There are multiple diagnostic tests available to detect HIV/AIDS. The traditional test was not sensitive enough to detect the infection at the early stage, but newer variants are able to. Older testing took up to 3-6 months after exposure to test positive, newer methods can detect the virus in 3 weeks to 3 months. Understanding HIV testing Apart from government health centres, there are lots of organisations working to control the spread of HIV and have free test centres available. These centres are sensitive to your privacy and all testing will be done with the concept of confidentiality. The HIV counselor will guide you through the HIV testing process and explain the possible implications of the test results. The test results cannot be declared to anyone unless you authorise them to release the results. There are HIV test kits available for self-testing at home, however, it is advised that the interpretation of the result should be done by an expert only. Other situations when the HIV testing should be done are as follows:    Before donating a blood    Sperm donation for artificial insemination    Before donating any organs for transplantation    Adoption of a child It is very important to understand that HIV test may be negative during initial weeks of the infection.

Overview of HIV Treatment The guidelines for managing HIV infection have evolved over time based on in-depth understanding of the disease and availability of new treatment options. The important concept of HIV management is “hitting the virus in the infancy of the infection and fighting it hard enough to prevent the infection establishment in the body”. The goal of treatment is to boost the host immune system and CD4 count while reducing the viral load so that the body can defeat the virus. The treatment focuses on preventing replication of the virus inside the body. A close watch on CD4+ T cells is required to check the efficacy of the treatment as this cell count represents the improvement in the immunity. This improvement is possible only when the replication of the HIV virus is stopped. The success of the treatment requires continued suppression of the viral growth. Although it is not an easy task, as, over a period of time, the virus learns to defeat the drugs and becomes less sensitive to the therapy. Such mutation of the virus can lead to failure of therapy. Therefore, treatment of HIV infection and AIDS usually lasts lifelong. If you suspect that you have been exposed to the HIV virus or your partner is having the infection, immediately contact the medical doctor as there are early exposure treatment options.

In the absence of a vaccine against HIV infection, prophylaxis is achieved with the use of ART drugs. Prophylaxis treatment received within 72 hours of exposure reduces chances of getting HIV infection. Prophylaxis after exposure If a patient is exposed to an infective material via routes discussed above, the patient should immediately wash the area thoroughly. He or she should immediately contact their medical provider and go to a medical facility for post-exposure prophylaxis. If the status of the person’s blood or body fluid that you came into contact with is known that can help predict the risk of contracting HIV. If the blood or body fluid is known to be HIV-positive your risk is higher if the blood of the person tested negative the likely you have contracted the virus is very low (a slight risk is still possible if the person themselves was just exposed). Even if the person tests positive the risk may still be low, and the chance of developing HIV from a needlestick with HIV positive blood is around 0.5%. The risk of obtaining the virus from unprotected sex with a HIV positive person is about 4 in 10,000 exposures. Prophylaxis for pregnancy An HIV-positive woman should plan the pregnancy with close medical supervision and counseling.

Prevalence of Hypothyroidism Hypothyroidism is a fairly common endocrine disorder . Approximately 5% of US population is diagnosed with hypothyroidism. It is a condition that often goes undiagnosed, nearly 60% of patients with hypothyroidism don’t realize they have it . More common in women: 12-15% of women have hypothyroidism as opposed to men who have an incidence of 2-5% More common in older adults: Most patients are over 30 years old at the time of diagnosis. However, occurrence in youth has been recorded too Iodine deficiency: Several million people are diagnosed with low iodine hypothyroidism. This phenomenon is common in underdeveloped countries as opposed to developed nations Hypothyroidism is a common endocrine condition in which the thyroid gland is not functioning properly and produces a reduced amount of thyroid hormone. Thyroid hormone is produced by the thyroid gland and plays a crucial role in maintaining proper body functions such as metabolism. When thyroid hormone is low, the whole body slows down. The thyroid is a small butterfly-shaped gland located in the front of the neck. Thyroid hormone impacts Metabolism Weight Mood Brain development and function Cardiac function Respiratory rate Temperature control Muscle skeletal system Reflexes and strength Menstrual cycle Types of Hypothyroidism Hypothyroidism is classified by type:

Hashimoto’s, also referred to as autoimmune thyroiditis, is a chronic inflammatory autoimmune disease where thyroid is attacked by autoantibodies leading to hypothyroidism. It is the most common type of hypothyroidism and typically develops in adulthood. The exact causes are not known, but Hashimoto’s is thought to be the result of an inherited predisposition plus a triggering event. The triggering event sets off a chain reaction in the immune system that causes the body to mistake its own cells (the thyroid cells) as foreign cells that must be destroyed. As tissue is destroyed the thyroid’s ability to produce thyroid hormone decreases. Some patients will present with a goiter (growth on the thyroid) due to the inflammation, while others will present with atrophy (decreased size of thyroid) due to destruction of tissue. Pathology When thyroid hormone levels (T3 and T4) dip below normal levels the parathyroid will send out TSH (thyroid stimulating hormone) to the thyroid telling the thyroid to make more thyroid hormone. However, since the thyroid is injured it is unable to produce more thyroid the TSH levels will be high while T3, T4, levels will be low. Subclinical Hypothyroid: Early immune response causes inflammation of the thyroid tissue and a slight decrease in thyroid hormone production due to tissue damage.