Brazil: More than 52,000 young people aged 15 to 24 with HIV have evolved to AIDS in the last ten years

tThe advances that science and technology have brought to combat HIV are significant. Knowing positive serology at an early stage greatly increases the prognosis and quality of life for a person living with HIV. ART is guaranteed to everyone, through the Unified Health System (SUS), but still, between 2011 and 2021, more than 52,000 young people between the ages of 15 and 24 with HIV progressed to acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) . The data is from the Ministry of Health which launched on Friday (February 17) the campaign “Carnival is back and with condoms, happiness is common”, with the aim of promoting measures to prevent sexually transmitted diseases (STIs) during the period of the paper.

This holiday, the federal government affirms that love, joy, and respect for diversity are back, but responsibility and protection are essential. Actions Ministry of Health It aims to encourage safe sexual behavior, encourage the adoption of common prevention strategies, knowledge of serologic status, and early treatment seeking. In 2021, 40,800 cases of HIV infection and another 35,200 cases of AIDS were reported in Brazil through the Notifiable Disease Information System (SINAN), according to last year’s HIV/AIDS Epidemiology Bulletin.

Also according to the document, from the first case reported on the national territory, in 1980 to June 2022, 1,088,536 cases of AIDS have already been detected. In 2021 alone, more than 11,000 deaths were recorded in the Mortality Information System as a result of this condition, with a standardized mortality rate of 4.2 deaths per 100,000 population, a rate that decreased by 26.4% between 2014 and 2021.

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Although there has been a decline in cases in recent years, the portfolio suggests that part of this decline may be related to underreporting, especially in 2020, due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

In this context, HIV infection is considered to be stable in Brazil, however, it remains at high levels. It is a chronic condition that can be controlled through timely diagnosis and treatment, so that people with HIV live longer and better and do not transmit HIV through sexual contact.

Those who regularly test themselves and seek timely treatment, gain a lot in quality of life. For example: HIV-positive mothers have a 99% chance of having HIV-negative babies if they follow recommended treatment during prenatal, birth and postnatal care. In Brazil, lab tests and rapid tests detect HIV antibodies in about 30 minutes. These exams are administered free of charge by the SUS, at public network units and at Test and Counseling (CTA) centers.

HIV in the world

Data from the Joint United Nations Program on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) confirms that the epidemic still needs to be fought. In 2021, more than 750,000 men worldwide will be infected with HIV. That year, they accounted for 51% of new infections with the virus. At least 1.5 million people were infected with HIV in the same year of 2021. In total, this number has already exceeded 84 million people infected since the beginning of the pandemic.

protection

The use of an external or internal condom, in all sexual relations, is a safe and effective way to protect against HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases. If there is a sexual exposure with a risk of infection, the user should be informed of post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP), which should begin within 72 hours.

If not diagnosed and treated early, some infections can lead to serious complications. It is important that you do not self-medicate and that treatment is prescribed by a qualified health professional. It is also important that sexual partners are alerted when an STI is diagnosed, so that they also undergo treatment.