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Hidden risk: Why do some people become infected with HIV without knowing it?
In today's world, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) remains a common and hidden health threat. Although people generally understand how HIV is transmitted, many people are still infected with the virus without knowing it, leading to health problems in the future. To gain a deeper understanding of this issue, it is necessary to explore how HIV is transmitted, its symptoms, and society's perception of the disease.
In the early stages of infection, many people may experience flu-like symptoms, but some people may not have any obvious symptoms at all.
How HIV is transmitted
The main ways HIV is transmitted include unprotected sexual contact, shared needles, and mother-to-child transmission. Especially in the early stages of infection, there is still a risk of spreading the virus even if the infected person does not have any symptoms. This stage usually brings on some flu-like symptoms, such as fever and swollen lymph glands, but many people who are infected don't notice these early signs.
It is estimated that people infected with HIV are 12 times more contagious than normal within 2.5 months of infection.
This period is called the acute HIV phase, and many people may mistake their symptoms for the common cold or other common illnesses. Such misdiagnosis undoubtedly increases the risk of HIV spread.
Symptoms and Stages
The course of HIV infection can generally be divided into three major stages: acute infection, clinical latency, and AIDS. There are significant differences in the body's response and viral activity at each stage. During the clinical incubation period, the infected person may not show any specific symptoms, which means that many infected people remain untested at this stage and cannot receive timely treatment.
The filtration latency period can last from a few years to more than 20 years, which causes countless people to miss the opportunity for early treatment.
The health of HIV-infected people may deteriorate significantly during this period, and the virus may eventually cause damage to the immune system and develop into AIDS. During this stage, the patient's CD4+ T cell count drops significantly, making them susceptible to a variety of opportunistic infections and diseases. Therefore, early detection and treatment are important means to control the spread of HIV.
Social factors and cognitive errors
Discussions about HIV are often surrounded by misunderstandings and social stigma. Many people still mistakenly believe that HIV can be transmitted through daily contact or non-sexual behavior. This misconception has seriously affected people's awareness and scientific understanding of HIV. The opposition of some religious groups to contraceptive measures also limits the prevention options for potential infected people.
Globally, many discriminatory behaviors driven by ignorance and fear prevent people infected with HIV from obtaining basic medical support and care.
This social environment not only makes it difficult for infected people to seek help, but may also cause reinfection and the continued spread of the virus, which requires an overall social response.
How to prevent HIV infection
Although there are many potential routes of HIV transmission, effective prevention measures can significantly reduce the risk of infection. Promoting safe sex, not sharing needles, and using antiretroviral therapy (ART) is especially important among pregnant women, as it can effectively reduce the chance of mother-to-child transmission. Active social education, especially for young groups, is also crucial to help raise their awareness of self-protection.
Treatment can make HIV-positive people's viral load undetectable so they cannot spread the virus to their partners.
It is even more important to get regular HIV testing for early detection and treatment, which can lower the viral load of those infected, help them live healthy lives, and avoid transmission to others.
There are still many challenges in the knowledge and understanding of HIV. How can people be infected without knowing it?
