HIV- A perspective

[Guest guest]

Hi,This mail has been written by Mayank who works in Ranbaxy. So gothrough it and know about the actual causes of HIV(AIDS).The purpose of sending this mail to U is to be aware of the nonsensestuff from the net, don't panic if you find a Needle in the Theatre or

some threatening note of infection.Dear Friends!!!Its good to be well informed about HIV. There was a story on junk somedays back where it is said that a boy got infected by HIV virus byeating pani-puri. And there have also been rumors where people are

affectedby the HIV virus when they got pricked by an HIV infected needle intheaters which is rubbish.So read along!RANBAXY....I have seen this below mentioned mail floating across group email & I

feel its my moral responsibility to correct all misconceptionsregardingHIV /AIDS.I can do this because I am educated enough to comment on this and forthose who don't know my profession ...I am serving as Brand Manager

(Product Manager) handling anti HIV/AIDS portfolio (called asAntiretroviral Drugs) in Ranbaxy.Please read following points carefully & don't send emails related toMedical ailments without having complete knowledge about it (even

partial knowledge could be grossly dangerous).* HIV (virus) requires *ONLY* *Blood or Semen* as medium to transmitfrom one body to another.* HIV *can not* transmit even through *Saliva*(mucous) i.e

.. even ifHIV-infected patient coughs or smooches and another person is exposedto his sputum (cough) or saliva, the virus still can not transmitbecause concentration of virus particles in sputum is almost NIL &

exposureto air anyway kills virus in fraction of seconds.* In case an HIV-infected person gets an injury (like the cut inbelow mentioned story) and he is bleeding, the virus can transmit toanother person only if another person has a cut/wound in his body &

that toowhen blood from both person comes in contact with each other* (this isalso very very rare unless bleeding is very high) and not otherwise.* HIV can *never survive in any other liquid* medium also other than

blood or semen ( & please for God sake ... never in Pani Puri wala pani)* Even if one drinks an HIV infected blood (or semen) of someone(ingest through Gastro Intestinal track), the virus can not survive in

theacidic pH of stomach*. Highest extent of acidity is 0 (practically notpossible) so imagine 1 as pH which is in our stomach. (This pH can burnyour own finger in less than a second if you dip in that acid).

* Exposure of less than 1 second in AIR KILLS the HIV virus*(hencestory of needle pricks in Cinema theatres is a crap). Even if bloodfroma wound (of infected person) dries up (*blood clot*), *the virus

dies*and can not infect anyone else* HIV transmission is *ONLY* an *INFECTION* i.e.entrance of virus inone's body. It *DOES NOT MEAN AIDS*.** An HIV-infected person (after entrance of virus) can progress to a

condition of AIDS only after *8 to 10 YEARS *(not in 15 days as in thePani Puri story)* It is *not HIV (virus) that kills a human* .....the virus attacksimmune cells (cells that fight against foreign pathogens/antigens) and

hence a person's ability to fight against infections & diseases slowlydiminishes and person ultimately dies of a disease which could be assimple as TB* Most importantly, HIV is no longer a dreadful disease ... it is

" *CHRONIC MANAGEABLE DISEASE* " just like Diabetes or Hypertension.* If there is anything you need to be careful from to prevent HIV isUnsafe sex*, *Blood transfusion* (check before taking) /Blood donation

(use sterilized needles only) and any *blood contact during an accident*or so where amount of bleeding is very high.PLZ O PLZ spread this message to avoid rumors and to educate people.I was sent this mail by a dear friend.So plz spread it everyone n showu care.Regards-- S. VENKATANARAYANAN