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The vaccine against HIV (acronym for Human immunodeficiency virus – HIV) does not yet exist; How is it possible, then, to “vaccinate” the world from this viral infection?
It was discussed at «Tempo della Salute», underway in Milan at the Museum of Science and Technology, during a meeting entitled «HIV: let’s vaccinate the world! (for now without vaccine)», moderated by the editorial manager of Corriere Salute Luigi Ripamonti, with Andrea Gori, full professor of infectious diseases at the University of Milan – Luigi Sacco Hospital; with Sergio Lo Caputo, president of Simit Puglia (Italian Society of Infectious and Tropical Diseases); with Paolo Meli coordinator of the HIV/AIDS area of the Emmaus Community Association in Bergamo.
How to prevent and stop the infection
What are the behaviors that can really avoid infection and how to stop the circulation of the HIV virus? First of all, experts advise, to avoid the risk of contagion, all possible precautions must be taken, starting with the (correct) use of a condom, and possibly resorting to pre-exposure or post-exposure prophylaxis when indicated.
«The challenge is to educate the population on how not to get infected – said Sergio Lo Caputo -. In the case of risky behavior, it is essential to take the HIV test, free and anonymous, to have an immediate diagnosis.” Hence the importance of prevention and information campaigns especially among young people.
Andrea Gori added: «Already in 2030 we could have a world without new infections, which does not mean without HIV. We have several strategies to achieve this: a super effective therapy capable of eliminating the transmission of the virus: with antiretroviral drugs we can in fact eliminate the replication of the virus, therefore eliminating the contagion; another strategy, for people at risk of contracting HIV, is pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), i.e. taking anti-HIV drugs as preventive therapy; yet another strategy is to use post-exposure prophylaxis (Pep-post-exposure prophylaxis), that is, to use pharmacological treatment early after a possible exposure to the infection, thus preventing the virus from replicating”.
Winter test
There are several HIV tests available today. There are those that “look” for antibodies against the virus in the blood, those that look for the P24 viral antigen, and those combined, which foresee both possibilities. Depending on the type of test it is necessary to wait a different number of weeks before carrying it out.
The tests can be carried out at the expense of the National Health Service. There are also rapid response tests, offered by various associations, also done anonymously.
«A person who contracts the infection today will develop the symptoms of the disease in ten years, in the meantime he can infect other people, hence the importance of getting tested for HIV, also to interrupt the chain of infection – explained Gori -. In the United Kingdom the share of infected people who discover they have the infection after ten years is equal to 5 percent, in Italy, however, it is equal to 65 percent, so many do not know that they have contracted the virus for a very long time time because they didn’t take the test.”
The commitment of the Associations for prevention and against stigma
The possibility of accessing the necessary information also contributes to the commitment at all levels (awareness, education, tests, accompaniment, campaigns) of many Associations in our country, from North to South, with various initiatives, both on the prevention front and on that of combating stigma.
«In 95 percent of cases – Paolo Meli recalled – the infection occurs through unprotected sexual intercourse with a condom, oral intercourse, however, is not considered a high-risk intercourse. The HIV test is often still seen as something discriminatory, but it must be made to become like a normal blood sugar check. The objective of associations like ours – Meli specified – is to encourage early diagnosis and the emergence of the underground, as well as to promote a culture of prevention of sexual health, also thanks to the test. For this reason, we encourage access to the test even for the most fragile populations, such as the homeless, undocumented migrants, people who use substances.”
Follow the therapies correctly
There is another way to “vaccinate” the world without a vaccine, and that is, in case you are positive for the virus, to follow the therapies correctly. However, Gori warned: «If a person does not take the therapy correctly, a mechanism is established whereby the virus is able to mutate, and this small mutation is able to cancel the effect of the drug, which is no longer effective. Adherence to therapies, therefore, is fundamental.”