Why is HIV so Dangerous?
HIV infection is easily passed on the unborn fetus during
the pregnancy period or during labour and delivery. The most dangerous part is
that it could be passed on through breast milk as well. There is around 25%
probability of the unborn fetus getting affected and if the woman receives
medical treatment on an appropriate time, the probability can be lessened to as
much as 2%. Therefore in order to reduce the risk of transmission, the woman
should always undergo the test
before pregnancy.
The danger of HIV lies in the manner in which the virus gets
transmitted. It gets transmitted from the infected person through any type of
body fluid like blood, breast milk, semen and vaginal secretions. It is usually
through unprotected sex that a non-infected person gets affected from a HIV
positive person. The virus can also enter through a shared common needle.
It is dangerous when the baby contracts this disease when
the infected mother is nursing him. It is a complicated situation when a woman
who has tested negative during her pregnancy tenure happens to infect her child
while breastfeeding him. This is why it is extremely important to go for an HIV
screening
test before becoming pregnant so that the baby has the maximum chance to lead
an uninfected life.
How is HIV Testing
Done?
The objective of the screening is to detect whether the
blood contains antibodies to the HIV. It has been found that almost all, that
is, 90-95% people who happen to get infected with HIV develops a sufficient
amount of antibodies within three months of contracting the virus. So, the
presence of antibodies confirms that the presence of the virus. So after a
lapse of these initial months they will test positive and over 99% people are
likely to test positive within a period of six months of contracting this
disease.
The HIV Test Involves
Two Steps
1.
Screening test – This is a random test which can be
done at home or at the clinic.
2.
Confirmatory
test – This is done by the clinic automatically after the screening test. As
the name suggests it is a confirmation test that reiterates whether the finding
of the screening test is correct by an authorised medical team.
If the confirmatory test reveals the presence of an HIV
infection the opinion of a health care provider must be immediately sought. It
is important to do it before conception as there is a huge risk of the baby
gets infected and not only that the well being of the mother also is liable to
be jeopardised.
When you obtain a negative result in the confirmatory test,
it entails that the body has no antibodies to the virus. This can mean that
there is absolutely no antibodies present in the body and it can also mean that
right at that time; there are not enough antibodies that could be thoroughly
screened. This is the worst case of all, as the presence of the virus goes
undetected and if the individual plans conception and belongs to a risk group
at the same time, the proposition gets even more compounded.
If the woman is infected, she can be effectively treated
before her pregnancy.
Even if the woman contracts this virus after her conception,
there are medications to protect the fetus from getting infected. Stringent
care must be taken to maintain a restrained sexual behavior all throughout.
