Can AIDS be cured? Cure from HIV: chances are growing Is it possible to cure HIV?

Treating HIV is a complex process. The complexity is mainly determined by the short period of determination itself, which was first described in 1981. The disease is fatal. For this reason, serious efforts have been made to develop treatment methods.

By 1986, the first drug, now called zidovudine, was introduced. This medicine is no longer used independently due to addiction. However, it is used as part of the HAART method, which was first published in 1996.

The main task of drugs for the treatment of HIV is to control the reproduction (replication) of the immunodeficiency virus and slow down its development. These complications are actually the cause of death.

Under the condition of lifelong use of HAART drugs, the patient is practically guaranteed a natural life span. Moreover, the HIV treatment system continues to improve. Perhaps a solution to a complete cure will be found.

The basis of treatment for HIV infection is HAART (highly active antiretroviral therapy) regimens. Treatment of HIV using HAART regimens involves taking a combination of three to four antiretroviral drugs.

For reference. Treatment of HIV using combination therapy is highly effective and, when prescribed in a timely manner, allows patients to lead a full life.

The effectiveness of therapy depends on the stage of HIV at which therapy was started and the CD4 cell count before treatment. According to recent studies, with CD4 cell levels above 350 cells/mm3 (before starting HIV treatment), the life expectancy of a patient with HIV can reach up to seventy years.

The goals of treatment for HIV infection are:

• stopping the reproduction (multiplication) of the virus in the body. An indicator of the effectiveness of the therapy is a decrease in the viral load within four weeks - more than tenfold. Within 16-24 weeks, the viral load should decrease to less than 20-50 copies/ml. Antiretroviral therapy should keep the virological load at a minimum level for as long as possible;
• restoration of the patient's immune defense to normal levels. With effective antiretroviral therapy, the viral load decreases and the number of CD4 lymphocyte cells is restored, due to which the immune response is normalized;
• increasing the duration and quality of life of the patient. With timely treatment for HIV infection, the risk of developing AIDS is minimized. Also, due to a sharp decrease in the viral load, the likelihood of transmission of infection during sexual intercourse and infection of the child during pregnancy is reduced.

HIV dissidents – who are they?

HIV dissidents are a group of people who deny the existence of HIV and believe that antiretroviral therapy is a conspiracy by pharmaceutical companies.
These people pose a particular danger to society.

Such people prohibit treatment of their children (the largest percentage of deaths from HIV are registered in children who did not receive treatment because of the parents of HIV dissidents). They do not take treatment themselves, and, as a rule, do not protect themselves during sexual intercourse, believing that they are healthy (this leads to an increase in the number of HIV cases).

For reference. An example of an HIV dissident is Sofya Myaskovskaya (Oryol HIV dissident). She died from complications of HIV (double pneumonia). She also forbade treatment of her children, two of whom died from complications of HIV at the age of four and one year.

Features of treatment of HIV-infected patients

The main problem in treating patients with HIV infection is the high degree of mutagenicity of the immunodeficiency virus. The virus is able to mutate at lightning speed and remain viable and active even in unfavorable conditions.

For reference. Treatment of HIV with HAART is aimed at rapidly suppressing the viral load and preventing the development of viral drug resistance.

When using monotherapy (only one drug), there is a high risk of rapid development of viral resistance. In this regard, treatment of HIV using combination therapy is significantly more effective than monotherapy.

Previously, zidovudine was most often prescribed to treat HIV, but with such monotherapy, the virus quickly developed resistance. At the moment, to prevent the development of resistance, regimens consisting of three to four antiretroviral drugs simultaneously are most often used. Such combined regimens make it possible not only to quickly and effectively reduce the viral load, but also to destroy mutant forms of HIV that appear during the progression of the disease.

Very important! The patient needs to understand that the effectiveness of HIV treatment directly depends on his conscious approach to treatment. Self-correction of prescribed dosages, skipping a drug dose, or drinking alcohol can lead to the emergence of mutant, untreatable strains of HIV infection.

It is important to note that HIV treatment is paid for from the federal and regional budgets. Most drugs for the treatment of HIV infection are included in the list of essential medicines. Medicines are issued in special infectious diseases departments.

First-line HAART regimens

For first-line therapy, the use of 2 nucleoside/nucleotide reverse transcriptase inhibitors + 1 non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor is indicated.

• preparations of zidovudine + lamivudine + (efavirenz or nevirapine);
• drugs tenofovir + emtricitabine (efavirenz or nevirapine);
• drugs abacavir + lamivudine (efavirenz or nevirapine).

In most cases, efavirenz is preferred among non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor drugs.

A combination of two nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor drugs is being considered as the basis for first-line HAART. Emtricitabine in combination regimens acts as a less toxic analogue of lamivudine.

Tenofovir and emtricitabine have also been shown to be slightly more effective than zidovudine and lamivudine when combined with efavirenz.

However, careful evaluation of renal function should be performed before prescribing tenofovir.

Attention. Stavudine drugs are currently excluded from most regimens due to their low safety profile and high incidence of side effects from the therapy.

When prescribing HAART, it is important to consider a number of limitations:

• drugs containing the letter “d” in the English name cannot be combined with each other (didanosine, stavudine);
• zidovudine and stavudine, as well as lamivudine and emtricitabine, do not combine with each other;
• Didanosine and abacavir drugs are not prescribed in the presence of symptoms of polyneuropathy.

According to indications, regimens containing three nucleoside/nucleotide reverse transcriptase inhibitors may be prescribed:

• preparations of zidovudine + lamivudine + abacavir;
• preparations of zidovudine + lamivudine + tenofovir.

Such regimens are indicated for patients with severe liver pathologies, intolerance to NNRTI drugs, mental disorders, and HIV2 infections.

Second row schemes

In second-line regimens, preference is given to a combination of lopinavir and ritonavir; in rare cases, a combination of atazanavir and ritonavir, saquinavir and ritonavir may be used.

Criteria for the effectiveness of HAART

Prevention of HIV development

Prevention of the development of HIV infection includes:

• protected sexual intercourse (using a condom);
• regular screening for sexually transmitted diseases;
• cessation of drug use;
• a conscious approach to one’s own health (a high risk of infection is observed when performing criminal abortions and tattooing in establishments without a license);
• thorough examination of donors;
• examination of pregnant women to exclude infection of the fetus and newborn during breastfeeding.

Literature

1. Maly V.P. HIV. AIDS. The latest medical reference book. - M.: Eksmo, 2009. - P. 224-307. - 672 s. - ISBN 978-5-699-31017-3.
2. Pokrovsky V.V. (editor). HIV infection and AIDS: National guidelines. - M.: GEOTAR-Media, 2013. - 608 p. - ISBN 978-5-9704-2442-1.

For those at risk, it is important to know whether HIV is being treated. Of course, such an infection is not considered fatal, but it still causes the patient a lot of trouble. In addition, AIDS often develops against the background of HIV, which only aggravates a person’s general health.

The number of people infected with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is increasing every year, but the number of people who have recovered, unfortunately, is not increasing. If we don’t start fighting such a dangerous disease now, in 2-3 decades it could become an epidemic. Is it possible to cure HIV infection or is it impossible?

With this disease, the virus suppresses its own immunity, destroying leukocytes in the blood - cells that recognize any infection and participate in the fight against it. Losing the natural volume of such blood cells, the body can no longer independently fight even the most primitive viruses, fungi, bacteria and other pathogenic microorganisms. If earlier, before contracting an infection, the human body easily defeated a cold, then during the development of HIV such a disease can cause death.

Whether the early stages of immunodeficiency virus (HIV) can be treated is a question asked both by those infected themselves and by many researchers. You can answer it in two ways: no, and yes. First of all, patients undergo a blood test taken from a vein to determine the presence of antibodies to HIV1 and HIV2 antigens. If the diagnosis is confirmed, appropriate therapy is prescribed.

Treatment of infection is the taking of measures by people to help restore the body during the development of a specific disease (in our case, HIV infection). Curing a disease is a complete elimination of pathology. Considering these two terms, we can say with certainty: HIV can be treated. The infection is treated with strong drugs (antiretroviral) that can suppress the activity of the pathogenic microorganism.

What is HIV: it is like a chronic disease that will accompany a person throughout his life. Of course, today various studies are being conducted that are aimed at finding ways to stop the global epidemic, but now the disease is still considered incurable. Unfortunately, a patient with AIDS, like HIV, cannot be completely cured. It is possible for a person to carry out only maintenance therapy, which will help smooth out the clinical manifestations.

Since HIV can be treated well only at the initial stage of its development, you need to be careful about your health and consult a doctor at the first warning symptoms. The first signs and symptoms of AIDS and HIV infection are mostly similar:

1. Increased general temperature, reaching 38 degrees for several days.
2. A general malaise that can be either short-term or long-term.
3. Lymphadenitis is an increase in the size of the lymph nodes. This symptom of the disease is the main one that is taken into account during diagnosis.

This disease (HIV) can begin to develop without any symptoms at all, which is typical for the initial stage. Nevertheless, there is a slow attack on the immune system, which can subsequently cause dangerous consequences (in our case, the development of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome).

1. The incubation stage is the time from the moment the virus enters the body until the appearance of the first symptoms and (or) antigens in the blood to the virus cells. HIV at an early stage lasts from 3 weeks to 3 months, and sometimes drags on for up to 12 months. It is important to identify the disease at this stage, because the prognosis in this case is the most favorable. If the test is positive, the person must contact an AIDS center and begin appropriate therapy.
2. The second stage is divided into 2a, 2b and 2c. The first of these (2a) is considered asymptomatic. The second (2b) occurs with pronounced symptoms: febrile syndrome, rash on the dermis and mucous membranes, lymphadenitis, pharyngitis, etc. The third (2c) is characterized by the addition of secondary diseases: tonsillitis, bacterial and Pneumocystis pneumonia, candidiasis, herpes, etc.
3. The third stage is called “latent” and occurs with a slow progression of immunodeficiency. The only symptom is lymphadenitis, which affects 2 or more nodes in different groups (except inguinal). The duration of this period is from 2-20 or more years, and being completely asymptomatic.
4. The fourth stage is characterized by the addition of secondary pathologies. Healing and the transition of the disease to a latent course at this stage are no longer possible. These can be either secondary infectious or oncological diseases with corresponding symptoms.
5. At the fifth (terminal) stage, secondary pathologies have an irreversible course, and antiviral drugs are no longer effective. Death occurs within 2-3 months.

In any case, each body is individual and reacts differently to the development of a viral infection. Even if a blood test confirms the presence of antibodies in the body, but no obvious symptoms are observed, do not despair, because perhaps this result is a false positive. This can happen for many reasons: if at the time of donating blood an acute respiratory infection, allergies, or others develops. The doctor may make an incorrect diagnosis, which can only be confirmed or refuted with a repeat test.

Routes of transmission of HIV infection

There are many ways to transmit HIV infection, the main ones being:

1. Having sexual intercourse with an infected person without using contraception.
2. Drawing blood or injecting it with a syringe that has previously been used on an infected person.
3. Immunodeficiency, that is, HIV infection, can be transmitted from a sick mother to a child during childbirth or breastfeeding (initial symptoms after infection with the virus can occur many years later).

Other methods of transmission of infection are rare. These include transfusion of contaminated blood to a healthy person, which was not tested for HIV infection before use. Transmission of infected material to open wounds or mucous membranes is even less common. The disease is not transmitted through household means.

The risk of transmission is reduced for people who have sex with people receiving antiretroviral treatment.

To avoid dangerous consequences, after unprotected sexual intercourse it is worth conducting a blood test using ELISA if there is a suspicion of HIV infection in your partner. It is better to detect HIV in the early stages than to deal with its negative consequences later.

HIV is curable: myth or reality

Scientists around the world are fighting in the hope that one day the virus can be cured forever, but this is just speculation. It is impossible to say yet which methods actually work. Some try to treat the disease with folk remedies, but they are completely ineffective. The most common way to suppress the activity of the virus is only with special drugs that are prescribed to infected people by a doctor.

In the 90s, when antiretroviral therapy was invented, researchers assumed that HIV was still curable. Today there are many refutations of this, because a viral infection, like AIDS, cannot be treated. Even the timely start of therapy does not guarantee that the disease can be completely cured and get rid of the terrible diagnosis.

Leading researchers carried out appropriate analyzes with the help of which they wanted to find out why the virus continues to be present in the body and does not respond to any therapy. And so, in 1996, suggestions arose that a cure for AIDS and HIV was possible. For this purpose, they began to develop even stronger drugs. It was believed that someday the virus cells would end up in the body, die completely, or become sensitive to drugs with antiviral effects. According to mathematical models of researchers, this will take more than 60 years.

Each person's body reacts differently to these drugs. Some people treat HIV infection and see positive dynamics, while for others it does not bring positive results and soon becomes fatal.

Treatment of HIV infection

Whether HIV (type 1 and type 2) can be cured or not is a relative question. For many years, only therapy has been used that is aimed at improving the patient’s quality of life, preventing and slowing the progression of the disease. The newest antiviral treatment is presented in the form of drugs that can extend a person’s life expectancy (for example, this may be Loverid and Deloverdin). Medicines are also prescribed to help prevent blocking of healthy cells by the virus (for example, Indinavir, etc.) and reduce the viability of the pathogen (for example, Epevir, Zerit, etc.). Timely and complete therapy is based on the fact that the patient can live to a ripe old age.

Additional treatment for AIDS and HIV involves the use of:

When using each method of treating a disease, it is necessary to adhere to certain rules, by following which you can improve the effectiveness of therapy:

1. Continuous treatment.
2. If possible, start using medications as early as possible, at the initial stage of the disease.
3. Several drugs with antiretroviral effects are used in combination.

How to cure HIV if unsatisfactory results are observed after completing a course of therapy? In this case, chemotherapy is adjusted.

HIV prevention

Of course, it is easier to prevent the disease than to get rid of it, because even in the early stages it is completely impossible to cure HIV, including by using powerful antiretroviral therapy. By following these simple recommendations, you can significantly reduce the risk of contracting an infection:

1. It is recommended to conduct sexual life with a regular partner, avoiding casual relationships. It is necessary to protect yourself by using contraception - condoms.
2. Drugs should be eliminated from life. Under their influence, a person often loses control, including sharing a syringe with other drug addicts. After contact with someone else's infected blood, there is a 100% guarantee that the person will become infected with the immunodeficiency virus.
3. Prevention of acquired HIV in a child is more concerned with his mother, who during pregnancy must follow all the recommendations of the leading doctor. Breastfeeding is not carried out in this case.

AIDS prevention

The answer to the question: can AIDS be cured is the same as for HIV infection. Both pathologies are considered incurable, and there is no specific cure for them. Prevention of AIDS comes down to the following:

1. Prohibition on promiscuous sex life.
2. Using condoms during sexual intercourse.
3. Personal hygiene: toothbrush, injection syringes, razors must be strictly individual.
4. Bad habits must be eliminated, especially drugs.
5. Dental and surgical instruments must be properly cleaned before use.

AIDS against the background of HIV is an even more dangerous disease, which after a short amount of time leads to death.

Healing from HIV

Despite the fact that a complete cure for HIV is impossible, there are examples that suggest the opposite. The first case is a Berlin patient who contracted the pathology at the age of 30. For 10 years he was treated with special drugs, after which he was given another diagnosis - acute leukemia. Traditional medicine did not bring the desired recovery, which became the reason for a bone marrow transplant. Only 2 operations were needed so that the cured person could live for many years without relapse.

Other cases of recovery from an infectious disease were recorded in Africa: children were infected from a mother who did not undergo the necessary treatment. The children took the medications for 30 days, and after this period there was a noticeable decrease in the activity of the virus.

Each person’s immunity is individual and no one knows what the reaction and sensitivity to the antiviral drugs taken will be. If a person is not treated at all, his average life expectancy does not exceed 11 years. In most cases, the cause of death is associated secondary diseases (this could be tuberculosis, cancer, pneumonia, etc.). If treatment for AIDS and HIV is started in a timely manner, one can hope for a fairly favorable prognosis. The average life expectancy in this case is up to 70 years.

Vadim Pokrovsky spoke about methods of HIV prevention and treatment

Vadim Pokrovsky

Moscow. November 26. website - Head of the Federal Scientific and Methodological Center for the Control and Prevention of HIV Infection Central Research Institute of Epidemiology of Rospotrebnadzor, Academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences Vadim Pokrovsky told Interfax correspondent Anna Sineva on the eve of World AIDS Day, celebrated on December 1, about methods of HIV prevention and treatment, statistics on infected people, center funding, promising research into a cure for HIV.

For many years, HIV was a disease with a death sentence. And, despite the fact that medicine has made great progress in recent years, many continue to consider this a fatal disease. How would you characterize this disease now?

HIV/AIDS was, and remains, fatal if a person infected with HIV does not receive modern treatment in time, and it is not always effective. The number of deaths from HIV/AIDS in the world is declining, but still about a million died from AIDS last year. And in Russia the number of deaths from AIDS is still growing. According to official data from Rosstat alone, 18,577 Russians died from HIV/AIDS in 2016, and 20,045 last year.

Another sad aspect: while it is impossible to completely cure HIV, it slowly continues its “dirty work”, so a person with HIV infection, even if he is on good treatment, quickly ages, becoming an old man 10 years earlier than a person without HIV .

- How many Russians now live with this diagnosis?

If we count from 1987, when the first case was identified, the number of registered HIV-infected Russians as of November 1 of this year was 1,306,109, of which 308,072 died, respectively, there were 998,037 living with HIV. But this number is growing by 200- 300 per day, and most likely the millionth Russian living with HIV has already been registered in one of the regions.

And by the end of 2018, we again expect 100 thousand new cases.

In 2015, the UN named Russia the epicenter of the global HIV epidemic. According to the organization, 80% of cases of infection in Eastern Europe occur in our country. How is the situation now, to what extent do our official statistics diverge from these data?

The epicenter is the area from which the epidemic spreads, and in Russia the epidemic began 10 years later than in the United States. It would be more correct to say that Russia is now the region where HIV is spreading most rapidly. Over the past three years, about 300 thousand HIV-infected Russians have been identified, 100 thousand cases a year. This is more than in the rest of Europe. For example, in Germany last year only 1,700 new cases were counted.

- Can the epidemic get out of control?

When I hear that “we have the HIV epidemic under control,” I remember the fable: “I caught a bear, but it won’t let me go.” We are monitoring how the epidemic is unfolding, but we cannot stop it yet. Populations in which HIV has long been spreading are already seriously affected: in some regions, more than 50% of drug users and 20% of men who have sex with men are diagnosed with HIV. The latter, in addition to homosexual men, also include those who have relationships with persons of both sexes (bisexuals), and there are many of them in Russia. Since HIV-infected drug addicts and bisexuals have sexual contact with people of the other sex (heterosexual), HIV spreads from them to the general population. According to preliminary data for the current year, 54.8% of newly registered HIV-positive people became infected through heterosexual contacts, 2.2% through homosexual contacts, and 42.5% through drug use. The percentage of people infected through homosexual contacts is small because there are few men who have sex with men in the population, but HIV spreads quickly in this group.

So far we have only managed to significantly reduce the probability of HIV transmission from an infected mother to a child; this no longer happens with a probability of 30-50%, but only 1-3%, but we still need to work here to get to zero.

Does the government pay enough attention to HIV prevention? Several years ago there was a public service announcement on this topic in the subway, but now there is practically no information anywhere. The state tried to fight HIV by introducing family values, not to mention the need to use condoms and disposable syringes, is this still the case?

Although the Ministry of Health in its instructions uses the term “barrier means of protection” instead of the word “condoms,” some positive shift is taking place. Condoms are being advertised on television again, so we cannot say that condoms are still neglected in the information field. Nevertheless, the main path to “fight AIDS” that the Ministry of Health has chosen is not to prevent infection, but to identify Russians already infected with HIV and enter their data into registers in order to someday begin treatment.

This is where our approaches with the Ministry of Health differ. In my opinion, it is necessary, first of all, to prevent infection, and not just to identify and treat it, especially since the Ministry of Health is not yet able to provide medications to all Russians who have HIV infection.

Our infection prevention programs are extremely weak. The Ministry of Health doesn’t even use the word “epidemic,” so why should people protect themselves? They explain: “we don’t want to spread panic among the population.” You might think that, having heard about this, people would run into the street shouting “Save yourself who can!” They are probably afraid that they will be scolded for “starting the epidemic.”

In my opinion, it is extremely harmful that people do not know about the threat of an African variant of the epidemic developing in our country, where HIV is spread predominantly through heterosexual means. In South Africa, in 1994, HIV was found only in white homosexuals, but now 20% of the population is infected, and half of all deaths are associated with AIDS. These figures are not so far away: now in Russia 1% of the adult population is diagnosed with HIV, and in some medium-sized cities - 4% of residents. The most affected group are Russians aged 30-40, that is, those who have already completed their studies and are working, and if they die, the working population will decrease.

- And according to unofficial estimates, how many HIV-infected people are there in Russia?

According to estimates, we have at least 1 million 300 thousand infected, that is, there are at least another 300 thousand, and maybe 500 thousand, not yet diagnosed cases.

- And what is the forecast?

The prognosis is still unfavorable, since the Ministry of Health does not want to acknowledge the epidemic and reports only on the successes achieved. But the successes are modest: last year, 340 thousand out of 900 thousand living with HIV received modern treatment, and this year - 412 thousand out of almost 1 million diagnosed. And despite this improvement, the number of deaths from HIV/AIDS is growing.

- And the rest?

For the rest, the Ministry of Health cannot yet provide medicines because there is not enough money. But there are more questions for the State Duma. We need to increase the budget, only in this case we will be able to close the gap and purchase medicines for everyone. In the meantime, the Ministry of Health is forced to buy medicines cheaper, but it is clear that they are not selling the best ones cheaply.

There are also bureaucratic obstacles. In our country, first, the passport data of HIV-positive people is entered into the register, then they only allocate money for the purchase of drugs for their treatment, and the purchase is made once a year. It may take quite a long time for a person to receive the medicine. And the global attitude is: to prevent the spread of HIV infection, it is necessary to begin treating all those infected with HIV immediately after detection. Most deaths are associated with late initiation of treatment.

At the end of 2016, a strategy was adopted to combat the spread of HIV infection in Russia until 2020. It stipulates that next year the number of infected people receiving antiviral therapy and registered at the dispensary should be 90%. How successfully is the strategy being implemented?

The goal declared by international organizations is to diagnose HIV infection in 90% of all those infected and provide treatment to 90% of those identified as HIV-infected, that is, it is necessary to give medicine to 81% of all those infected with HIV. Those receiving treatment are less likely to spread HIV, so they hope that such mass treatment will also stop the spread of HIV.

In our country, “all people infected with HIV” have been replaced with “those registered at the dispensary,” and this is only 70% of the number of diagnosed patients. If you get a little more cunning and count only those whose passport details have been entered into the registers, then maybe you can reach 90%.

But approximately 30% of those diagnosed with HIV do not go to AIDS centers at all. These are not only drug addicts, but also those who do not want their data to be entered into any registers: what if they end up on some website? And this is a problem for us - how to bring them in and convince them to undergo treatment? From them and from those who do not yet know about their infection, HIV infection spreads.

Every year, 15-20% of those who start treatment quit it - they get bored and are worried about the side effects of therapy.

Thus, if the Ministry of Health announces that 90% are receiving treatment, make a mental adjustment - this is only 40-50% of the total number of HIV-positive Russians. This is not enough to stop the epidemic.

- How much does the number of infected people vary among different population groups?

Social groups are very different; as a percentage of the entire population, people with secondary specialized education are somewhat predominant. Probably because no prevention was carried out in their colleges. Among those visiting AIDS centers, almost 70% belong to the economically active part of the population, which is even more than in Russia as a whole. This is explained by age: the most people infected with HIV are in the group of 25-40 years old, the most able-bodied group. The highest percentage of infected people is among men 35-40 years old - more than 3% of them are registered as HIV-infected. Infected women of this age are 2%, but in the age group of 25-30 years the percentage of infected women is higher than men - 1%. This is explained by the growth of the heterosexual transmission route - women become infected from their older sexual partners. Many women think that you cannot get infected from your spouse. Meanwhile, it is believed that 30% of women in the world become infected from their husbands.

- What should women do to avoid becoming infected in this case?

The best option is to get tested for HIV together with the person with whom you want to have children, and before that, always use a condom. HIV infection is not an obstacle to marriage, but if you know that one of the spouses is infected, you can take measures to avoid becoming infected and to give birth to an uninfected child.

- How much money is needed and how much is the government currently spending on HIV treatment?

The federal Ministry of Health spends 21 billion rubles on medicines and about 10 billion more are spent by regional budgets. After all, HIV treatment is not only medicine, but also diagnostic kits for monitoring treatment, maintaining regional AIDS Centers, paying health workers, etc.

To fully provide medicines, about 50 billion rubles are needed - this is the price of a modern submarine, and the fight against the epidemic is also a matter of national security. The same amount must be spent on creating infrastructure, purchasing diagnostic equipment, hiring and training thousands of new doctors. Now AIDS centers are overwhelmed by the number of patients, doctors are overloaded.

HIV prevention efforts must also be well funded. In order to really bring the epidemic under control, it is no longer possible to spend less than 100 billion rubles.

- How much does it cost to provide medications to one patient?

The state now purchases drugs in the range from 10 thousand to 300 thousand rubles per year per person, depending on the complexity of the treatment of a particular patient. On average, about 60 thousand rubles for an annual course.

- If a person decides not to wait for funds to be allocated for him and buy medicine himself, will he spend the same amount?

You need to focus on 100-150 thousand a year. You can, of course, buy drugs for 20 thousand, but they are quite ancient, 20-30 years old. And the more modern the drug, the fewer side effects, the fewer pills you need to take at a time. But they are more expensive, and besides, our laws do not allow many new drugs to be purchased at public expense.

There are also drugs created in Russia that are not inferior in quality to imported ones, but they are few. Entrepreneurs prefer to take a simpler path and reproduce generics, that is, copies of foreign drugs. Few people invest in the development of new drugs, because the economic effect will only appear in a few years, and everyone wants to earn money immediately and without much effort.

The best scientists in the world are working on a cure for HIV, but so far it has not been found. Are there any promising developments today? And what do you think about the efforts to create a vaccine, how realistic is it?

For 30 years, it has not been possible to create a vaccine against HIV due to the fact that there are no cures, that is, acquired immunity, such as after measles, which one does not get sick with twice, is not developed during HIV infection. Therefore, scientists are now paying close attention to innate immunity. A small proportion of people in Northern Europe, about 1%, including those in Russia, are immune to HIV infection. Scientists are working to learn how to transfer this immunity from one person to another and artificially create immunity.

- Is this immunity a consequence of some change in genes?

Yes. And one successful experiment using this feature was conducted several years ago. An American patient with leukemia, a “blood cancer,” received a bone marrow transplant in Berlin from a person immune to HIV, and as a result, not only leukemia, but also HIV infection was cured. This "Berlin patient" is considered the only person cured of AIDS. But selecting donors for a bone marrow transplant is very difficult, so now a more promising idea is being developed - taking stem cells from the person himself, turning them into immune to the virus and introducing them back, both for treatment and prevention of infection. Our Central Research Institute of Epidemiology has already created experimental drugs of this type, but many years will pass before they are put into practice, since it is necessary to be sure that the method will not cause unpredictable consequences of interfering with the genome of cells.

- Do you think these developments will be successful and in what perspective?

I think that in a few years such healing techniques will appear. The question is rather how much they will cost, and how quickly they can be made cheap and accessible to everyone.

- Are there any countries comparable to Russia in terms of the number of infected people, in percentage terms?

The number of people infected with HIV in China and India is approximately the same as in Russia, but in percentage terms it is 10 times less. In the USA there are exactly the same number of people infected with HIV as we have, but there are also more people there.

To compare the situation, the characteristics of the epidemic and approaches to combating it are more important. Europe has long stopped the epidemic among drug users; the problem for them is homosexuals and bisexuals. And we have an epidemic among drug users in full swing, so the involvement of the rest of the population in the epidemic is inevitable if the spread of HIV in this group is not stopped. But it’s hard to work with them; address drug users on the radio, or don’t, there’s not much point. In Europe, special prevention methods were used, for example, “syringe exchange”, in which drug addicts are taught not to inject themselves with the same syringe, and to switch from intravenous drug administration to tablets. But we don’t approve of this - they say that if you distribute syringes, you are encouraging people to take drugs. They keep saying: “Let’s first cure them all of drug addiction.” Won't they die of AIDS before then? Therefore, Europeans decided to first protect drug addicts from contracting HIV, and at the same time attract them to treatment for drug addiction. But we only have arguments: drug addiction treatment is still ineffective and HIV prevention is not carried out.

Gay and bisexual men in Europe have proven difficult to work with because they are reluctant to use condoms. Especially since they know that AIDS is no longer so dangerous. In Europe, they are now being asked to start taking prophylactic antiretroviral drugs, this is called “pre-exposure prophylaxis.” In France, the state even provides medicines free of charge.

- But in Russia?

While we are starting the first studies, we know that some advanced citizens are already trying to use this method on their own.

- Is this method effective?

European specialists are delighted! But we cannot yet answer the question of whether it will be effective in our country. Moreover, the results of its use among drug addicts are not so brilliant. It is very important that the medications are taken constantly, regularly. Otherwise, it is possible that strains that are already resistant to these drugs will spread.

Is it possible that the HIV virus could mutate at some point in the future to become airborne? Is this more of a myth or does such a possibility exist?

The probability is about the same as the appearance of wings on an elephant. But even if this happens, the elephant will not fly: it’s too heavy...

- Is there a problem with the presence of counterfeit HIV drugs on the market?

I think that there are few counterfeit ones, but if you try to purchase them via the Internet, there is a possibility that they may sell drugs of lower quality or dummies. It is better to find pharmacies that sell officially.

- Is there a problem associated with psychics treating HIV?

Yes, but there are more problems associated with AIDS dissidents, those who believe that “HIV does not exist,” or that “HIV does not cause AIDS.” They all admit that “AIDS exists,” otherwise psychics and healers would have nothing to treat. And citizens often believe them, even people with higher education. Patients stop taking antiretroviral drugs, pay money for fictitious drugs, but after a few months they get worse. This happens very often and ends tragically.

- What are the side effects of medications?

All drugs have side effects, and in case of HIV infection you need to take several of them at once and for the rest of your life, accordingly, the side effects may increase. Medicines can affect the liver, cardiovascular, and nervous systems. Suicidal tendencies have been reported when taking certain medications. Therefore, attending physicians carefully monitor deviations associated with medications, and, if suspicion arises, drugs are replaced.

Some time ago there were fears that your center would lose funding. To what extent were these fears justified?

We are the only scientific institution in Russia that specifically deals with the problem of HIV/AIDS, epidemic surveillance, diagnosis, prevention and treatment. As a result of the administrative reform in 2004, we, together with the Central Research Institute of Epidemiology, of which we are a part, found ourselves in the system of Rospotrebnadzor, which finances us. Previously, the Ministry of Health provided us with medicines. Now there is no. This is motivated by the fact that Rospotrebnadzor institutions should not provide treatment, although we have all the permits and licenses. This concept appeared after I began to openly doubt the working methods of the Ministry of Health, although before that we had been treating patients for 30 years and developing new treatment methods for all institutions of the Ministry of Health.

As a result, we cannot help the Ministry of Health implement its plans for treatment coverage, and many of our patients had to move to other institutions where they were not very welcome: there are enough of their own patients.

We can treat patients, but not with the medicines that the Ministry of Health purchases. And we are researching new treatment methods, we are supported by Rospotrebnadzor. In January, we will begin testing a combination of only domestic drugs to make sure that we are completely independent from imports. Such studies had not been conducted before, and for some reason the Ministry of Health purchases very few of our medicines compared to imported ones. Participation in such tests is voluntary. Many HIV-positive people themselves want to do something to solve the problem, and we invite everyone.

- Are you currently experiencing problems with financing?

The Institute receives funding from Rospotrebnadzor and government orders for applied scientific research. Each employee of our center receives a researcher's salary. But there is no special funding. We collect data across the country and inform our government agencies about the real situation - how many have become infected with HIV, how many have died, what are the causes of infection, and we are developing diagnostic and treatment methods.

Unfortunately, in-depth scientific research into HIV infection is not yet specifically funded. If you want to do this kind of research, you have to apply for a research paper competition and compete with a thousand other projects. In my opinion, it is necessary to specifically allocate funding for scientific research in the field of AIDS, and to hold a competition among these studies. It is well known that research in the field of HIV/AIDS, although often unsuccessful, has significantly advanced the entire biological science. For example, developments in the creation of drugs for HIV were used to create drugs that completely cure the hepatitis C virus.

- Can you tell us about the human papillomavirus, is this disease dangerous and the vaccine against it?

There are many varieties of this virus. The most common ones cause papillomas on the skin and are transmitted through household contact. But there are also varieties that are sexually transmitted and can cause cancer, especially cancer of the cervix and glans penis. These tumors develop especially often in patients with HIV/AIDS due to weakened immunity. However, such cancer has “precursors”, condylomas and dysplasia, the diagnosis and treatment of which are quite effective. So far there are no drugs that completely cure the papilloma virus, but they are being developed, and I think that we will soon have such drugs.

To reduce the spread of dangerous varieties of this virus, a special vaccine can be used. The issue of vaccinating children is being discussed, since it is advisable to vaccinate before the onset of sexual activity. The side effects of vaccines are extremely exaggerated; dangerous drugs are simply not allowed for use.

HIV infection is a viral disease. It should not be confused with AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome). However, although these are different concepts, they are inextricably linked, since AIDS is the final and most severe stage of infection.

It got its name in honor of the pathogen - a virus. The action of this retrovirus is aimed at the human immune system, due to which characteristic symptoms and conditions appear. The disease is anthroponotic, that is, it is transmitted only from person to person, and not every contact with an infected person is dangerous. It is impossible to transmit HIV through tactile interactions or kisses. It is difficult to say whether this disease can be treated. Scientists have been working on solving this problem for many years, but a way to completely get rid of the virus has not yet been invented. It is possible to carry out maintenance therapy, which will stop the development of the disease and prevent it from developing into AIDS for many years. This significantly prolongs the patient's life, but he still remains

Etiology

It is transmitted directly from person to person, and the routes of its spread are different. First of all, it is worth mentioning sexual contact. The maximum amount of the virus is contained not only in the blood, but also in semen and vaginal secretions. Unprotected sexual intercourse makes the risk of infection quite high, although there is evidence that single intercourse leads to the introduction of the virus into the body only in rare cases. The likelihood of infection increases significantly in the presence of microdamages on the skin and mucous membranes. It is these small injuries that become entry points for infection. Both men and women are susceptible to the virus, and the sexual orientation of the partners does not play a role, since HIV is also transmitted through homosexual contacts.

In second place is contact with the blood of an infected person. Most often, drug addicts become infected in this way by sharing the same syringe with an infected person. Infection can also be introduced into the body through careless handling of medical instruments. Thus, a health care worker can become infected with HIV from a patient. Previously, cases of transfusion of contaminated blood to patients were quite common. At the moment, strict measures have been introduced to screen donors and keep donated blood for 5 months, followed by re-testing it for the presence of the virus. This has significantly reduced the likelihood of transmission of infection through transfusion, but such cases, unfortunately, sometimes occur.

Another way is to infect the child from the mother. Transmission of the virus is possible both during pregnancy and breastfeeding. However, if the mother knows that she has HIV, special treatment and refusal to breastfeed can avoid infecting the child.

What to do if contact with the virus does occur? Next we will look at whether HIV can be treated in its early stages.

What happens when a virus enters the body?

A thorough study of pathogenesis has made it possible to answer the main question regarding HIV: is the infection curable? The harmful effect of the causative virus is associated with its effect on T-helper cells - cells directly involved in the formation of the immune response. HIV causes the programmed death of these cells, which is called apoptosis. The rapid reproduction of the virus accelerates this process, as a result, the number of T-helper cells decreases to such a level that the immune system becomes unable to perform its main function - protecting the body.

Is there a cure for HIV infection?

Therapy carried out in HIV-infected people is aimed only at reducing the reproduction of the virus and prolonging life. Patients can lead a full life due to the influence of special drugs on the process of HIV reproduction. Is the pathology treated at any stage? Unfortunately no.

Infected people are forced to take the strongest drugs throughout their lives. This is the only way to avoid a rapid transition to the terminal stage - AIDS. In this case, the treatment plan must be changed periodically, since long-term use of the same drugs leads to mutation of the virus, as a result of which it becomes resistant to them. The solution to the problem is periodic replacement of medications.

An addition to drug treatment is a healthy lifestyle. Patients are advised to give up bad habits, exercise and eat right.

Forecast

Overall it is unfavorable. We should not forget the answer to the question: “Is HIV completely curable?” This is a currently incurable disease that requires constant maintenance therapy. However, the development of pharmacology and medical technologies makes it possible to prolong the lives of such patients and even gives them the opportunity to have children.

Emergency prevention

The actual question is: can HIV be treated in the early stages? All people, especially health care workers, should be informed that infection can be prevented at an early stage. Any contact with a suspicious biological fluid (blood, semen and vaginal secretions) requires immediate emergency prevention, which means short-term use of antiviral drugs to prevent infection. It is carried out in specialized medical centers, but no more than 24 hours should pass from the moment HIV enters the blood.

How not to get infected?

In order to answer this question, we should recall the main routes of transmission. First of all, promiscuous unprotected sexual intercourse is dangerous. You should be careful when choosing a partner, which will reduce the risk of infection to a minimum. To prevent infection, medical workers must follow the rules for handling equipment and biological fluids. And another measure to reduce the risk of HIV transmission is drug addiction prevention. People need to know whether HIV infection can be treated. This will force them to take all necessary measures to avoid contracting this terrible disease.

Pregnancy and HIV

The infection can be transmitted from mother to child, but this can be avoided if the woman is informed about her condition - HIV infection. Is there a cure for the child’s illness? Carrying out antiretroviral therapy at certain stages of pregnancy helps to avoid infection of the baby. In addition, after birth, these drugs are prescribed to the child for a certain period of time. However, we should not forget that the infection can be transmitted through breast milk. The child should be fed only artificial milk formulas.

HIV infection is a dangerous disease because, despite the treatment, the patient remains a source of HIV throughout his life. However, you should not completely avoid contact with such a person, making him an outcast, because he is a full-fledged member of society. The virus is not transmitted through touching, kissing, or clothing; the airborne route is also excluded. You just need to avoid sexual intercourse and contact with blood.

HIV treatment is a series of treatment and preventive measures aimed at maintaining a normal standard of living for the patient. Medicine continues to carefully study both the immunodeficiency virus itself and ways to combat it. Despite the lack of a single cure, science has made great progress in controlling the infection. New generations of drugs make it possible to equalize the life expectancy of HIV-positive and HIV-negative people. But the treatment process still requires a lot of effort from the patient, his family and doctors.

Is it possible to be completely cured?

It is impossible to completely get rid of the virus. In 2010, at a conference at Johns Hopkins University, scientists reported that they were able to completely cure an infant of HIV infection. A Mississippi girl was born with the virus in her blood. Typically, HIV-positive children undergo active therapy from the 4th week of life, and she was prescribed a course of potent drugs in the first day after birth.

Aggressive treatment was followed by a standard course of treatment for one and a half years. After this, the mother of the girl from Mississippi refused therapy for the child. All tests during treatment and after 10 months gave negative results. The child was named one of the first cured patients. However, another year later, the Associated Press announced that a pathogen was again found in the baby’s blood.

Before the girl from Mississippi became aware of Timothy Brown. While studying in Berlin, he learned that he was HIV positive. Brown also developed leukoencephalopathy, a disorder of the white matter of the brain. The disease is fatal, and the patient underwent a complex operation for hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. Among Brown's donors was a person with two copies of the cell receptor. This rare phenomenon occurs in 10% of Europeans and gives a person resistance against HIV.

After the operation, doctors found no traces of the virus or antibodies to it in Timothy. Even after stopping antiretroviral therapy, tests showed a negative result. Scientists believe that the donation of a person with a mutation in cell receptors led to the cure. However, this treatment comes with many risks and cannot be used for everyone. These two cases indicate that scientists still have to study the infection. So far, the disease is considered incurable.

Methods to combat HIV

HIV infection is rapidly sweeping the world. From the middle of the last century to the present day, it has affected tens of millions of people all over the planet. Today, the fight against HIV includes prevention for the healthy and treatment for the sick. As a preventative measure, public awareness is the main weapon. According to WHO data for 2016, the number of new infections is decreasing every year. The only regions where the epidemic is gaining momentum are Africa and Eastern Europe.

Treating infected people is painstaking work. For people with reduced immunity, it is important to especially carefully protect themselves from secondary infections, poor nutrition, and bad habits. The main essence of treatment is antiretroviral therapy, which is aimed at suppressing the virus. Also, reduced immunity should be supported with the help of immunomodulators.

An individual course of therapy is selected for each patient. It consists of drugs aimed against the virus and to maintain immunity. Symptomatic therapy and treatment of secondary manifestations are carried out. Unfortunately, an infected person is forced to undergo treatment for the rest of his life. But well-chosen therapy is relatively easy to tolerate, and the most important medications are provided free of charge.

Antiretroviral therapy

The main hope for treatment relies on antiretroviral drugs (ARVs). Treatment with ARVs is called ART. Medicines in this group, unfortunately, do not destroy the pathogen, but suppress its development. Suppressing the virus also means controlling the progress of the infection. Today, 4 types of drugs are registered that have different effects on the virus:

1. The first group is nucleopreparations. They attack the virus at the fourth stage of the disease, that is, when the pathogen is transformed into DNA. Today, 11 types of nucleopreparations are registered, which are included in complex treatment.
2. The second group is NNRTIs or non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors. They also block the fourth stage of pathogen development, but in a different way. Only 3 such products are registered. To prevent the virus from developing resistance to treatment, the patient may be prescribed the first and second groups of drugs alternately.
3. The third group is protease inhibitors. Unlike the previous two, this type of medicine blocks the 10th stage of development of the pathogen. At this stage, new HIV cells are formed from the protease enzyme.
4. The fourth group is fusion inhibitors. These are new generation drugs; they attack the virus at the second stage of its development. At this stage, the pathogen attaches itself to the cell of an infected person.

The latest generation of drugs is considered more successful and less toxic for the patient. But so far only one type of fusion inhibitor has been registered - Enfuvirtide (T-20, Fuzeon®). Antiretroviral therapy consists of prescribing several drugs to the patient at once. This tactic is aimed at preventing pathogen resistance.

The virus, entering the blood, gradually multiplies. Moreover, its mutation rate is very high, so each new genome is slightly different from its predecessor. Because of this feature, the infectious agent quickly develops resistance to drugs. If a patient is prescribed ART with one drug, it will be more difficult for the pathogen to develop. It’s even more difficult to cope with two types of medications. If you use three types of agents simultaneously that attack the microorganism at different stages of development, the likelihood of resistance is very low.

Treatment using 3-4 groups of drugs with different effects is considered the most effective. Until recently, patients were forced to take handfuls of tablets 5 times a day at precise times. Today, pharmaceuticals combine drugs into one medicine. Therefore, the therapy process is becoming more and more simplified. But, unfortunately, the most advanced and effective means remain inaccessible to a large number of infected people due to the high price.

Strengthening the immune system

When infected, the pathogen develops rapidly and the patient experiences a sharp decrease in immune cells with CD4 (T-helper cells). In a healthy person, the number of T cells reaches 1500-1600 units per microliter of blood. For someone who is sick with another infectious disease, during the latent period of HIV infection, this figure may be halved. In fact, the whole complexity and danger of infection lies in the reduced barrier function of the body; a person cannot resist even primitive diseases. The impact on the virus should be accompanied by an increase in immunity and an “increase” in the number of T-helper cells.

To support the body, the patient may be periodically prescribed immunomodulators. But the main role here is still played by the diet and quality of food, living conditions. For HIV infection you need:

• eat regularly, preferably in small portions;
• consume more: flour, porridge, etc.;
• diversify the menu to get more benefits from all products;
• drink pure and juices;
• introduce proteins into the diet: butter, nuts, meat and dairy products.

In general, during an infection, it is recommended to eat well and consume more calories, this helps the body fight the disease on its own. It is also important for HIV-positive people not to give up sweets, or (if there is no allergy) they can be added to cereals, drinks, and desserts. As the disease progresses, the patient is advised to eat high-calorie foods high in carbohydrates and lipids.

Immune support tactics also include physical activity. They must be feasible for the patient and regular. Fresh air and walks are very important. A positive mood also improves the body's strength. You can take immunomodulators, vitamin complexes and nutritional supplements only with the permission of a doctor and in a clearly established dose.

Symptomatic treatment

The addition of infections is a very common occurrence for HIV. The pathogen itself does not cause illness or death, but opportunistic diseases do. These are common infections that do not pose a danger to a person with a strong immune system. However, against the background of reduced barrier function, fungi and bacteria cause complications. Therefore, in addition to direct effects on the virus, symptomatic treatment is often indicated for HIV-positive people.

Symptomatic therapy is a complex of therapeutic and preventive techniques to eliminate the manifestations of secondary diseases. Most often, “positive” patients encounter infections of a bacterial, viral and fungal nature. These include:

• candidiasis;
• papilloma;
• pneumonia;
• tuberculosis;
• herpes;
• toxoplasmosis and others.

To maintain normal well-being and a full standard of living, treatment of such manifestations must begin immediately. Therapy is selected taking into account the patient’s condition, viral load, and the degree of damage to the secondary disease. Particular attention is paid to the prevention of opportunistic infections: personal hygiene, immune support, timely and professional treatment.

Self-medication is contraindicated for HIV carriers. The attending physician must prescribe therapy against the symptoms and pathogens of associated diseases. It is better if even the headache is eliminated with the help of pills prescribed by the doctor. Any new symptoms that worry the patient should be discussed with a specialist. All diseases associated with HIV are treatable up to the last stage.

Aggressive treatment is used to suppress the development of the virus. Chemotherapy is usually used in the early stages of infection and when the virus is particularly advanced. There is also an opinion that in the first hours of infection, effective chemoprophylaxis can neutralize the pathogen. Today, the main hope is placed on four drugs:

• Zalcitabine;
• Didanosine;
• Zidovudine;
• Stavudin.

Treatment begins with a “loading dose”, gradually reducing the amount of drugs. In parallel with specific antiviral therapy, the patient is prescribed symptomatic treatment. The use of chemotherapy makes it possible to sharply reduce the activity of the virus, and then carefully control it. However, such drugs are associated with side effects, so they are used only in extreme cases. The use of chemotherapy gives a chance to delay the onset of the terminal stage as much as possible.

Gene therapy

The joint work of scientists to study the virus and its characteristics is bearing fruit. Not long ago, genetic engineers proposed a completely new approach to the treatment of HIV infection. With the help of artificially engineered DNA cells, it is possible to prevent a pathogen from attaching to a cell. Also, introducing new artificial information into the cell makes it possible to stop the appearance of viral proteins, due to which the disease stops progressing.

The fight against the pandemic will presumably be carried out using cell immunization. That is, when a special cell design is introduced, they will become resistant to the virus. This innovation is very promising. Compared to chemotherapy and antiretroviral drugs, the genetic engineering solution appears to be safer. However, research on the topic of cell immunization is still underway. There are still doubts about whether the new transformation will change the normal life cycle of the cell.

Drugs used

Complex treatment allows the patient to maintain good health and a full life. Along with a healthy lifestyle, self-improvement and sports, medications are, of course, used. Medicines are periodically replaced to better influence the virus. Also, HIV-positive people often need to use other medications for symptomatic treatment.

These drugs are intended for chemotherapy and antiretroviral therapy. They are used at different stages of the disease and in various combinations. If the virus is particularly resistant, 3-4 drugs may be prescribed simultaneously. Also, to prevent the pathogen from becoming resistant to treatment, the patient’s treatment tactics are periodically changed.

Medicines and external agents are added to the main treatment to prevent secondary infections. Methods of protection against bacteria, viruses and fungi are especially important. To disinfect mucous membranes and skin, it is recommended to use Miramistin, Citeal and other similar products. If a secondary infection has already occurred, only a doctor prescribes treatment.

Treatment at different stages

At the first stage of the disease, antiviral and “severe” therapy is usually not prescribed. Emergency prevention is indicated for people whose work involves a risk of infection - medical staff, employees of beauty salons and tattoo parlors, etc. In the first three days after the suspected infection, chemoprophylaxis of HIV infection is prescribed.

The second stage is the period when the infection can be laboratory confirmed and the viral load can be established. Antiviral therapy is prescribed from the moment when the level of T-helper cells decreases to 0.2x10/l. From the moment the pathogen is detected in the blood, the patient is selected for effective ART using several drugs. This makes it possible to prolong the latent period and asymptomatic course of the disease. General rules of behavior for HIV-positive people must be added to ART.

In the third stage, highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) is most often started. It includes the use of chemotherapy and ART, sometimes they are forced to add symptomatic treatment. This set of measures is aimed at suppressing a sharp increase in viral replication and maintaining acceptable immunity.

In the fourth stage, antiviral therapy is used when the proportion of pathogen RNA is more than 100 thousand copies per microliter of blood. In the progression stage, HAART is indicated regardless of CD4 and HIV RNA levels. “Heavy” therapy is not stopped until resistance is identified or the patient’s condition improves. Children are given ART regardless of the phase of infection.

Is traditional medicine strong?

Traditional medicine has its own answer to all cases of any disease. Considering that traditional medicine does not yet have a 100% effective medicine, it is not surprising that alternative medicine is looking for its own ways to combat HIV infection. Today you can find recipes and recommendations for treating HIV infection and even AIDS using “improvised” products. For example, it is a blood purifier; it is recommended to chew it 3 times a day for 15 minutes before meals and bedtime.

To increase immunity, it is recommended to boil in a ratio of 1:5, dilute the strained with and boil. This remedy is drunk warm three times a day. There are a lot of recipes for fighting infection. Almost all of them are aimed at increasing the body’s defenses and replenishing nutrients. This can be very useful in cases of immunodeficiency, so traditional medicine can adequately complement drug treatment.

Using any methods or recipes without the approval of your doctor is life-threatening.

What should an infected person do?

The moment a person first learns about his HIV status, he will inevitably face psychological trauma. Since stress is very dangerous for "positive" patients, it is important to stabilize the person's condition as soon as possible. At this moment, supporting loved ones and working with is one of the important stages. HIV-positive people may feel that they are now dangerous to their environment, although this is absolutely not the case.

Communication with an infectious disease specialist is a mandatory first step for patients. The specialist must clearly explain to the person about the stages of HIV, the upcoming treatment and the rules of conduct for patients. It is not so easy to infect loved ones if you do not do it intentionally - the virus is not transmitted in everyday life, through hugging, communicating, or exchanging clothes. Working with a psychologist will help you accept a new self and new ways of life. Consultation with government specialists is free, so absolutely everyone can afford it.

Together with the patient, relatives should also consult with the attending physician. It is important for relatives to understand that the person has not changed, is not dangerous and needs support. After the diagnosis is confirmed, patients are prescribed therapy, which is important to follow. Changes will also affect lifestyle; for HIV-positive people, a healthy lifestyle is mandatory. It is mandatory, in principle, for everyone, but healthy people often don’t think about it.

You only need to report your HIV status to work if the patient is employed in the following areas:

• catering;
• healthcare (ambulance drivers, orderlies, reception workers - they can even work with HIV);
• education and training (not always, your position needs to be discussed with);
• spa services (excluding reception and management);
• production of medicines and food.

There is only a short list of professions that a “positive” patient cannot engage in. You will have to give up smoking and alcohol, watch your diet and add physical activity. Together with drug therapy, compliance with these rules will be the key to a fulfilling life.

It is recommended to always be in touch with your infectious disease specialist. If you need advice, he will tell you what to do in a given situation. For example, at elevated temperatures, find out what medications can be used, and so on. In general, HIV-positive people need to understand that they are not outcasts, and life goes on. Through strict adherence to healthy lifestyle habits and mental health support, patients sometimes begin to live fuller lives than before diagnosis.

Life expectancy with treatment

European scientists have already announced that, with the help of advanced drugs, they have managed to equalize the life expectancy of HIV-positive and HIV-negative people. Provided that the doctor's recommendations and quality therapy are followed, people live up to 70-80 years. The younger the patient, the greater the likelihood of extending life to generally accepted averages.

The use of even generally available therapy prolongs the patient’s life by 20-30 years. Which results in a life expectancy of approximately 55-60 years. This figure decreases by one and a half times if the patient smokes. If bad habits include drugs or alcohol, even with HAART, the patient’s death is predicted within 10 years on average. In the complete absence of therapy, secondary infections kill a person within 7-9 years. But the absence of stress and all the above rules give you a chance to live a full and long life.

Help with the threat of HIV infection

There are categories of people who are at risk of infection. These include not only drug addicts and gay people. Health care workers and those whose work may expose them to contaminated blood are most at risk. Emergency situations and prevention methods are prescribed for them. Emergency situations include injections, cuts, and contact of contaminated liquids with open wounds and eyes.

In such situations, it is urgent to conduct a rapid HIV test for someone who is suspected of being infected. If the test is positive, a loading dose of chemotherapy is prescribed for the person who is susceptible to infection. Immediately after confirmation of HIV status, the incident must be reported to the nearest AIDS center. A council of doctors decides on the dosage of drugs and the advisability of their use.

After emergency chemoprophylaxis, the patient's dosage of medication is reduced. Preventive treatment lasts until a negative test for infection is confirmed. If the answer is positive, a new treatment regimen is drawn up. Doctors, employees of tattoo parlors and beauty salons and other similar organizations should under no circumstances neglect safety measures. Keep 70% ethyl alcohol, iodine and plasters at your workplace. At the slightest suspicion, treat the wound, undergo a test and preventive treatment, if necessary.