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According to a report by Ipsos for the National AIDS Center, most Poles are not tested for HIV or other sexually transmitted diseases (STIs). It is believed that this may be due to the fear of receiving a positive test result. Only a few decades ago, such a diagnosis was usually tantamount to a death sentence. Fortunately, today, thanks to advanced research methods, HIV patients have access to effective therapies that guarantee them long life.
We still know too little about HIV
We hear about HIV and AIDS most often on television. It is from here, according to research, that we derive our knowledge of the routes of infection and risk factors. However, our knowledge about the feasibility of testing is still relatively low. It turns out that we don’t know that HIV testing can be done for free, and most importantly completely anonymously. A statistical Pole is aware of the fact that the virus is transmitted sexually or through contact with contaminated blood, but little is aware of the fact that HIV can be transmitted to a child during childbirth or breastfeeding.
December 1 is the World AIDS Day and its symbol is a red bow. This is a good opportunity to educate yourself about sexually transmitted diseases and break the taboo that has been associated with the HIV virus for years. The more so because the test is simple and quick, and the treatment is effective. People with HIV can live as long as healthy, but the condition is that the infection is detected early and treated appropriately. Moreover, low levels of HIV in the blood (less than 200 HIV RNA copies / ml in the blood) during treatment prevent the patient from infecting other people, including their sexual partners.
- In Poland, every second infected person does not know that he is sick. He’s alive and passes the virus on
How do I get an HIV test?
HIV screening test can be performed at one of over 30 Diagnostic and Consultation Centers in Poland, including Warsaw, Wrocław, Łódź, Zielona Góra, or in Poznań. Biological material is collected from blood, and you do not need to be on an empty stomach during the test. It is important that a minimum of 14 days elapse from the risk event to the time of testing. Such a test is performed anonymously (without giving the name and surname), and the result is obtained after a few days (even on the second day). This is not the only such option. You can also order the test without leaving your home via the Projekt Test website. The service is free, fast and discreet.
You can also find INSTI HIV Mail-Order HIV Screening Test on Medonet Market. It will allow you to check if you are infected with the virus.
HIV in Poland and in the world
In 2019, there were approx. 38 million people in the world, and according to the National AIDS Center, this number in Poland is approx. 25 thousand. people (of which almost 4000 have AIDS), with 3-4 new cases every day. During the SARS-CoV-2 epidemic, the percentage of infected people fell by 60%, but this is due to the lower frequency of tests.
The UNAIDS strategy (United Nations Program to Combat HIV / AIDS) 90-90-90 assumed that by 2020:
- 90% of those infected with HIV will be aware of it,
- 90% of patients will receive treatment with antiretroviral therapy (ARV),
- 90% of HIV patients will be cured.
The implementation of this strategy in Poland may turn out to be a significant problem, because according to research conducted by sexologist Zbigniew Izdebski, about 90% of Poles claim that HIV is a problem that does not concern them. Therefore, it is estimated that about 20% of people infected with this virus in Poland simply do not know about their disease.
Effective treatment is possible! What is life with HIV in Poland like?
Advances in medicine and biomedical technologies today enable the effective treatment of many chronic diseases, including HIV infection. The latest strategy for treating HIV infections in Poland envisages subjecting patients to antiretroviral therapy financed from public funds under the Ministry of Health program “Antiretroviral treatment of people living with HIV in Poland for 2017-2021”.
The aim of the implemented treatment is to inhibit the replication (multiplication) of HIV. This is the only way to prevent a compromised immune system and, consequently, the development of AIDS. ARV multi-drug therapies make HIV undetectable in the blood serum, and the patient can lead a normal life. Most importantly, then it does not pose a threat to others. We are talking about a phenomenon called U = U, which means Undetectable = Untrasmittable. A person with HIV can live as long as a healthy person, but the most important thing is to implement appropriate treatment quickly.
HIV experts emphasize that care for HIV patients in Poland is at a high level. From the moment of receiving a positive test result, the patient receives quick and professional help, not only pharmacological but also psychological. The type of drug is selected individually for each patient. Importantly, the treatment is free of charge.
According to the study “The approach of patients living with HIV to antiretroviral drug therapy” commissioned by GlaxoSmithKline, in almost 50% of cases, the choice of drug therapy for ARV was decided by patients together with the attending physician. Most of the respondents experienced a change of therapy several times (from 1 to 5 times). The most common reason was the introduction of a newer generation drug. Before each such change, the patient was informed by the physician about the reasons for the change of treatment.
One of the most common concerns of people treated with multi-drug ARV therapies is the occurrence of side effects resulting from long-term treatment. Most patients emphasize that they would like to switch to one that is less harmful. The more so as there are often additional interactions with other drugs used in parallel. The implementation of two-drug therapy, which limits the number of pharmaceuticals taken, gives hope.
Read also:
- The HIV virus is expected to disappear by 2030. Will this plan be implemented?
- Patient zero: he had 2,5 thousand lovers, many knowingly infected with HIV
- An HIV attack lasts two hours. This video shows the moment of infection