What medicine to take for AIDS?

Written by Xie Ming Feng

Dermatology

Updated on September 27, 2024

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After contracting AIDS, the medication we generally take primarily targets HIV, but this medication does not kill the HIV virus. It only prevents the replication or reproduction of HIV in our bodies. In addition, we might take some immune-modulating drugs, as well as other medications for symptomatic treatment, anti-cancer drugs, and also some traditional Chinese medicines, among others.

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Written by Xie Ming Feng

Dermatology

38sec

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When does AIDS occur?

About half a month after being initially infected with HIV, 50%-70% of people will experience symptoms similar to those of a cold, including headache, fever, sore throat, pain in muscles and joints, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, swelling of lymph nodes throughout the body, or the appearance of maculopapular rashes on the skin. These symptoms will all disappear within about a month, after which the individual will enter a latent period that generally lasts from 1 to 10 years, before progressing to the AIDS phase. Once in the AIDS phase, various symptoms can occur at any time throughout the body.

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Written by Xie Ming Feng

Dermatology

47sec

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The difference between HIV negative and positive

A negative or positive HIV antibody test indicates whether or not a person has been infected with the HIV virus. A negative result, denoted by "−", means that the person has not been infected with HIV, while a positive result, indicated by "+", means that the person has been infected. However, if this result comes from an initial screening test, a positive screening requires further confirmatory testing. Only if the confirmatory test is positive can it be definitively confirmed that the person has been infected with HIV. If the confirmatory test is negative, but the individual has engaged in high-risk sexual behavior, it is recommended to undergo another screening test after three months. If this test is also negative, HIV infection can be ruled out.

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Written by Ye Xi Yong

Infectious Diseases

46sec

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How to prevent AIDS

The HIV virus primarily exists in the blood, semen, vaginal secretions, pleural fluid, cerebrospinal fluid, and breast milk of people with AIDS. It is mainly transmitted through sexual contact, including homosexual, heterosexual, and bisexual contact, as well as through blood and blood products. This includes intravenous drug injection, invasive medical procedures, and tattooing. There is also mother-to-child transmission, mainly through the placenta during childbirth and breastfeeding. To prevent AIDS, one must avoid the aforementioned behaviors. Everyday actions such as handshakes, hugs, and social kisses, as well as normal daily contact, do not transmit the HIV virus.

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Written by Xiong Hong Hai

Infectious Disease

43sec

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What are the symptoms of AIDS?

During different stages of HIV infection, there are some varying clinical symptoms. The latency period of HIV, also known as the asymptomatic period, generally has no obvious symptoms, though some individuals may only show enlargement of lymph nodes. During the acute infection stage of HIV, symptoms such as generalized lymph node enlargement, fever, rash, and cough are common. In the late stages of HIV, due to severe deficiencies in immune function, there is a high susceptibility to a variety of opportunistic infections, which can lead to unexplained spontaneous fever, diarrhea, cough, and other symptoms that must be addressed according to the specific circumstances.

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Written by Xiong Hong Hai

Infectious Disease

40sec

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Is gonorrhea AIDS?

Gonorrhea is not AIDS. Gonorrhea is a disease caused by the infection of Neisseria gonorrhoeae primarily in the genital area, commonly manifesting as painful urination, urinary urgency, discharge from the urethra, and fever. It is a type of sexually transmitted disease. AIDS, on the other hand, is caused by infection with the HIV virus, which destroys the body's immune system, leading to a severe decline in immune functions and thereby causing a series of related opportunistic infections. The pathogen of AIDS is the HIV virus. AIDS is difficult to cure, whereas gonorrhea can be completely cured.