HIV is often diagnosed late

Untreated HI virus usually leads to AIDS

04/30/2013

The human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is often detected very late or in some cases even not at all - the earliest possible diagnosis is particularly important, because only then can the risk of further new infections be minimized and effective treatment can be started. If the HI virus, which belongs to the family of retroviruses, however, not treated, this leads in most cases after a different length - usually several years - incubation period to AIDS (English: acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, translated: acquired immunodeficiency syndrome).

Many sufferers go to the doctor too late
Despite the urgency of a quick detection of the disease, many sufferers still go to the doctor too late - according to the Robert Koch Institute (RKI), it can be assumed that of the estimated approximately 3,400 new infections in 2012, almost half "Late Presenter" are, in which so when visiting the doctor, either the AIDS disease has already broken out or at least the immune system is already greatly weakened.

The late detection of HIV infection also has far-reaching consequences for preventive medicine and also causes high costs, because in many cases occur in patients already symptoms that require a hospital stay in hospital, in addition to financial burdens for the Employer by the work loss.

Late diagnosis can have different reasons
A late diagnosis of the disease can have very different reasons: On the one hand, ignorance, shame or repression can play a role, because according to physician Georg Härter of the University Hospital Ulm "the HIV infection is unfortunately still stigmatizing and therefore displace some or not dare to talk to the family doctor, "the expert told dpa. On the other hand, there are also cases in which HIV symptoms such as lymph node swelling, diarrhea, fever or enormous weight loss are not medically associated with the disease.

Physicians need to be made more aware
Therefore, according to Hardener, it is enormously important "to sensitize medical colleagues for the topic, to recognize warning symptoms and to discuss the HIV test with patients". Accordingly, in addition to the known symptoms, each venereal disease must attract the attention of the doctor and be closely monitored. The number of "late presenters" in recent years has remained constant but nevertheless high. Therefore, according to the physician, the AIDS societies would advise them to train physicians in private practice in order to diagnose HIV or AIDS earlier and thereby save lives.

Risk still highest for men who have sex with men
According to the RKI, in the case of new HIV infections in Germany, the most affected group continue to be men who have sex with men (MSM) - since this group has seen a slight increase since 2011, which according to the RKI "is likely with the renewed marked increase in syphilis since the beginning of 2010 ". Therefore, a rapid diagnosis and treatment of syphilis and other sexually transmitted infections is important to counteract the rise in new HIV infections. Thus, of the 78,000 HIV-infected people in Germany, approximately 51,000 men have sex with men. (No)

Also read:
Broad-band antibodies against HIV
Why some people do not get AIDS despite HIV
Aids: 17 antibodies against HI viruses discovered
UN warns against rapid spread of AIDS