The human immunodeficiency virus or commonly known as HIV causes acquired immunodeficiency syndrome or AIDS. It is a disease that makes the body weak to fight against any infection and some types of cancers. Today, every country has women with HIV where AIDS is one of the leading causes of death for women. Infact, about one out of four Americans have women with HIV between the ages of 25 to 34 years.
Looking at this alarming statistics, it is extremely important that every woman need to know about this deadly disease so that they can not only protect themselves but can also protect their offspring from getting infected with HIV.
The main way through which HIV spreads is having unprotected sex. HIV also spreads through injections, blood transfusions or from mother to the child during pregnancy, childbirth and breastfeeding.
Ever since HIV was first reported in the early 1980s, the number of women with HIV is also on the growth. It is alarming to note as women are the soul bearers of carrying forward our generations. So, it is very important to carry out the methods through which the growing number of women with HIV could be controlled.
However, there are certain simple steps which can protect women from getting HIV or rather prevent the virus from passing it to others, including their children. It is true that there is no cure yet for AIDS yet many women with HIV and AIDS are living longer lives. We need to thank to the number of new treatments and huge range of government resources which are helping such women to live stronger lives.
Some of the common symptoms of HIV infection in women are vaginal yeast infection which may be difficult to treat in these women, severe infection of the female reproductive organs or infections of the genitals which might lead to cervical cancer.
Mother to child transmission of HIV is a serious issue that directly affects the mother and also increases the spread of HIV. According to UNAIDS, an estimated 2 million children are living with HIV and most of them are infected by their mothers. It is sorry to feel that these children will not live up to their adulthood.
The new treatments also assure that women with HIV can have children if they take proper medication to ensure that her infant will not be HIV infected. In absence of this treatment, the infant is sure to be infected with HIV either during pregnancy or during breastfeeding.
Taking anti-HIV drugs during pregnancy or in combination with new therapy such as antiretroviral therapy (HAART), a mother can cut the chances that her infant could be infected with HIV.
Women with HIV also need to undertake the treatment of antiretroviral prophylaxis along with appropriate feeding practices. These can significantly reduce the chances of transmission of HIV to the infant.
However, it is not only the sole responsibility of a woman to protect herself from HIV. Most women with HIV are infected through unprotected sex with an HIV infected man. Men must play an equal role to ensure that this deadly virus is not transmitted to the other partner.
