HUMAN IMMUNODEFICIENCY VIRUS INFECTION – OCCURRENCE AND TRANSMISSION

March 12th, 2009 by admin in Men's Health-Erectile Dysfunction

HIV can be isolated from blood, tissues, semen, saliva, breast milk, cervical and vaginal secretions and tears of infected persons. Blood, semen, cervical and vaginal secretions, transplanted organs and possibly breast milk have been implicated in transmission. HIV is transmitted through the exchange of genital secretions during sexual intercourse, the sharing of needles and syringes by intravenous drug users, the transfusion of infected blood and some blood products and from mother to infant before or during birth. In Australia, action has been taken to ensure that blood and blood products are free of infection.

Social (non-sexual) contact and insect vectors have not been implicated in transmission.

Homosexual men

Homosexual and bisexual men were the first identified risk group and this remains the largest group. In Australia, more than 80% of cases of AIDS are homosexual or bisexual men. The important risk factors in these men are receptive anal intercourse and multiple sexual partners.

Intravenous drug abusers

The sharing of needles and syringes or the use of contaminated needles or syringes is the main source of transmission among intravenous drug abusers. This group is emerging as a serious problem.

Sexual transmission to women

Although the heterosexual partners of infected men are at risk of infection, spread to and from women has been relatively uncommon in developed countries. In central Africa, heterosexual spread appears to be an important means of transmission. Genital ulcerative diseases such as syphilis and genital herpes may be associated with an increased risk of heterosexual transmission.

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