Overview of Routes of HIV Transmission
To transmit means to cause something to pass on from one person or place to another; like how your math teacher in grade 3 did when he/she passed the knowledge of arithmetic onto you. That was knowledge being transferred but in this case however, we are talking about how the transfer of HIV/AIDS from person to person. Let’s get into that.
First it is important to know that what is being transferred is a virus, the Human Immunodeficiency Virus. Viruses are microscopic organisms that can infect hosts like humans, plants etc, that cause diseases to their host.
Next is to establish that the virus is transmitted through the exchange of body fluids which include blood, semen, vaginal fluids, rectal fluids and breast milk. So the bulk of the article will hinge on how exactly the virus gets into these body fluids.
Last but not least and imperative to note, is that as there are ways that HIV can be transmitted, there are also ways that it cannot be transmitted and the reason would come to light later in the article.
Various Routes of Transmission
Unprotected sexual intercourse with an infected person. This could be either vaginal or anal sex. Sexual contact is the most common route of HIV transmission as most new acquisitions of the virus occur through this route. Although the risk is low at first exposure to HIV through this route, subsequent exposures to HIV through unprotected sex cumulates over time. Simply put, the more exposures, the higher the risk of transmission.
Also if you have other STDs, you may be at a higher risk of contracting the virus
Mother-to-child transmission. HIV positive mothers are a high risk to their unborn babies either through the vaginal fluids during delivery or breast milk during breastfeeding. This is why HIV positive mothers may be advised to veer towards the alternate formula feeding in place of breastfeeding.
Blood transfusions. Usually, prior to blood transfusion, donor blood is screened for different infections of which HIV is an important one. When this procedure is not properly followed, the risk of receiving HIV infected blood occurs.
Infected Sharps. This is a medical term for devices with sharp, pointed edges that can puncture or cut the skin. They include needles, syringes, lancets, infusion sets etc. These sharps are used by medical practitioners in the healthcare settings for treatment or carrying out investigative procedures. Injecting drug users (IDU) also use these sharps to abuse drugs. Sharing these sharps with someone who is infected with HIV can lead to transmission of the virus.
With the routes enumerated above, it should be quite obvious that you cannot pass on or contract HIV through ordinary everyday contact like hugging, shaking, kissing or sharing personal objects, food or water.
Effects of Viral Load on Transmission
When an individual is infected with HIV/AIDS, there is an important parameter that is measured in the hospital. This is called the viral load which measures the amount of HIV in a sample of your blood. The higher your viral load, the higher your tendency to transmit the virus. This has been backed up by studies that show that larger viral loads inadvertently lead to higher HIV transmission rates, even though the pattern of this relationship may still be unclear.
The viral load test is done to ascertain this viral load as it is an essential guide to decisions on your treatment options, monitoring the treatment and the progression of the virus. This is the reason people are advised to get tested so that they can start treatment early. Early treatment can reduce the viral load drastically and prevent transmission to the next person.
Conclusion
The routes of HIV transmission are largely within our power to protect ourselves against it. Knowledge on these routes should guide our day-to-day activities in order to avoid contracting the virus and also to begin treatment early if the deed has already been done. Proper testing will save you lots of trouble