in three ways: sexually, through blood or its derivatives (accidental injections or punctures) and from mother to child. To diagnose it, you need to be alert so that it is easy to detect and test.

Diagnostic methods are now widely available. Previously, they were only available in hospitals, but now there are rapid detection methods that can be purchased in pharmacies, which are completely reliable and sensitive. The main indication is to start treatment as early as possible, even on the same day as the diagnosis, since there is no point in allowing the immune system to deteriorate.

Combinations of treatment and prevention of concomitant diseases

Currently, treatment combinations are used in the form of a single tablet taken once a day, with very good tolerability and enormous effectiveness. This allows the infection to be controlled and life expectancy to be almost the same as that of the uninfected population.

In addition, drugs are now available that are administered intramuscularly, two injections every two months.

Among the comorbidities associated with HIV, one can highlight the risk of developing tumors (lymphomas and other cancers) and cardiovascular diseases. This is due to the constant inflammatory state that does not resolve with antiretroviral treatment. In particular, the incidence of cardiovascular diseases in patients with HIV is estimated to be approximately twice as high as in the general population; and to prevent them, it is necessary to control the risk factors for cardiovascular diseases as much as possible.

Despite all the progress made in this pathology, the rejection and social stigma that underlies this disease is very high, and this has an impact on the social, family and familial level, which in many cases aggravates the mental health of people living with it. HIV. It is therefore essential to put an end to misinformation and stigma and to show that life goes on thanks to both scientific and sociocultural advances.

Remember UNDETECTABLE=UNTRANSMITTABLE.