Tag Archives: disease transmission

Preventing Mother-to-Child Transmission of HIV

The World Health Organization is working hard to reduce the number of pregnant mothers around the world who pass HIV on to their unborn children. HIV is not automatically passed from mother to unborn child. This is good news! But there is always a chance that the disease will be transmitted. The main way to prevent transmission is through the use of antiretroviral drugs. What are antiretroviral drugs? These are medications taken to treat infection by retroviruses like HIV… which opens up another question: what are retroviruses? A retrovirus is a virus that inserts itself into a host cell and … Continue reading →

Twenty-Five Years of AIDS: Disease Transmission

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Right now, there is no cure for HIV or AIDS. Slowing the spread of the disease is currently the only way we have of controlling it. The disease is spread in several ways: Through sexual contact with an infected person Sharing needles with an infected person Through transfusions of infected blood or blood clotting factors, or receipt of infected organs While pregnant, during childbirth, or by breast-feeding Since 1985, the risk of contracting HIV or AIDS through blood transfusions or organ donation has become very low. Many countries screen blood for HIV antibodies before using it. The disease is NOT … Continue reading →