What
are the symptoms of HIV/AIDS in women?
Symptoms that could serve as
warning signals of HIV infection may go ignored because many women do
not perceive themselves at risk. Symptoms include recurrent yeast
infections (vaginal candidiasis), pelvic inflammatory disease,
abnormal changes or dysplasia (growth and presence of precancerous
cells) in cervical tissue, genital ulcers, genital warts, and severe
mucosal herpes infections may also accompany HIV infection in
women.
It is possible for a person
infected with HIV to show no signs of infection. For women, the most
common symptoms of exposure to the HIV virus are frequent or severe
vaginal infections, abnormal PAP smears, or pelvic infections (PID)
that are difficult to treat.
Within a few weeks of having
been infected, many people have flu-like symptoms. However, in some
cases, symptoms do not show for many years. As the infection
progresses, some symptoms can include 1) swollen lymph glands in the
neck, underarm, or groin area, 2) recurrent fever including "night
sweats," 3) rapid weight loss for no apparent reason, 4) constant
tiredness, 5) diarrhea and decreased appetite, 6) white spots or
unusual blemishes in the mouth.
How
can I reduce my chances of contracting the human immunodeficiency
virus (HIV), the virus that causes AIDS?
Since women constitute the
most rapidly growing segment of the HIV-infected population in the
United States, AIDS prevention is particularly important for
women's health. HIV is transmitted through bodily secretions,
like blood and semen. Using injection drugs, having unprotected sex
with someone who has used injection drugs, having unprotected sex
with a man who has had sex with another man, and having multiple sex
partners all increase the chances of acquiring HIV. According to the
FDA, the best way to protect yourself against HIV is abstinence from
sexual intercourse and illegal drug use. If you have intercourse, be
sure it is with one uninfected partner or that you properly use
barrier methods such as condoms and dental dams.
Is
there any treatment or a cure for HIV/AIDS?
Currently, there is no known
cure for HIV/AIDS. The best treatment right now seems to be
prescription "cocktails," or combinations of prescription drugs.
These medications include those for antiviral treatment and other
drugs, like oral antifungals to combat yeast infections, which fight
diseases that take advantage of the weakened immune response of
HIV-infected people. It is also important for HIV-infected women and
their physicians to watch for pelvic inflammatory disease or other
STDs through screening. Similarly, cervical cancer may be more common
and progress more quickly in infected women; for this reason, women
with HIV should have Pap Smears twice a year to make sure cancer is
detected and treated early.
What
research and advances have investigators made concerning HIV/AIDS and
women?
Very few women with HIV were
included in early studies of the epidemic, but in 1994, women
accounted for 18% of adult participants in the AIDS Clinical Trials
Group of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease.
Studies are focusing on clinical signs of HIV infection in women and
on the relationships between pregnancy and HIV. Researchers are
investigating "female-controlled" methods of protection by developing
creams or gels that women would apply before intercourse to protect
themselves from HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases. There is
no conclusive evidence on the effectiveness of contraceptive films as
a HIV-transmission prevention tool.
If
I'm pregnant and have HIV, will my baby have HIV
too?
Most babies born to
HIV-infected women escape the virus, but 1 in 4 do become infected
before or during birth or through breast-feeding, although no one is
certain when viral transmission occurs. Transmission may also be
linked to the mother's health during the pregnancy or birth.
There are more viruses during the earliest stages of AIDS than later,
for example. Currently, physicians may prescribe drug Retrovir (AZT)
for infected pregnant women to reduce rates of transmission;
effectiveness of this therapy increases the earlier HIV is diagnosed
during the course of infection or before or after
pregnancy.
Can
HIV be transmitted through semen during oral sex?
Yes, it can. HIV can be
transmitted through the exchange of body fluids (e.g. blood, semen,
saliva, and vaginal secretions). HIV is transmittable through all
forms of sexual intercourse (oral, vaginal, and anal) when one or
both partners are infected with HIV. Oral sex without a latex condom
places you at risk of exposure to HIV. It should also be noted that
pre-ejaculation fluid can carry HIV and it can be absorbed into the
thin mucous linings of the mouth. The Center for Disease Control
(CDC) recommends that during oral sex, a latex condom should be used
to decrease risk of exposure.
