Today many people are diagnosed with H.I.V infection. Many cases of HIV are caused by several factors that can be avoided. H.I.V. virus can infect other people easily if awareness is not created to enable others to know the effects of H.I.V.
This blog discusses the prevention, care, and how the H.I.V. virus can be transmitted from one person to another. By reading this article, you will learn about the H.I.V. virus and how to keep yourself healthy. This article will help you understand what H.I.V. is, how it started, and why you need regular H.I.V. tests.
What is HIV infection?
H.I.V. infection is a virus affecting the body’s immune system. If this virus is not treated immediately, it can lead to AIDS. H.I.V. infection is not curable, but it can be prevented from further damaging your immune. The virus is controllable if people who are infected get proper medical care.
Researchers say that H.I.V. infection originated in East Africa and came from a chimpanzee. The virus spread from chimpanzees to humans in the early ages when people used to hunt them for meat. Today H.I.V. infection has spread to the whole world, and for a decade, no cure was found for the virus.
The stages of H.I.V infection
If you ask yourself, “what are the 4 stages of H.I.V. infection?” Then the right answers will be provided to you. This article has listed and explained all four stages of H.I.V. infections. They include the following:
- The first stage is the Incubation of H.I.V.
You might experience a short illness after contracting the virus in this stage. For some people, the infection’s first stage passes without them noticing. The sickness in the first stage is so mild that you can mistake it for the flu; in this stage, the person with the virus is most infectious.
- The second stage is asymptomatic of H.I.V.
Once the incubation stage is over, the infected person feels well and does not have any H.I.V. symptoms. This stage can stay in the body for many years without noticing. This stage is more active and spreads to the new body cells and ends up affecting your immune system; at this stage the white blood cells weaken and cannot fight the virus.
- The third stage is symptomatic
Although the second stage, the virus spreads and damages the immune systems. In this stage, the symptoms begin to develop since the body cannot fight the H.I.V. viruses. The symptoms are mainly caused by infections that are known as opportunistic infections. These infections emerge because the person’s immune system is already damaged.
- The final stage
This is the last stage of H.I.V. infections, referred to as the full-blown stage, AIDS, or the last stage. In this final stage, all the symptoms and signs are shown. At this point, the immune system is damaged, and infections increase; here, the AIDS diagnosis is given to the infected person.
The roles of the youth in preventing H.I.V. infections
The youths have a very big role in preventing H.I.V. infections. The role of the youth in preventing H.I.V. is by creating H.I.V awareness in society. As a youth, you need to educate people on the dangers and prevention of HIV.
As a youth, you must practice safety to prevent the spread of H.I.V. among the youth. Abstinence is the best prevention of H.I.V. infection; abstaining reduces the chances of contracting H.I.V. infections. You also use social media to provide safety measures to prevent H.I.V.; using protection and avoiding sharing personal tools can be addressed on any social media platform.
Essays on prevention of H.I.V. infection
In schools, your tutor might ask you to write the role of youth in preventing H.I.V. essay. To write such an essay, you must know and understand H.I.V. infection. Like any other essay, you must look for a quality topic.
This blog has gathered the best topics you can use for your essay. They include the following:
- Describe the prevention of HIV
- HIV infection management
- Prevention of H.I.V. in men and women
- The problem of homosexuality in H.I.V.
- The impacts of H.I.V. on the society
- Controlling the spread of H.I.V. among the youths
- Explain the effectiveness of using protection in the reduction of H.I.V. infections
- Describe the five symptoms of H.I.V.
- Describe the challenges of people living with H.I.V.
- Describe the benefits of world AIDS day
- Describe the effects of H.I.V. on the economy
- Explain reasons for the spread of H.I.V.
- Explain the concepts of epidemiology and nursing research to H.I.V. infections
- Explain the four stages of H.I.V. infections and their risk factors
What is nursing management of H.I.V.?
Management of H.I.V. infection is done in different measures. Nursing management in Pediatrics is designed for infants and young children’s physical and psychological needs. Children are infected with H.I.V. infection through prenatal transmission; the H.I.V. virus affects the immune system and shatters the child’s resistant system’s ability to fight the virus.
H.I.V. infection has no cure; therefore, the nursing care plan for H.I.V. focuses on preventing virus transmission. When H.I.V. infection is detected in children, thorough therapy is done to prevent the virus from progressing to AIDS. This helps to promote the child’s healthy growth and development.
Measures of H.I.V. nursing diagnosis
H.I.V. infection can be unnoticed for several years; it is important to check your status regularly. Doing several tests is a priority nursing diagnosis for H.I.V. to help determine the stage of the virus. The following are the possible nursing diagnosis for H.I.V. patients; they include:
- Prevention of opportunistic infections
- An imbalanced diet that is less than what the body requires based on the oral intake
- I.V. infections intestinal pathogens leading to diarrhea
- Immunodeficiency risk infections
- Inability to cough and increased bronchial secretions caused by weakness and fatigue
- Impaired perianal skin integrity causes pain
- Mental distress leading to memory impairment
After doing the tests, a hypersensitive screening test is done if there is a probability of an acute H.I.V. infection. A virologic test can also be considered; if the test is positive, it shows an H.I.V. infection. The HIV/AIDS nursing care plan focuses on eliminating possible conditions and helping patients relieve pain. The following are major tests done to diagnose the H.I.V. infection:
- Identifying certain antibodies and H.I.V. antigens
- A quick test using blood or saliva to discover the H.I.V. infection
- Nuclei acid test
- HIV RNA viral load
- Antibody H.I.V. tests
- Testing for drug resistance
Complications related to H.I.V. infection
A nursing care plan helps to prevent infections caused by H.I.V. infection. The nursing care plan for H.I.V. in pregnancy is crucial; it helps prevent the unborn from transmitting the H.I.V. infection. The nurses are responsible for educating the expectant on preventing further infections and staying healthy.
As a nursing student, preparing an H.I.V. care plan can be very challenging; H.I.V. infection includes different stages that require special for each, so it would be better for you to go through an H.I.V. care plan example to help gain knowledge and skill. You must understand and be familiar with all complications of H.I.V. infection to determine the kind of care you provide for the patient. Below are some complications related to H.I.V.; they include:
- Opportunistic H.I.V. infections
Many H.I.V. patients have critically damaged immune systems, putting the body at risk of infections such as candidiasis, tuberculosis, herpes infections, and pneumonia.
- Cancer
Some types of cancer develop due to H.I.V. infections. These types of cancers include; cancer in the white blood cells, also known as lymphoma, and cancer in the walls of the blood vessels
- The kidneys complications
- Damage to the liver
- Deterioration of the neurological system
- Weight loss
- Low blood levels
Symptoms of H.I.V. infection
As a nursing student, you will be regularly asked questions regarding H.I.V. patients and the infection in your assignments. Some of most questions are; how do you deal with H.I.V. positive? What happens to a person infected by H.I.V.? What are the 3 symptoms of H.I.V.? The symptoms of H.I.V. infections depend on the stage of the infection.
Below are the major signs and symptoms of H.I.V. infection; they include:
- Headache
- Recurring Fever
- Muscles pain
- Sore throat
- Skin rash
- Mouth sores
- Swollen lymph glands
- Weight loss
- Coughing blood
- Upnormal sweating, especially at night
- Persistent fatigue
- Pneumonia
- Oral yeast infections
- Herpes
Ways of reducing H.I.V. infections
H.I.V. is transmitted from one person to another through sex and body fluids. It is important to follow safety measures to prevent the spreading of H.I.V infections. The following are ways to prevent the spread of H.I.V. infections:
- Regular H.I.V. testing
- Use of protections during sexual intercourse
- Avoiding using unsterilized injections
- Sex abstinence
- Reducing the number of sexual partners
- Treat every sexually transmitted disease or infection
- Avoid sharing sharp objects
To wrap up
The spread of H.I.V infections has spread over the years affecting population growth. Medical researchers have determined the causes and how to prevent H.I.V. because it has no cure. Youthful and old nurses have a big role in caring for H.I.V. infected patients and creating awareness to improve their health status.
To learn more about nursing roles for H.I.V. infected people, you can visit our website at: proscholarly.com. We also provide help with essays on H.I.V. infection and other nursing-related assignments. Contact us today for nursing assignment writing services.