HIV infection risk , who are the most vulnerable?

Here we discuss who are at HIV infection risk. HIV infection, that may end to AIDS syndrome, is one of the major health problems in the world. This is due to a number of reasons. Among them are the following: There is no cure or vaccine for HIV yet, despite of more than 41 years since the virus was identified. Also the lack of sufficient awareness to prevent infection. Below there is a list for those who are at most risk of contracting HIV?

Main ways of HIV infection

There are two main ways for transmitting HIV infection, namely, infected blood, and through sexual intercourse. It can also be transmitted from an infected mother to her baby during childbirth or breastfeeding. Practically, HIV infection occurs most commonly through unprotected sex, especially among homosexual men. Sexual intercourse is the cause of more than 90% of HIV infections.

Is HIV infection risk different for different groups?

Yes, It is , people are different! Generally anyone can be infected with HIV , but some people are more likely to get HIV infection than others. For example; In the United States, gay groups, men who have sex with men and transgender women who have sex with men are the most affected by HIV.

Who are at HIV infection risk?

There are groups of people who are more vulnerable to infection with HIV, either because of their wrong practices or because of working conditions. Among these groups are the following:

• Drug users who share the same syringe
• Gay (Men to men sex)
• Men who have anal sex
• Health workers, especially those dealing with AIDS patients

What to do if you are at risk?

If you think you’re at risk for HIV infection, get tested for HIV , and learn more about HIV prevention so as not to spread infection to others, and learn about treatment options available in your area. Testing is the only way to know for sure if you have HIV, see the next paragraph to know about types of HIV tests and their window periods.

Summary of the main types of HIV tests

TEST	Window Period
HIV Antibody Test	90 Days	Low cost and most available Long window period
Antigen Test	28 Days
Combo Test	28 Days	The most commonly used nowadays
RNA tes	10 Days	The most accurate But the most expensive

Bottom Line

While any person can be infected by HIV, some groups of people are more vulnerable than others, as summarized above. If you think you are one of those at high risk to get infected, you must do the following: First; you must learn more more about how to protect yourself from infection. The best preventive way is abstinence from risky behaviors.
Second; you need to undergo for HIV testing periodically as long as you are at risk.

Sources:
– https://www.hiv.gov/hiv-basics/overview/about-hiv-and-aids/who-is-at-risk-for-hiv
– https://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/research-reports/
– https://www.aidsmap.com/about-hiv/estimated-hiv-risk-exposure
– https://www.nurx.com/faq/what-activities-are-high-and-low-risk-for-hiv/
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