HIV is considered as a lifelong virus and condition that result in significant damage to the immune system, which helps the body in fighting off infections. On the other hand, AIDS is any type of disease that develops in individuals with the HIV infection. Therefore, this paper provides a systematic literature review of two articles about HIV/AIDS while focusing on its causes, diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment.
The Causes of HIV/AIDS
Accroding to (Iroh et al. 2018), AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome) is a syndrome caused by the HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) virus, thus altering an individual’s immune system. The author states that person will become more susceptible to diseases and infections. Besides, the HIV virus have the potential of progressing if there is lack of antiretroviral therapy (ART), a drug therapy that helps in preventing or slowing the virus from developing. Iroh, Mayo & Nijhawan, (2018), continue to state that HIV virus is responsible for inserting its genetic material into an individual’s DNA after infection thus making an individual become less resistant to certain cancers and infections.
Delegate your assignment to our experts and they will do the rest.
The Prognosis of HIV Infection
In their article, McCree, Purcell, Cleveland and Brooks, (2017), shows that lack of treatment leads to the progression of HIV infection to AIDS within an approximate period of 10 years, which is eventually followed by death after AIDS onset. However, with proper treatment, a 21-year-old HIV victim can equally live to reach 74 years of age just like other person without the infection. This spectacular increase in an individual’s life expectancy significantly emphasizes on the urgent need for both diagnosis and treatment. Besides, with less guidelines and regimens of treatment, there are all reasons of thinking that life expectancy will continue increasing, especially in patients with the capability of receiving appropriate treatment. However, certain factors have the potential of decreasing life expectancy such as coexisting of other conditions including chronic hepatitis as well as the use of illicit drugs (McCree et al 2017).
The Diagnosis of HIV/AIDS
Iroh, Mayo and Nijhawan (2018) agrees to the fact that HIV diagnosis is conducted through a blood test that is specifically used for screening the virus. The test result should indicate positive if the infection have been found, and the blood should be re-tested more than once before ascertaining the final positive result. If at all an individual has been exposed to HIV virus, it becomes vital for that person to be tested as soon as possible since the earlier it is detected, the more likely there would be a successful treatment (Mayo and Nijhawan 2018). Moreover, after being infected with HIV, it can take about three weeks to six months for the testing to show the traces of virus.
The Treatment of HIV Infection
According to (McCree et al. 2017), currently there is no cure for the HIV/AIDS. The author however gives hope that treatments can assist in stopping its progression thus allowing most individuals living with this condition with the opportunity of living a relatively healthy and long life. The HIV treatment for individual patients is as well dependent on the virus sensitivity to various medications that can be measured via the viral genotyping(McCree et al. 2017). This is a type of testing for drug resistance that helps in determining whether any anti-HIV medications would be ineffective against an individual’s HIV strain.
Therefore, it is important in having earlier antiretroviral treatment for HIV as it helps in improving quality of life by extending life expectancy and reducing the transmission risks. Since there is no HIV vaccine or cure, much better tolerated and effective treatments have evolved and they have helped in improving life quality and general health of patients considerably, especially by taking just a single pill every day (McCree et al. 2017).
References
Iroh, P. A., Mayo, H., & Nijhawan, A. E. (2018). The HIV Care Cascade Before, During, and After Incarceration: A Systematic Review and Data Synthesis. American Journal Of Public Health, 108(3), e5-e16.
McCree, D. H., Purcell, D. W., Cleveland, J. C., & Brooks, J. T. (2017). Increasing Availability of Prevention to Communities Disproportionately Affected by HIV. American Journal of Public Health. pp. 1027-1028.
