Why HIV/AIDS Isn’t a Death Sentence Anymore
If someone is diagnosed with HIV they often times also get AIDS, if untreated. That according to CentraCare's Dr. Thomas Math. He joined me on WJON for a Health Matters program focusing on HIV and AIDS. HIV is Human Immune Deficiency Virus which is a virus that can be transferred from human to human through blood or sexual intercourse. AIDS is when the immune system is slowly being destroyed by this virus. Math says HIV almost always leads to AIDS with few exceptions. If a person is treated after HIV diagnosis but before AIDS it is possible that person won't get AIDS.
HIV and AIDS came on the scene in the 1980s and there was no cure. There is still no cure but treatments make having AIDS similar to having diabetes, for instance, according to Dr. Math. He says no one has to die of AIDS these days because there is treatment that is well tolerated. The treatment includes a pill taken daily to suppress the symptoms of HIV and AIDS. Dr. Math says if someone were to get off the treatment HIV and AIDS would return for that person. He says the only known side effect of the daily pills appears to be weight gain.
High risk groups for HIV and AIDS include intravenous drug users and young gay men. Math says both men and women can get HIV and AIDS but men are more common. This does not run in families.
If you'd like to learn more about HIV and AIDS you can listen to my full 4-part conversation with Dr. Thomas Math below. WJON's Health Matters program airs Mondays and Saturdays from 9:10-10 a.m.