Common concomitant diseases of HIV
Hepatitis infections very often occur together with HIV infections. Hepatitis is an inflammation of the liver, which in most cases is caused by one of the five hepatitis viruses. The infections are often found together because the transmission paths are the same.
Both diseases can be transmitted via sexual contacts, contaminated syringes and blood contacts.If HIV infection is already present, other viral infections may occur in turn, since immunosuppression facilitates both the initial infection and the chronicity of hepatitis. Hepatitis B and C viruses in particular pose a great danger to the patient, although an effective vaccination against hepatitis B is available. Acute symptoms such as fever, yellowing of the skin and nausea may occur rarely, but often the infection is only noticed after a routine blood test.
The different types of hepatitis are associated with different treatments and prognoses. Drug therapy is absolutely necessary to prevent a chronic course of the infection and thus to avoid severe liver damage in the long term. HIV sufferers suffer above average from depression, which is due to the heavy psychological and physical burden of the HIV disease.
The HIV infection often represents a decisive experience in the lives of those affected. Nevertheless, the HIV disease is afflicted with many prejudices, which give the affected persons themselves and their social environment an erroneous picture of the disease and thus create psychosocial stress. The most important aspects of the HIV disease, which often lead to psychological stress, are the chronic course of the disease, the shortening of life expectancy and the alleged inability to maintain sexual contacts and have children.
An HIV infection is chronic and cannot be cured, but a drug control is as good as possible, so that a shortening of life or even a death sentence by the infection is not to be assumed. Also the sexual life does not have to experience any significant restrictions under medical control. At the initial diagnosis, every affected person should receive psychotherapeutic support in order to remove stigmata, to better understand and get to know the disease and to quickly resume an everyday life.
