As per a report prepared and issued by UNAIDS, around 37.9 million people suffered from HIV at the end of 2018 on a global level. After using diagnosing methods like- Elisa immunoassay kits, more than 24.5 million underwent antiretroviral therapy by the end of June 2019.
And, unfortunately, this number is expected to increase if no proper precautions & medical proceedings are followed.
Now, where a whopping high number of people are bearing the effects of HIV, on the contrary, people are suffering from human papillomavirus (HPV) as well.
In case you are not aware of what HPV is or how it is different from HIV, here are the details of both the medical terms.
What Is HIV?
Also referred to as ‘Human Immunodeficiency Virus,’ HIV is a sexually transmitted virus that attacks the immune system via entering into blood cells. This virus damages and kills the number of CD4-positive T cells (also known as white blood cells) in the body making the sufferer weaker day by day.
In a high majority of cases, it has been witnessed that, HIV transmits through-
- Breast milk
- Semen
- Blood
- Rectal or vaginal fluids
When left untreated for a long time, HIV enters its third stage which is also named AIDS (Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome).
What Is HPV?
Rarely people know HPV (human papillomavirus) is yet another kind of sexually transmitted infection that turns into deadly health issues including-
- Cervical cancer
- Genital warts
At present, no less than 79 million Americans are suffering from HPV and somewhere 14 million people have been recently diagnosed with this life-taking health issue.
What Are The Causes Behind HIV?
The major reasons for transmitting HIV includes-
- Blood
- Semen
- Sexual contact with the HIV sufferer
- Sharing used needles
- It transmits to the baby from the mother
What Are The Causes Behind HPV?
This type of sexual infection enter one’s body via-
- Cut/wounds
- Skin-to-skin contact
- Anal intercourse
- Contact through the genital region
No matter HPV or HIV, if both these health issues are left untreated or ignored for a long time can turn into a deadly circumstance for the sufferer. The first step towards treating HIV or HPV is to understand its symptoms.
What Are The Most Common Symptoms Of HIV?
Here are some early signs of HIV which need to be understood and treated to avoid being in its worse stage.
- Constant headache
- Joint or muscle pain
- Rashes
- Temperature
- Unusually swollen lymph nodes
- Fatigue
- Thrush
- Sore throat
These symptoms may become worse if the sufferer has entered into the 2nd or 3rd stage of HIV.
What Are The Most Common Symptoms Of HPV?
HPV does not reflect its symptoms at an early age but whenever one feels unusual or constantly ill, it is highly recommended to undergo a regular health check-up.
Here are some HPV symptoms to recognize:
- Warts (especially genital warts)
- A cluster of bumps in anal, around penis or scrotum in men & women it shows up around cervix
What Are The Risk Factors For HPV?
This infection enters into a human body through unprotected intercourse including- oral, vaginal, anal sex & any other type of skin-to-skin contact. It attacks the skin of hands or feet and genital mucus membranes.
What Are The Risk Factors For HIV?
Sexual penetration is not the only reason behind transmitting HIV. Exposure to the vaginal fluids of an HIV positive patient is enough to transmit this deadly virus in one’s body.
In addition, anal, vaginal or even oral sex increases the risk of getting HIV. For quick diagnoses, one can buy Elisa kit online & detect the actual status of HIV reactions in the body. However, one may require the assistance of an expert to use the kit appropriately.
The Bottom Line-
Both (HIV & HPV) are sexually transmitted viruses that turn into life-taking health issues when left untreated for more than 4-6 months after diagnosing the possible symptoms. The medical procedures for both are somehow similar and the worst part is both (HIV & HPV) are incurable diseases.
The best solution to avoid getting affected in this state is to undergo timely medical health checkups and follow the prescription recommended. Here, the sufferer can expect to have life expediency but cannot get rid of these health problems.
