Question

HIV is considered a chronic infectious disease. With access to health care and adherence to suggested HAART therapy, people are living normal lives through their late adulthood without AIDS progression. Let's talk a little bit about the rights and responsibilities of a person with a chronic communicable disease like HIV.

1) Currently, military applicants who test positive for HIV are excluded from participating in military service, regardless of the ability to perform. Would you consider this discrimination of a pre-existing condition?

2) Active duty military or reservists that test positive (they are tested biannually) are allowed to stay in the military, and only discharged when soldiers are physically deteriorated or cognitively inept. Recently, multiple men have been forcibly discharged from the military due to a positive HIV test, despite being asymptomatic, overall in 'good' physical and mental health, and adhering to HAART therapy. Do you think there is any rational argument to remove service men and women from duty if they are HIV positive? Is this a violation of the rights of the individuals?

3) What do you think of the scenario where an HIV infected individual is in a combat-zone, receives an injury, and potentially exposes his or her fellow soldiers to their blood during rescue efforts?

4) It is highly recommended that HIV positive pregnant females take HAART therapy throughout their pregnancy. HAART during pregnancy has proven highly efficacious in minimizing the transmission of HIV from mother to fetus throughout pregnancy and during birth. However, it is not legally required for a pregnant woman to take HAART therapy, even when the mother is provided HAART through government funding such as MassHealth. Should a DOTS-like program (remember from the TB lecture) be required for pregnant HIV females?

5)  Persons who inject drugs can substantially reduce their risk of getting and transmitting HIV, viral hepatitis and other blood-borne infections by using a sterile needle and syringe for every injection. In many jurisdictions, persons who inject drugs can access sterile needles and syringes through syringe services programs and through pharmacies without a prescription. However, a largely conservative population views these programs as a promotion of addict behavior. Do you agree with this sentiment? If yes, explain. If no, how can we change these views?

Answer 1

HIV and HAART therapy, HIV is responsible for an infectious disease , HIV is a virus that damages the immune system because immune system helps the body to fight against the infection, (HIV-- human immunodefiency virus),infect and kills CD4 cells (known as T cells), this HIV virus is transmitted through bodily fluids that are; -blood,semen, rectal fluids etc, without treatment a person suffering from HIV is likely to develop AIDS now immune system is too weak to fight against infection, HAART (highly active antiretroviral therapy) which comprises three or more drugs , HIV causes progressive damage to the immune system largely through loss of CD4(T lymphocytes), this antiretroviral therapy interrupts crucial steps of the HIV life cycle ,so HAART is the only given treatment for HIV infection ,, 1. HIV positive refers to the person who is infected with the human immunodeficiency virus which suspected as the person may have AIDS when a person tested HIV positive then that army man cannot be terminated from his services because this HIV virus cannot be trasmitted through air droplet or water droplets and also it cannot be transmitted by touch ,so misbehaving with the person is not good gesture. 2,, Asymptomatic HIV infection is the second stage of HIV,during asymptomatic stage there is no symptoms of HIV infection and the virus keeps multiplying in the body and the immune system slowly weakens but the person has no symptoms, so during asymptomytic conditions there is no appearance of any symptoms but removing or termination from service is not appreciable. 3,, when a HIV infected person got injury comes in contact with other then the there is less chances of transfer of HIV because this virus transferred only through fluids and this wound doesnot transfer HIV ,.. 4.. HAART therapy is the only treatment for HIV patient causes prematued delivery ,.5.. person who is using syring and other medicines may reduced the effects of HIV in a patients.,