For Li Xia, this year was a watershed moment in his life: the discovery of the HIV virus hidden in his body.
01. The beginning of a "tragic" life
He has always been a good child in the eyes of his parents and teachers since he was a child, and he doesn't have to worry about anything, but this persona completely collapsed after his first sexual enlightenment.
At a young and vigorous age, after experiencing intimate contact with the same sex, it is out of control. It was also during this process that he found himself so close to "AIDS" for the first time.
02, a smooth life once fell
At first, he just felt that the frequency of diarrhea increased, and he didn't pay much attention to it, but then he didn't start to feel that something was wrong until his body continued to be sick, so he went to the hospital for an HIV test with trepidation.
The day he got the results of his AIDS diagnosis, he felt that the sky had fallen, and he still didn't dare to tell his parents, and he spent every day in collapse and regret.
1. AIDS is invading the "ivory tower"
Li Xia's story is just a small microcosm of thousands of students.
According to relevant statistics, AIDS has become the second leading cause of death among adolescents aged 10-19 in the world. In mainland China alone, 65 per cent of people infected with HIV are aged 18-22 years, and 96 per cent are sexually infected.
Previously, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention of a province in Northwest China also compiled a list of colleges and universities based on the number of students infected with HIV, and shockingly, there were 985 schools in the list, as well as private universities. Fortunately, the number of infected people in universities is not high, but Wu Zunyou, director of the STD and AIDS Prevention and Control Center of the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, reminded that you should not be left to chance because of the small infection base, and the actual infection growth rate is actually very high.
Earlier, the new "AIDS test kit" vending machines in some colleges and universities in Shanghai were snatched by students after they were put on the shelves, and all of them were sold out within a few hours, which attracted attention, but it is worrying that many students have been tested for HIV.
People's Daily Online also published a report titled "135 Cases of AIDS Cases among Students in Nanchang Universities", pointing out that colleges and universities have become the hardest hit areas of AIDS infection, Wu Zunyou also listed the data of HIV infection among mainland college and middle school students from 2011 to 2015, and found that the net average annual growth rate was as high as 35%, and 65% of the infected people were college students aged 18~22.
The emergence of these data also makes people wonder why the group of highly educated college students has become the hardest hit area of the AIDS outbreak? Experts say that this has a lot to do with the lack of sex education for children.
Society's avoidance of the topic of "sexuality" has caused a large blank period at the age when the correct concept of sexuality should have been established, and this has indirectly led to the occurrence of many, many tragedies.
2. AIDS goes through three periods from infection to onset
It should be emphasized here that HIV infection and AIDS are two different concepts, and AIDS patients are considered AIDS patients only when the disease progresses to the AIDS stage. To understand this, it is necessary to mention 3 stages of HIV invasion of the human body:
• The first stage, the acute infectious phase
Infected patients will develop a series of symptoms 2~4 weeks after the occurrence of high-risk behaviors, and continue to show fever, sore throat, fatigue and other discomforts for 1~3 weeks.
• The second stage, the incubation period
Patients in the incubation period generally do not have any symptoms, and this stage can last for 5~10 years, and patients are carriers of the virus during this period and have the risk of infection. But timely intervention can also prolong this stage, or even prevent the development of typical AIDS.
• The third stage is the onset of AIDS
This stage can be divided into pre-AIDS and typical AIDS stage, which generally lasts for 1 year, and then develops into a typical AIDS stage, causing severe immune deficiency and allowing patients to die under various malignant infections and tumor invasion.
In other words, after being infected with HIV, it will develop AIDS within 2-10 years without timely intervention. However, it is worth noting that in the data of male infected people in mainland China, the disease progresses rapidly, and the average can reach the AIDS stage in 4.8 years.
Experts say that early detection and early intervention are of great significance to curb the progression of the disease.
When there are red patches or rashes on the skin that do not go away, various inflammations or pustules, and itching, it is necessary to be alert to possible signs of AIDS, especially after the occurrence of high-risk behaviors.
3. How to prevent HIV/AIDS scientifically?
At present, HIV is mainly transmitted sexually, especially unprotected sex, and has even become a breeding ground for viral transmission. Therefore, the prevention of AIDS still starts with the individual, and experts remind that there are 5 steps to self-prevention.
1. End chaotic sexual relationships and fix sexual partners.
2. Standardize the use of condoms and take protective measures.
3. Premarital HIV testing is indispensable, and it is not advisable to conceal the fact of infection.
4. There is no shame in suffering from venereal diseases, and the key is to actively standardize examination and treatment.
5. Actively cooperate with antiviral drug intervention within 72 hours after high-risk behaviors, the sooner the better.
Of course, there are many other channels of HIV transmission, such as sharing medical equipment that has not been strictly sterilized, mother-to-child transmission, etc., so it is essential to learn the correct prevention, starting from me, and doing a good job of self-prevention.
Resources:
[1] "About 3,000 cases of students infected with AIDS every year!It is not far from us...... Health Times.2019-08-04.
[2] "AIDS Cases Increase among Young Students in Many Places!This Test Kit Quietly Enters Colleges and Universities...".China Youth Daily.2017-12-01.
[3] "How to Prevent AIDS Scientifically?", Health News.2023-11-30.
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