Young People at Risk

Stating that when the figures in Türkiye are examined, it is seen that sexually active young adults constitute the primary risk group in terms of catching the disease in Türkiye, Prof. Dr. Meral Sönmezoğlu continued: "Research, new drug studies and publications for the treatment of HIV are faster than in any disease. Today, HIV treatment is performed with a combination of three drugs. With the newly developed drugs, drugs with reduced dose frequency and number of drugs and short- and long-term side effects were developed. In patients who are diagnosed early and do not develop opportunistic diseases, the life expectancy with effective treatment is close to the normal population in the same age group in developed countries."

Treatment Transmission Reduces by 97%

Yeditepe University Hospital Infectious Diseases and Clinical Microbiology Specialist Prof. Dr. Meral Sönmezoğlu noted that the probability of transmitting HIV infection to patient who does not disrupt their treatment as well as prolonging their life with effective treatment decreased by 97 percent and said, "The probability of transmitting the virus to the babies of HIV-positive pregnant women has been greatly reduced, and HIV-related deaths have decreased by 45 percent. The alternative to treatment is to raise public awareness about the disease and prevent the disease, which is much lower in cost and non-traumatic. The World Health Organization (WHO) has set 2020 and 2030 goals to make sure that HIV infection ceases to be a threat to public health."

HIV in Numbers:

• The first HIV case in Türkiye was diagnosed in 1985, and 3 more cases were diagnosed in the same year.
• After 1996, the number of new diagnoses reached 100, and after 2012, it reached 1000. In 2016 alone, 2,573 new patients were diagnosed.
• According to the data of the Ministry of Health, in December 2016, there are 14,695 HIV/AIDS patients in Türkiye.
• 80 percent of registered HIV-positive cases are 20-49 years old, and 15 percent are older than 50 years old.
• It is estimated that there are approximately 40 percent of the total HIV-infected patients in Türkiye and the actual number is around 30,000.
• While 2 percent of the patients were able to access HIV treatments in the 2000s, the rate reached 12 percent in 2007 and 57 percent (20.9 million people) in June 2017.
• 78.2% of the cases were male, 21.8% were female, and 15.1% were foreign nationals.
• 49.8% of the cases were contracted sexually and 1.5% were contracted through intravenous substance use. 46.7 percent of them did not know the mode of transmission.
• While 142 babies received the disease from their mothers, 90 of them received the disease through blood product transfusion and 63 of them received the disease in the hospital. There are 20 cases of hemophilia.

What Can Be Done?

Prof. Dr. Meral Sönmezoğlu listed what needs to be done to reduce new HIV infections and deaths in Türkiye as follows:

• All segments of the society, especially the 18-45 age group, should be trained on HIV.
• Young adults especially should be warned to avoid unprotected sexual contact.
• Those with other sexually transmitted diseases and tuberculosis and pregnant women should have an HIV test.
• It should be emphasized that HIV is found in blood and genital secretions and cannot pass through skin contact such as a handshake in social life.
• It should be explained that there is an effective treatment for HIV
• In particular, groups at risk of transmission should be trained and supported to undergo tests.
• Patients should be supported in initiating and continuing treatment.
• Patients' right to privacy of information and protection of their social lives should be respected.
• Dissemination of the message "HIV is not a disease to be feared but to be learned"