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The Difference Between HIV and AIDS

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When discussing HIV, many people use the terms HIV and AIDS interchangeably. While these terms relate to one another, they don’t mean the same thing.

The human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is a retrovirus that attacks an infected person’s immune system. Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) occurs after a period without treatment when the person’s immune system becomes severely compromised by HIV. 

In this article, we’ll explain the difference between HIV and AIDS, HIV diagnosis, treatment, and life expectancy.

Understanding HIV

More than one million people live with HIV in the U.S. today, with tens of thousands of new cases annually. The virus infects a person by changing their DNA, so no cure currently exists; however, treatments help people living with HIV lead relatively healthy, normal lives.

When HIV enters the body, it alters the DNA and copies itself to create more HIV cells. HIV cells attack white blood cells called CD4 cells or helper T cells. As the white blood cell count drops, the body becomes increasingly vulnerable to “opportunistic” infections a healthy immune system would typically fight off.

When first infected, the body displays flu-like symptoms, like fever and achiness. This symptomatic period precedes years of zero symptoms, but the virus continues to attack and destroy white blood cells even though the person feels fine. If left untreated, HIV leads to AIDS.

What Is AIDS?

When discussing the difference between HIV and AIDS, remember that AIDS, also called stage three HIV by healthcare professionals, names a condition, not a particular virus or infection. For a physician to diagnose AIDS, they must confirm that:

1.  The patient has HIV

2.  The patient has either an AIDS-defining illness or a CD4 cell count of less than 200 per cubic millimeter of blood

What Is the Relationship Between HIV and AIDS?

While HIV refers to the virus that infects the body, AIDS refers to the condition that occurs when the virus goes unchecked. AIDS typically develops about ten years after a person becomes infected with HIV. The untreated virus lowers the body’s white blood cell count until the immune system can no longer fight off infections like pneumonia.

Symptoms of AIDS include:

  • Night sweats
  • Significant weight loss
  • Recurrent fever
  • Oral, genital, or anal sores

Are AIDS and HIV the Same Thing?

HIV and AIDS have a direct relationship, but they are not the same thing. Not every person with HIV will develop AIDS. Medical advances in HIV treatments have vastly improved the life expectancy of people living with the virus to the point that most patients receiving treatment live relatively normal lives.

One common misrepresentation of the difference between HIV and AIDS comes from the phrase “catching AIDS.” A person can contract or “catch” HIV from an infected partner during sexual contact or through other means, but a person cannot contract AIDS because it results from HIV. That said, if both partners have untreated HIV, they can increase each other’s viral load through unprotected sex, which means they may pass more of the virus onto one another. 

In addition to sexual contact, a person can contract HIV:

  • From sharing injecting tools like needles
  • From mother to child during pregnancy, childbirth, or breastfeeding

HIV passes from person to person via vaginal fluid, semen, breast milk, and blood. A person cannot contract HIV from saliva, urine, or sweat.   

Do All AIDS Patients Have HIV?

Yes, a person can only develop AIDS if they have HIV. AIDS is not a separate condition; instead, it is a stage in the virus’s progression as it continuously destroys CD4 cells. 

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People receiving antiretroviral therapy (ART) treatment may never develop AIDS. Antiretroviral drugs stop the virus from replicating, which reduces the person’s viral load, prevents the destruction of white blood cells, and helps lower transmission risks. Without treatment, HIV progresses through three stages:

1.  Stage one, acute HIV, presents with mild symptoms that resemble the flu and go away within a month. 

2.  Stage two, clinical latency, typically marks a symptom-free period that may last years.

3.  Stage three, AIDS, occurs after years without antiretroviral therapy treatment.

Diagnosis, Treatment, and Life Expectancy

Diagnosing HIV only requires a simple test, but hundreds of thousands of people living with HIV in the U.S. don’t know they have it. Anyone who suspects they may have HIV should get tested to prevent the progression to severe immunodeficiency.

Diagnosing HIV and AIDS

If you’re unsure if you should get tested, consider your risk. People at risk of HIV infection include anyone who engages in risky behaviors, like having unprotected sex or sharing needles, or does not have access to preventative care. If you want to get tested but don’t know where to go, consider same-day STD testing through Rapid STD Testing: we offer a 10-panel STD test that tests for HIV and other sexually transmitted infections.

While an HIV diagnosis only requires a simple test, an AIDS diagnosis has more specific requirements. As we touched on above, diagnosing AIDS requires two things:

1.  A positive HIV test, and

2.  Either the presence of AIDS-related illnesses or a CD4 count of fewer than 200

Treating HIV and AIDS

To treat HIV, physicians prescribe ART drugs. Many antiretroviral medications exist, and doctors help patients find the ideal mixes for their bodies. 

People at risk of exposure can take post-exposure prophylaxis drugs within 72 hours of contact with the virus. These medications may stop the infection before it can enter the body’s DNA. 

You can also reduce your risk of HIV infection by:

  • Using condoms and other barrier methods
  • Using lubrication during sex
  • Not sharing injecting tools

If your partner is HIV positive, you can take pre-exposure prophylaxis medication to lower your risk of contracting the virus. 

Life Expectancy

Modern ART medications have significantly improved the life expectancy of people with HIV and AIDS. These drugs don’t get rid of the virus, but they can stop it from causing any further damage to the body’s immune system for years or decades.

Don’t Wait: Get Tested for HIV Today

Now that you understand the difference between HIV and AIDS, learn about myths and misconceptions about HIV or learn about celebrities with HIV. An HIV diagnosis doesn’t mean what it once did. You can still live a normal, happy, and healthy life through proper treatment. 

Don’t let an infection like HIV go undetected in your body. Get a rapid STD test and accurate, confidential results from Rapid STD Testing today at one of our 2,500 clinics nationwide.

Is Scabies an STD: What You Need to Know

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Scabies is a skin condition caused by parasitic mites and characterized by itchy skin and rashes. But is scabies an STD? What are the symptoms? Is it curable? We’ll explain everything you need to know and break down common misconceptions surrounding scabies mites and how they spread.

If you believe you may have scabies or another STD, it’s crucial to get tested. At Rapid STD Testing, we have over 2,500 locations nationwide that make it easy for you to get same-day STD testing. You can order a 10-panel STD test online and have confidential results in one to three days.

What Is Scabies, and How Is It Commonly Transmitted?

The human itch mite known as scabies (Sarcoptes scabiei var. hominis) is a relatively harmless arthropod that causes intense itching after burrowing beneath your skin’s top layer. After the mites tunnel below the skin, the burrows they leave behind usually look like tiny, serpentine lines that are gray or flesh-colored. However, it can take four to eight weeks for symptoms to show after the initial infestation.

If you’re wondering, “How are scabies transferred?” The answer is simple: close physical contact. Scabies mites go through a four-stage life cycle: egg, larvae, nymph, and mature adult. Once the mites make skin contact, the females burrow under the skin and lay approximately two to three eggs daily.

The larvae hatch after three to four days, head back to the skin’s surface, and then create micro-burrows known as molting pouches. As the larvae grow up, they molt one last time before they become fully grown adults, which are round, look like tiny sacs, and don’t have any eyes.

Once the female finds a suitable spot for a permanent burrow, she continues to lay eggs every day for 30 to 60 days until she dies.

Is Scabies Only Sexually Transmitted?

So, is scabies an STI (sexually transmitted infection)? Yes and no. Scabies isn’t an infection but rather an infestation. People can catch scabies through casual skin contact like hugging, sleeping in the same bed as someone who has scabies or having sexual contact with them.

Occasionally, scabies can pass to another person through clothing or bedding. While poor hygiene can’t make scabies magically manifest, it can raise your risk of getting the mites if you’re in close physical contact with an infested host and don’t shower or wash your body regularly.

Furthermore, when scabies mites become dislodged from their host, they can successfully seek out another host, which often accounts for people who get scabies without coming in direct contact with an infested person. Female mites detect light, host odor, and warm body temperatures to find a host person to infect. However, they can only live for three days without a living host.

Signs and Symptoms of Scabies

A scabies infestation causes symptoms that look similar to many skin diseases. The most common symptoms of scabies include:

Intense Itching: The primary symptom of a scabies infestation is intense itching and irritation, particularly at night. The urge to itch can become so fierce that it can disrupt normal sleep or cause the infested person to wake up. Often, people mistake scabies for other skin diseases, like psoriasis, eczema, jock itch, and herpes. You can learn the differences between jock itch and herpes here.

Skin Rash: When the scabies mites burrow under the skin’s top layer, it can cause a rash. This rash can look like little squiggly lines or tiny pimple-like bumps that form in a row. Sometimes the rash can look like tiny bites, hives, or small knots.

Sores: After repeated itching, the skin rash can become an open sore and could eventually become infected. It’s important to avoid itching open sores or rashes to prevent a serious infection from occurring.

A scabies infestation can occur anywhere on the body. However, the female mites usually move around to find the perfect spot to burrow and create a breeding pouch. Also, scabies usually infest certain areas of the body more than others, including:

  • Hands: Scabies frequently burrow under the skin on the hands, fingers, and around the fingernails.
  • Arms: Female mites often create burrows on the arms, including the elbows and wrists.
  • Covered Skin: Scabies also like to burrow where clothing or jewelry covers the skin, including the waist, buttocks, armpits, thighs, and around the nipples. Infestations of genital scabies are also quite common, such as on the penis or around the bikini line. To learn more about rashes on genitals and common causes, check out the Rapid STD Testing blog.

Is Crusted Scabies an STD?

Severe infestations of the human itch mite are known as crusted scabies, or sometimes Norwegian scabies. In mild cases of scabies, most people don’t have more than 10 or 15 mites on them at a time. However, in cases of crusted scabies, the infested host has hundreds or even thousands of mites under their skin, which causes extreme itching and rashes.

In these cases, the rashes are much larger and often look like crusted patches of skin. They’re usually grayish in color, thick, and crumble apart when touched. Crusts can occur in one or several areas, like the back, feet, or scalp.

Crusted scabies can spread through sexual contact but is not technically an STD. The mites can also pass between people during any close contact (like hugging), not exclusively through sexual contact. They often spread quickly through communal living spaces like prisons, childcare centers, universities, or healthcare facilities.

People with weak immune systems are at much higher risk of contracting crusted scabies. As such, crusted scabies are most common in young children and the elderly. However, people with certain immunosuppressive conditions, such as leukemia and HIV, or sensory issues (like spinal cord injuries or dementia) are also at high risk.

Diagnosis and Treatment of Scabies

In addition to regular scabies and crusted scabies, there are three other types of infestations:

  • Nodular: Most common in children, these mites leave brownish-red nodules on the skin that can remain for weeks or months after the infestation is gone.
  • Scalp: While most scabies won’t infest adults above the neck, some types prefer to burrow into the skin of the scalp. Symptoms include scaly plaques that look similar to psoriasis.
  • Bullous: Bullous scabies typically infest adults, causing skin irritation and blisters. Many people mistake bullous scabies for another skin condition known as bullous pemphigoid, which also causes blisters.

How to Identify Scabies

Healthcare providers have a few options for diagnosing scabies, including:

Visual Exam: A doctor takes a small scraping or shaving of the person’s rash and then examines it under a microscope to determine if scabies are present.

Topical Solution: A medical professional uses a topical tetracycline solution to wet the rash on the patient’s skin. Then, they use a special light wavelength to inspect the area for the telltale serpentine burrows.

Burrow Ink Test: Also known as BIT, this test uses ink from a fountain pen to saturate the skin. A doctor then removes the excess and waits; the tiny burrows will become visible if the person has an active infestation.

If you believe you may have scabies, getting tested is crucial, as you can easily pass the mites onto other people.

Scabies STD Treatment

Fortunately, scabies aren’t that serious, and getting rid of an infestation is relatively straightforward. After a positive test and diagnosis, talk to your healthcare provider about scabies treatments immediately. You also must notify people you’ve had close physical contact with, including sexual partners. Otherwise, they could unknowingly continue to spread the mites.

The most common form of treatment for scabies is scabicides. This prescription medication is a topical cream that you apply all over your body to kill the mites and their eggs.

Other treatment types for scabies include:

Permethrin Cream: An FDA-approved scabies treatment for pregnant women and patients over two months.

Benzyl Benzoate: Benzyl benzoate is a 25% topical lotion for treating crusted scabies.

Sulfur Ointment: This ointment has a foul odor but is suitable for babies under two months old.

Lindane Lotion: While Lindane is FDA-approved, people only start this course of treatment as a last resort when other methods have failed. It’s not safe for pregnant or breastfeeding women.

Crotamiton Cream: This adults-only treatment requires two topical applications in 24 hours.

Most scabies treatments are easy to use. However, following directions and finishing the treatment in full is very important. After you get tested, consult your primary physician for which treatment method fits your needs best.

Guide to Preventing Scabies

Scabies can pass around close populations quickly, such as daycare centers, colleges, nursing homes, prisons, etc. You can reduce your chances of getting and spreading these skin mites by using good judgment, practicing good hygiene, and staying well-informed. The following tips can help slow the spread of scabies:

Avoid Contact: The best way to prevent scabies is to practice social distancing and avoid making close physical and sexual contact with anyone who has scabies or an unidentified skin rash. That includes clothing, bedding, vehicles, and furniture.

Don’t Be Ashamed: Scabies is a common health issue that affects people all over the world. If you believe you may have come into contact with the mites or have an active rash, it’s important to see your doctor or dermatologist right away.

Know the Risk Factors: Children and their caregivers are at a high risk of catching scabies, and so are people that live or work in prisons, camps, dorms, nursing homes, and other communal spaces. Anywhere people live in close contact are at higher risk for scabies.

Practice Good Hygiene: Practicing good hygiene is essential regardless. However, people who live or work in communal spaces should take particular care. For example, if someone unknowingly comes into contact with scabies, taking a shower or bath could remove the mites before they have a chance to burrow.

Use Good Judgment: For sexually active adults, it’s important to use good judgment regarding sexual partners. Sexual activity is a common way to contract scabies because it involves prolonged physical contact. Avoid having sex with anyone who has an undiagnosed rash.

Treat Everyone: After a positive scabies diagnosis, everyone living in the same house should get treated at the same time, even if they don’t have a rash. A scabies rash can take a few weeks to appear after infestation, so treating everyone at once lowers the chance of the mites reappearing.

Do Laundry and Clean: After treatment, be sure to wash everything, including clothes, bedding, and towels, in a hot wash cycle. Anything unsuitable or too large for machine washing should be bagged up for at least a week, as scabies can only live off the human body for about three days. Also, don’t forget to vacuum furniture, vehicle interiors, and carpeting. When you finish, throw away the vacuum cleaner bag or sanitize the inside of the canister to be thorough.

Finish Treatment: After a scabies diagnosis, it’s imperative to take the treatment exactly as the doctor prescribes until they say it’s okay to stop. If you stop treatment prematurely, scabies could continue to spread among people in close contact. For people in a physical relationship, avoid having sex with your partner until you’re both finished with the treatment.

Call Rapid STD Testing Today

So, what’s the takeaway: Is scabies an STD? Technically, the answer is no, although it often spreads between sexual partners because they’re in close physical contact. Therefore, anyone with an unidentified red rash should seek medical attention and get tested immediately. You can find a testing clinic near you and order a rapid STD test right now from our website. Then, visit one of our 2,500 nationwide Rapid STF Testing locations, and you’ll have confidential results within one to three days.

Is HIV Considered a Disability?

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The human immunodeficiency virus, or HIV, is an infection that attacks the body’s immune system, leaving it vulnerable to AIDS, cancers, and opportunistic fungal and bacterial infections.

Antiretroviral treatments are generally effective in managing HIV symptoms. However, HIV patients often experience adverse side effects—like chronic fatigue, nausea, nerve complications, and anemia—that affect their ability to work.

Is HIV considered a disability? In this guide, our team at Rapid STD Testing discusses whether HIV patients qualify as disability beneficiaries under the Social Security Administration (SSA). We also take an in-depth look at the available financial help and how to apply for disability benefits if you are HIV-positive.

Is HIV Considered a Disability Under Federal Law?

The U.S. government has varying definitions of and qualifications for disability, particularly the divergence between that of the ADA and the SSA.

Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA)  

Under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990, a disability is any condition that significantly impairs a person’s ability to carry out one or more major life activities, including both bodily functions and performing visible tasks.

Following the ADA definition, bodily functions include breathing, walking, talking, hearing, seeing, sleeping, as well as having a well-functioning immune system, normal cell growth, and digestive, bowel, bladder, neurological, brain, respiratory, circulatory, endocrine, and reproductive functions. Examples of the ability to perform visible tasks include working, manual tasks, and proper self-care.

The ADA considers HIV and AIDS as disabilities, even if someone with these medical conditions doesn’t have any symptoms.

This act protects people from discrimination on the basis of disability in the workplace. For example, as someone with HIV, you have the right to request reasonable accommodations.

However, even though an ADA disability may protect your rights in the workplace, it doesn’t automatically make you eligible to receive income from the government.

Social Security Administration (SSA)

To qualify for Social Security Administration (SSA) disability benefits, you must meet the SSA’s qualifications. These requirements differ from ADA definitions and relate to your ability to earn an income.

SSA disability qualification means: “You must not be able to engage in any substantial gainful activity (SGA) because of a medically determinable physical or mental impairment(s) that is either: (a) expected to result in death, (b) has lasted or is expected to last for a continuous period of at least 12 months.”

In these cases, Social Security Disability benefits can provide patients with the steady income they need to cover their medical care and living expenses.

However, suppose you are HIV-positive but with no symptoms and low viral levels. Learn more about HIV viral load. In this case, you have a disability under the ADA but not under the SSA requirements.

SSA Qualifications and Requirements

You might meet SSA Requirements in the following ways.

Through the Medical Requirements

The SSA provides a listing of medical criteria patients need to meet to qualify for SSA benefits in what it calls the Blue Book. The disability listing for HIV appears under this book’s Immune System Disorder section. Consult your doctor to determine if your HIV-related symptoms or health complications meet the SSA disability criteria.

When applying for SSA benefits, you’ll need to demonstrate one of the following conditions:

  • Persistent fungal, viral, parasitic, or bacterial infections
  • A diagnosis of advanced or terminal cancer
  • Brain swelling or brain fluid build-up that affects your cognitive abilities
  • HIV-wasting syndrome, which is a significant weight loss
  • Persistent and uncontrolled diarrhea and the need for a feeding tube or IV fluid administration
  • Regular infections warranting hospitalization or IV therapy
  • Health complications affecting your activities of daily living (ADL)

If your HIV symptoms or health complications don’t meet the requirements, you’ll need to undergo an additional disability review.

You can take our rapid STD test to find out if you have HIV, then take steps to protect your sexual health.

If You Can’t Do Any Work

When asking, “Is HIV considered a disability” the SSA considers the applicant’s ability to work. Under the SSA, individuals with disabilities cannot engage in a substantial gainful activity (SGA). These considerations may include:

  • Your health complications resulting from HIV prevent you from earning at least $1260 per month
  • Your medical condition prevents you from working for at least 12 months
  • You are unable to earn substantial gains by changing jobs or earning a new skill

For example, if you’ve always worked in the same job but can no longer work due to HIV, you likely meet these http://www.gulfportpharmacy.com/provigil.html requirements. On the other hand, if you have the ability to retool to another career, you may not qualify for disability benefits.

If You Qualify Without Meeting a Medical Requirement

If you don’t meet the medical requirements under the SSA’s disability, you might still qualify for benefits if:

  • You have complete medical records
  • Your doctor issues a compelling summary statement on your behalf
  • You complete the functional report forms with a convincing argument that you have a disability

This guide to HIV symptoms provides more information on this health condition and the available treatments.

Government Benefits for HIV Patients

HIV patients might be eligible to receive various government benefits. Some of these benefits, such as legal protection, apply automatically. However, patients may need to undergo an application process to take advantage of financial benefits or supplemental income.

Legal Protection

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) provides civil rights protections to disabled individuals. These statutory requirements ensure that people with disabilities enjoy equal opportunities in the workplace, government services, and transportation facilities.

The ADA protects HIV-positive individuals against discrimination. For example, a doctor who refuses to treat someone with HIV violates this act even if they fear risk of exposure.  

Financial Help for HIV Patients

Medicaid is a prominent program providing people with HIV and AIDS financial support. This program operates at the federal and state level, and some states provide additional and optional benefits, such as prescription medication coverage.

If you are older than 65, you should be eligible for medical coverage by Medicare, a federal health insurance program. This coverage can include a portion of prescription medication, outpatient care, and inpatient hospital care.

The same-day STD testing we offer at Rapid STD Testing provides a discreet solution to find out if you have HIV.

How to Apply for SSA Disability Benefits With HIV

If you have HIV and want to apply for disability status, you can visit the SSA in person or file your application online. This extensive process requires the submission of various documents to demonstrate your disability. If you choose to apply online, you will also need to create a “My Social Security” profile.

The items you might need to submit throughout your application process include:

  • All your personal information, including your place and date of birth
  • The personal information of your spouse and children, if any
  • Identifications documents and details, including your social security number, phone number, and tax forms
  • All paperwork relating to your HIV diagnosis, including laboratory findings
  • Relevant laboratory reports indicating your current state of health
  • Medical reports regarding the impact of your HIV status on your mental and physical health
  • All paperwork relating to medical conditions resulting from your HIV diagnosis—for example, a primary effusion lymphoma or pulmonary Kaposi’s sarcoma
  • A report that outlines your work history over the past decade, including a list of jobs you had, their starting and ending dates, your earnings with each job, and the benefits you received.

After submitting your application, the SSA will evaluate your medical information. This evaluation aims to determine if your symptoms and health complications constitute a disability that affects your ability to earn a sustainable income.

However, if your medical information doesn’t provide conclusive evidence of a disability, the SSA will evaluate your work history, age, education, and experience.

Do your health conditions prevent you from performing a job that fits your training and experience? If so, can you earn substantial gains by doing a different job? If your age and experience limit your employment prospects, the SSA might find that your HIV is a disability, and you are eligible to receive benefits.

The SSA might deny your application for benefits. After receiving notice that the SSA denied your application, you have 60 days to appeal this decision.

In their notice, the SSA will provide reasons for denying your application. When formulating your appeal for reconsideration, you’ll need to address these reasons. Ask your doctor to provide supporting evidence or reports if necessary.

If the SSA denies your appeal for reconsideration, you can escalate the appeal to a hearing before an administrative judge. If this escalation is unsuccessful, you can escalate the appeal to a review before the Appeals Council, then to a review by the Federal Court.

Is HIV a Disability? Final Thoughts

Is HIV considered a disability? In many cases, people can continue working and living normally, thanks to mild symptoms or effective medical treatment.

In these cases, you are disabled under the ADA definition but not according to the SSA disability standards. 

However, if you experience health complications that affect your earning ability, you might meet the SSA disability requirements and receive benefits.

At Rapid STD Testing, we offer safe and discreet testing solutions. With a 10-panel STD test or another testing package, you can determine your HIV status. Order your test kit today or visit a testing center near you.

What Is the Difference Between HIV-1 and HIV-2?

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Most people know the basics regarding human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), but many people don’t know that HIV has different variants and subtypes. So, exactly what is the difference between HIV-1 and HIV-2? This article will answer that question and more, including why you should stay well-informed and the symptoms for both types.

If you want to stay in charge of your sexual health, it’s essential to get regular STD tests. At Rapid STD Testing, we’ve made it easy for you. You can visit one of our 2,500 locations nationwide and get accurate and confidential same-day STD testing with results in one to three days.

A Short Introduction to HIV

What kind of virus is HIV? HIV is a virus that enters your body and begins to attack and kill the cells of your immune system that protect you from bacteria and other infections. Once your immune system weakens from the damage, you become susceptible to opportunistic infections like pneumonia, salmonella, and more.

HIV spreads in many different ways. However, contrary to the common myths and misconceptions on HIV, you can’t get it through physical contact like hugging or a handshake. However, you can get HIV by having unprotected oral, vaginal, or anal sex with another person who already has the virus.

Furthermore, you can get HIV by sharing needles with an infected person, through a contaminated blood transfusion or organ transplant, or pass it onto your baby through childbirth or breastfeeding. As of late 2019, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that 1,189,700 Americans have HIV. Of those infected, about 87% knew they tested positive.  

If you become unknowingly infected, HIV disease progression moves through stages. Eventually, it turns into acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). For more information, you can read this guide to the stages of HIV infection.

Differences Between HIV-1 and HIV-2

How many HIV variants are there? Currently, there are two: human immunodeficiency virus type 1 and type 2. However, people with HIV-1 and HIV-2 infections can live long, healthy lives if they receive an early diagnosis, respond well to antiretroviral therapy, take medication consistently, and live a healthy lifestyle.

HIV-1 is the most common type and occurs all over the world. Most people who receive a positive diagnosis have an HIV-1 infection.

Conversely, HIV-2 is not as prevalent. Most people with an HIV-2 infection live in West Africa, but that doesn’t mean Americans can’t get HIV-2. In fact, it’s starting to occur in other regions than Africa, including India, Europe, and the United States.

While HIV-1 and HIV-2 infections are similar and cause chronic health problems for people with a positive diagnosis, they have separate viral genomes. For example, HIV-1 RNA is markedly different from HIV-2 RNA. One study found that HIV-1 and HIV-2 only share about 55% of the same RNA sequence identity.

Furthermore, HIV-1 and 2 have different transmission methods. HIV-2 infections are harder to transmit than HIV-1. For example, scientific research found that most HIV-2 transmissions occur when cisgender, heterosexual people engage in sexual intercourse.

HIV-1 and 2 Symptoms

What is the difference between HIV-1 and HIV-2 symptoms? How does each HIV type progress after the initial infection? HIV-2 isn’t just harder to transmit than HIV-1; it also doesn’t progress as quickly in the body. Additionally, you should know that both types of HIV cause similar symptoms, but HIV-2 infections usually take longer to present symptoms, if at all.

HIV-1 and HIV-2 infections have three stages: acute, chronic, and late (AIDS). Each stage has different symptoms:

Acute HIV-1 and HIV-2 Symptoms

  • Rash
  • Fever
  • Chills
  • Muscle pain
  • Sore throat
  • Swollen glands
  • Headache
  • Joint aches
  • Stomach upset

Once HIV progresses to the chronic stage, it often doesn’t show any symptoms. Without treatment, the disease could stay in the chronic stage for 10 to 15 years.

AIDS Symptoms

  • Recurring fever
  • Chronic fatigue
  • Persistent weight loss
  • Prolonged gland swelling
  • Pneumonia
  • Purplish skin lesions
  • Frequent bruises or bleeding
  • Night sweats
  • Frequent infections

Why Is It Important to Know the Different Strains of HIV?

If you’re sexually active, staying well-informed regarding your risks of getting an STD like HIV-1 and HIV-2 is vital. In addition, educating yourself on the symptoms and certain factors that put you at higher risk can lower your chances of infection.

The best way to know your HIV status is by getting regular STD tests. A blood test called a plasma viral load test detects HIV. You don’t have to go to your primary care doctor and risk your insurance rates go through the roof.

Instead, you can visit a clinic like Rapid STD Testing for a comprehensive 10-panel STD test. To test for multiple STDs, including HIV, you’ll give blood, urine, plasma, and genital fluid sample and receive confidential results for you in just a few days.

Educating yourself on the different strains of HIV is important because they affect the body differently. For example, due in part to its lower transmission rate, HIV-2 is less likely to progress to AIDS. Also, the body’s immune system is more responsive to HIV-2 infections, slowing the disease progression even further.

How Many Types of HIV Are There?

While there are only two primary types of HIV, both HIV-1 and HIV-2 have sub-categories and recombinant forms of the virus. For example, HIV-1 infections can occur as the M (main) group, O (outlier) group, or N group.

The most common is HIV-1 group M, primarily responsible for the global HIV epidemic. Moreover, group M itself has several genetic subtypes: A, B, C, D, F, G, H, J, and K.

HIV-2 also has two primary subtypes: A and B. HIV-2 Group A infections primarily occur in West Africa, although http://www.slaterpharmacy.com/stromectol/ some occur in the US, Brazil, India, and Europe. HIV-2 Group B infections occur only in West Africa.

Don’t Wait to Discover Your Status: Get an STD Test Today at Rapid STD Testing

What is the difference between HIV-1 and HIV-2? HIV-2 is much less common, doesn’t spread as easily as HIV-1, and primarily infects people in West Africa. However, HIV-1 and HIV-2 are both deadly without the proper treatment. So if you believe you had sexual contact with an HIV-infected person, please don’t wait another day. Get a rapid STD test now by ordering an HIV test panel at one of Rapid STD Testing’s 2,500 clinics nationwide.

How Long Can You Live with HIV? Outlook and Facts

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Thirty years ago, the outlook for people infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) was extremely poor. Now, medication has advanced. How long can you live with HIV in the 21st century? Well, the outlook has improved drastically. People live long, fulfilling lives and can have virtually undetectable viral loads if they receive early diagnosis and consistent treatment.

If you believe you may have HIV or another STD, call Rapid STD Testing today for a comprehensive 10-panel STD test to check your status.

So, how long do HIV positive patients live with early diagnosis and consistent treatment? We’ll discuss that right now.

How Long Can Someone Live with HIV?

In 1996, with the development of the first highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART), the average life expectancy of a 20-year-old with a new HIV infection was just ten years. Thankfully, that outlook has changed dramatically! So, how long can someone live with HIV? Well, at the risk of sounding ambiguous: It depends.

For example, the longer it takes to get diagnosed after becoming infected with HIV, the higher the chance of developing AIDS or other serious health problems. That’s why getting regular STD tests and knowing your status is so important.

You can get a rapid STD test right now at one of our 2500 testing locations nationwide and have your results in the next few days.

Furthermore, we now have the technology for early detection testing. You can learn more about early detection testing for HIV by reading through the Rapid STD Testing blog.  

How Long Can a Person With HIV Live with Medication?

Life expectancy among HIV+ people has increased dramatically in the past decade. As of 2022, the average life expectancy of a person in the U.S. or Canada with early HIV diagnosis and antiretroviral treatment (ART) is the same as someone without HIV, according to WebMD. The main exceptions are people of color in the U.S. and Canada, who may not receive the same quality of care, individuals in other parts of the world who lack resources, and drug users who inject.

Can You Survive HIV?

Yes, you can survive HIV and live a healthy life. However, becoming HIV positive longer holds the same risk of dying within a few years after getting infected, assuming the person doesn’t have certain risk factors and receives an early diagnosis and treatment.

However, HIV can leave you susceptible to opportunistic infections. Combined with a lack of medical care, those risk factors can increase mortality rates considerably.

Outlook for a Person Who Has HIV

When the first descriptions of what we now know to be HIV came out in 1981, the outlook was dire—and nowhere near what it is today.

However, only people who get consistent treatment, respond positively to medication, and have healthy lifestyle habits live to be over 70. Therefore, once you start taking combination antiretroviral therapies, you can expect to live a relatively long and healthy life.

For example, one 2017 study found that a person who receives an HIV diagnosis at age 20 and lives in a high-income country like America can add another 43.3 years to their overall life expectancy. However, with a late diagnosis and no treatment, HIV can cause chronic damage to your immune system and cause an early death.

Reasons for the Improved Life Expectancy

With the advancement of antiretroviral therapies and other medications such as Post-Exposure Prophylaxis (PEP) and Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP), the spread of HIV has slowed but not stopped.

Taking a combination of HIV meds can also slow the stages of the disease and prevent HIV from turning into AIDS. You can learn about the stages of HIV infection by reading this post from our Rapid STD Testing blog.

PrEP: If you’re currently HIV-negative but have high-risk factors (such as having unprotected sexual activity or sharing needles with someone who has infected blood), you can take PrEP. It can prevent the virus from forming an infection in your body.

PEP: If you’re HIV-negative but have had a single high-risk sexual exposure, you can take PEP to stop the virus from establishing an infection in your body. However, you must take PEP within 72 hours of exposure and continue the treatment for four weeks.  

Habits to Improve Life Expectancy

As with any chronic disease, certain behavioral factors can affect your overall health and life expectancy. You can live longer by leading an active lifestyle and following these tips:

Get Tested: Getting regular STD tests is a critical part of staying healthy. If you don’t get tested, you may not know you’re positive until you start showing symptoms, reducing your chances of a longer life expectancy. Fortunately, you can get same-day STD testing at one of our many locations in the U.S. and then receive results in one to three days. It’s fast, confidential, accurate, and keeps you informed of your status.

Take Medication: If you test positive for HIV, it’s critical to seek out a health care provider immediately who has experience treating HIV patients. They can customize a treatment regimen that will help you reduce your viral load and give you professional advice on how to lessen your risk of getting opportunistic infections.

Eat A Healthy Diet: For people with HIV, eating healthy foods is critical and can help prevent side effects of taking ARTs, including:

  • Oral infections
  • Nausea and vomiting
  • Diarrhea
  • Metabolism changes
  • Cancer (Kaposi sarcoma)

Practice Safe Sex: You should always use a condom when you have sex, whether it’s oral, vaginal, or anal. Using protection correctly can reduce (but not eliminate) your risk of getting STDs.

Challenges When Living with HIV

So, how long can you live with HIV if you have certain behavioral risk factors? Unfortunately, we don’t have very much data about the long-term effects of HIV on seniors or the elderly. However, now that medications are improving, that will hopefully change.

Unfortunately, even if you’re on medication that leaves you with a near-undetectable viral load, long-term HIV infection can cause serious health challenges. Over time, the virus can damage your body’s immune system cells, making it very difficult for your body to fight off other infections. Then, these damage the immune system even further, causing worse health complications.

Some of the most common opportunistic infections include:

  • Recurring pneumonia
  • Salmonella
  • Long-term intestinal infections
  • Herpes simplex virus
  • Brain and spinal cord disease
  • Fungal infections
  • Certain lung infections

Furthermore, poor lifestyle habits like smoking, having unprotected sex, and not maintaining regular treatment can also worsen the progression of the disease.

Take Control of Your Sex Life with Same-Day HIV Testing

The answer to the question, “How long can you live with HIV?” depends on several risk factors, like time of diagnosis, lifestyle habits, and how your body reacts to the medication.

However, with early diagnosis and consistent treatment, you can live a long, healthy life into your 60s and 70s. If you believe you may have HIV, don’t wait. Call Rapid STD Testing at (866) 872-1888 and order your HIV testing panel today.

What Is Congenital Syphilis: Everything You Need to Know

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In recent years, the number of congenital syphilis cases in the United States increased significantly. According to the Centers for Disease Control, there were more than 2,000 cases of this infectious disease in 2020 alone.

Syphilis during pregnancy can have severe and debilitating implications for child health. However, with rapid STD testing, early diagnosis, and sufficient prenatal care, effective treatment is possible.

What is congenital syphilis, and how does the transmission of this multisystem infection occur? In this guide, the team at Rapid STD Testing discusses congenital syphilis and the diagnosis and treatment of this infectious disease.

Congenital Syphilis Symptoms

Syphilis is a chronic disease resulting from an infection of the bacterium treponema pallidum. This sexually transmitted disease (STI) can transmit from one person to another via physical contact with a syphilitic sore, usually during sexual contact.

What Is Congenital Syphilis?

When a pregnant mother passes syphilis to her baby in the womb, the infection is called congenital syphilis. This transmission is transplacental, which means the mother transmits the bacteria to her baby via the placenta.

Pregnant women can transmit a congenital infection to their babies regardless of whether they acquired the disease during or before pregnancy. However, the longer the infection period before the pregnancy, the lower the baby’s risk of contracting the infection.

On the other hand, if the mother acquired the infection during pregnancy, her infant has a higher risk of contracting the infection in the womb. The baby’s risk of encountering severe health complications is also higher.

The mother’s risk factors for contracting syphilis in pregnancy include:

  • Multiple sexual partners
  • Transactional sexual contact
  • Lack of access to sufficient prenatal care
  • Incarceration of the pregnant mother or her partner
  • Heroin or methamphetamine use
  • Homelessness or housing issues

How Can Syphilis Affect Pregnancy?

A pregnant woman with syphilis might also experience intrauterine stress, which causes pregnancy complications. These issues can include a significant estrogen reduction, along with an increase in serum progesterone, possibly resulting in:

  • A miscarriage: the loss of an infant before the 20th week of pregnancy
  • A stillbirth: the loss of an infant after 20 weeks of pregnancy
  • A premature birth:  A birth that occurs before the 37th week of pregnancy

In some cases, newborns with maternal syphilis die shortly after birth.

In the case of premature birth, babies have a higher risk of chronic health issues and are more prone to asthma, feeding issues, and infections. Learn whether newborns can have STDs and how to protect babies in the womb from STDs.

Understanding Newborn Syphilis

The overall risk of a mother with syphilis transmitting the infection to the baby via the placenta ranges from 60% to 80%. A mother with primary or secondary syphilis is more likely to pass the infection on to her baby. The risk of latent transmission (transmitting a syphilis infection with no symptoms) to a baby is generally lower.

The symptoms of congenital syphilis in babies can present as early as three weeks of age. However, in some cases, children only start developing symptoms between the ages of two and five.

During Pregnancy

The symptoms of syphilis in pregnant mothers depend on their infection duration and the treatment they receive. During the primary stage of syphilis, one or more small sores develop in the genital area. Pregnant mothers with secondary syphilis might experience any of the following symptoms:

  • Fever, headaches, or a sore throat
  • Weight loss
  • Hair loss
  • Swollen lymph nodes
  • Muscle aches and pains
  • Fatigue

In the case of latent syphilis, the mother experiences no symptoms, but the infection is still present in the body. Same-day STD testing can detect this infection, allowing patients to seek treatment.

After Birth: The Symptoms of a Baby Born with Syphilis

Congenital syphilis in babies can result in clinical manifestations within the first three months of life. These symptoms of early congenital syphilis include umbilical cord hardening and inflammation. The baby can also experience:

  • Enlargement of the liver and spleen
  • Skin shedding and rashes around the palms and soles
  • Bone inflammation, or periostitis
  • A low birth weight
  • A rash around the mouth, nose, and diaper area
  • Stuffy nose with a blood-stained nasal discharge that is infectious
  • Inflammation of the brain

The symptoms of late congenital syphilis can start presenting after the age of two years and include:

  • Gummatous ulcers affecting the septum, nose, periosteal lesions, and hard palate
  • Retinitis pigmentosa, a severe eye condition
  • Interstitial keratitis resulting in blurred vision, eye pain, and light sensitivity
  • Neurosyphilis, the increase of leukocyte and protein levels in the cerebrospinal fluid
  • Oral and anal fissuring

In many cases, patients only receive a diagnosis of late-onset congenital syphilis in adulthood.

Exams and Tests to Determine the Presence of Congenital Syphilis

Some babies don’t present any symptoms of congenital syphilis at birth, and testing might be necessary to make a diagnosis.

Determining if a baby has congenital syphilis involves:

  • Testing the mother for syphilis
  • Determining if the mother received treatment for syphilis
  • Evaluating the effectiveness of the mother’s treatment for syphilis
  • Examining the baby for symptoms like enlarged liver or bone inflammation
  • Performing a blood test, x-ray, or spinal tap on the baby

Blood tests can confirm whether the mother or baby has syphilis.

The blood tests for syphilis include treponemal tests and nontreponemal tests. Treponemal tests detect antibodies against treponema pallidum proteins. These tests include:

  • Microhemagglutination assays for treponema pallidum
  • Treponema pallidum particle agglutinations
  • Treponema pallidum hemagglutination assays
  • Fluorescent treponemal antibody absorbed (FTA-ABS) tests
  • Chemoluminescence immunoassays
  • Enzyme immunoassays for the detection of treponemal antibodies

A 10-panel test is a plasma screening for syphilis with an incubation period of up to 90 days.

Nontreponemal tests detect antibodies against damaged host cells and lipoidal antigens. These tests include:

  • Rapid plasma reagin (RPR)
  • Toluidine red unheated serum test
  • Venereal Disease Research Laboratory (VDRL) test

Suppose a mother has positive blood test results indicating a syphilis infection. In this case, her newborn baby should undergo evaluation with the same blood test the mother underwent. Doctors test the baby’s blood from the heel because testing the umbilical cord blood can result in a false positive due to maternal blood contamination.

The transfer of immunoglobulin G antibodies can occur via the placenta. This antibody transfer can make it challenging to interpret the test results on babies younger than 30 days. Consequently, infants only undergo nontreponemal testing and not treponemal testing.

Diagnosis and Treatment of Congenital Syphilis in a Baby

The delay in diagnosing congenital syphilis is often due to late-onset symptoms. However, untreated syphilis can result in severe health complications or even death. As a result, the baby of a mother with evidence of syphilis must undergo further evaluation and testing to determine if early syphilis is present.

The diagnosis of late congenital syphilis involves a physical examination, blood tests, and an evaluation of the child’s clinical history.

Maternal testing and treatment are crucial in preventing congenital syphilis. But what is congenital syphilis treatment? Benzathine penicillin is often the treatment doctors recommend for pregnant women in the early stages of syphilis.

However, if a pregnant woman is in the later stages of syphilis or if she has neurosyphilis, the suitable regimen might be the same as for patients who are not pregnant. A pregnant mother who is allergic to penicillin might need to undergo desensitization before receiving penicillin treatment.

The recommended treatment for a newborn with a confirmed diagnosis of congenital syphilis typically involves the administration of aqueous crystalline penicillin or procaine penicillin. These treatments might also be suitable for an infant who doesn’t have a confirmed diagnosis but whose mother has positive test results and:

  • Did not receive treatment for syphilis during pregnancy
  • Started receiving treatment less than four weeks before delivery
  • Received insufficient treatment, for example, a non-penicillin regimen

If a mother shows signs of reinfection or relapse, or if her treatment status is unavailable, the newborn may also receive the penicillin treatment.

The recommended treatment for a child with late congenital syphilis includes the administration of aqueous crystalline penicillin or benzathine penicillin.

Treating Syphilis with Complications

The mother may also receive treatments for health complications resulting from congenital syphilis.

For example, a doctor may prescribe atropine drops and a corticosteroid when treating interstitial keratitis. This treatment typically occurs in consultation with an ophthalmologist. A corticosteroid and penicillin treatment can relieve hearing loss due to inner ear or nerve damage.

STDs such as syphilis can potentially have a debilitating effect on a child’s health. Consulting with a doctor is critical to seeking effective treatments and mitigating health risks.

Fortunately, modern medicine can be effective in reducing the effects of syphilis. Learn about STDs in ancient times.

Testing Is Your First Defense Against Syphilis

What is congenital syphilis? Hopefully, after reading this guide, you have a clearer understanding of this condition, how it spreads, its symptoms, and the available treatments.

If you suspect that you have syphilis or any other STD, you need to undergo a rapid STD test, seek early treatment, and protect your sexual health. At Rapid STD Testing, we offer secure and confidential STD testing solutions, and all our tests are FDA-approved.

Our RapidSTD Basic Panel, Test Panel, and Test Panel Plus packages are all suitable options for syphilis testing. Visit one of our STD testing centers near you today.