Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome has been one of the key problems of modern society for over forty years. Therefore, HIV diagnostics is now attracting a lot of attention and resources. After all, the sooner a virus that destroys the body’s immune system is detected, the higher the chances of avoiding death will be.
The abbreviation HIV hides the definition of the human immunodeficiency virus one of the most dangerous among the existing ones. Under its influence, there is a deep suppression of all the protective properties of the body. This, in turn, leads to the emergence of various malignant formations and secondary infections. For the sti test this is important.
HIV Infection Can Proceed In Different Ways.
Sometimes the disease destroys a person in 3-4 years, in some cases it can last more than 20 years. It is worth knowing that this virus is unstable and quickly dies if it is outside the host’s body. HIV can be contained in semen, blood, menstrual flow and vaginal secretions. As the causes of infection, one should remember about such problems as periodontal disease, abrasions, trauma, etc. HIV can be transmitted artificially, by blood contact and through a bio-contact mechanism.
If there was a single contact with the carrier of the virus, then the risk of infection will be low, but with constant interaction, it increases significantly. Diagnosis of HIV infection is something that should not be neglected, especially when changing a sexual partner. It is also worth paying attention to the parenteral route of infection. It can occur during blood transfusions of contaminated blood, injections using needles that are contaminated with the blood of HIV-infected people, as well as during non-sterile medical procedures (tattoos, piercings, and dental procedures using instruments that have not been properly processed).
Symptoms to Observe
The primary manifestations without the help of a doctor can also proceed unnoticed. But sometimes there is an active replication of the virus, and the body begins to react to this there is a fever, various polymorphic rashes, lineal syndrome and pharyngitis. At the second stage, it is possible to attach such secondary diseases as herpes, fungal infections, pneumonia, etc.
For the latent stage, a gradual increase in immunodeficiency is characteristic. Due to the fact that the cells of the defense system die, the dynamics of their production increases, and this makes it possible to compensate for the tangible losses. At this stage, several lymph nodes belonging to different systems may become inflamed. But strong painful sensations are not observed. On average, the latency period lasts from 6 to 7 years, but can drag on to 20.
Methods for diagnosing HIV infection
Speaking about the deep suppression of the body’s defense mechanisms due to the effect of the virus, it is worth noting that the patient’s future in this case directly depends on timely and accurate diagnosis. For this in modern medicine, various test systems are used, which are based on immune chemiluminescent, as well as enzyme immunoassay.
These techniques allow you to determine the presence of antibodies belonging to different classes. This result helps to significantly increase the information content of analytical, clinical specificity and sensitivity methods when working with infectious diseases. It is also interesting that it was the polymerase chain reaction method that made it possible to bring HIV diagnostics to a fundamentally new level.