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December 1st marks the 30th anniversary of the commemoration of World AIDS Day. UN-SIDA has offered this opportunity at the global level the slogan "Know Your State", inviting everyone to get tested for HIV.
In 2017, nearly 37 million people living with HIV worldwide, that same year, 1.8 million people contracted the infection and 940,000 people died. The motto behind this motto is that the World Health Organization approved some time ago the global prevention strategy called "90-90-90", originally designed by our countryman , Professor Julio Montaner. essentially targeting the year 2020:
– 90% of people living with HIV know their HIV status
.
– 90% of people living with HIV to receive antiviral therapy
(19459004) -90% of people receiving antiviral treatment have viral suppression
To emphasize the importance of the role of treatment as a preventative measure, recent research categorically indicates that when patients seropositive are detected and treated correctly, the possibility of transmitting them to their heterobadual or homobadual partners is literally "null". But to make sure that patients are treated and that their virus is undetectable, they must first be diagnosed (1st 90 of the strategy).
In Argentina, 122,000 people are living with HIV, but only 70% know it; that is why the slogan "know your state" is also suitable for our country and our city.
Unfortunately, many barriers continue to hinder HIV testing. Stigma and discrimination also persist and do not encourage people to undergo tests. Patients are therefore diagnosed late when they are already suffering from the symptoms of the disease (AIDS) and, unfortunately, they have infected others; in our city, the percentage of late patients reaches 30%.
HIV testing programs should be expanded and all badually active people should be tested for HIV in the same way that they control cholesterol or blood glucose; but do not worry, the vast majority
of these tests will be negative (about 99.6%) since in our country HIV prevalence is low and HIV-positive people will be offered very simple treatments that will remain clinically Asymptomatic and will not infect others.
Unfortunately, we can not forget the fact that the utility of condom use has recently been questioned. We must respond to this strictly "that the condom is extremely useful for preventing badually transmitted diseases, including HIV." In addition and in another order, the use of the prophylactic agent is a measure proven efficacy for the prevention of unwanted pregnancies.
With regard to prevention, new data have been published indicating the use of antivirals as a preventive measure for persons they are not infected (pre-exposure prophylaxis or "PrEP"), of which the goal is that, in the case of a badual relationship with a patient possibly infected with HIV, the uninfected person is not infected simply by taking a pill every day This strategy is has proven extremely useful in certain groups at high risk of infection; it is not yet implemented in our support
.
With regard to treatments for people with HIV, they are becoming more effective, with fewer side effects and many of them in a single tablet. finally, definitive control of an infectious disease is obtained by means of a vaccine, as was the case with smallpox and other infectious diseases; Although several investigations are ongoing, it is expected that no HIV vaccine will be available in the near future.
HIV infection was and will be "a viral and not a moral disease"; and must therefore be subject to the basic rules of medicine such as early diagnosis (know your condition), access to treatment and community education about preventive measures to take.
(*) Former health secretary of the municipality.
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