The virus attacks healthy cells which help your body fight and prevent infections.
It’s acquired and transmitted through exposure to the blood or bodily fluids of another person living with HIV.
Acute HIV may cause flu-like symptoms, such as:
fatigue
fever and chills
muscle aches
night sweats
mouth ulcers
sore throat
swollen lymph nodes
Hepatitis & it’s symptoms
There are many types of hepatitis. Three of the main infectious causes include hepatitis A (HAV), hepatitis B (HBV), and hepatitis C (HCV).
Many cases of hepatitis are diagnosed while a person has no symptoms. However, the following symptoms are possible with hepatitis:
excess fatigue
loss of appetite or weight loss
fever
joint pain
abdominal pain
nausea or vomiting
yellowing of the skin or eyes, or jaundice
dark urine
clay-coloured stools
HIV and Hepatitis Connection
People who have HIV may be at a higher risk of contracting hepatitis because both viruses are spread in the same way.
Both viruses may be transmitted during:
needle sharing
sexual contact
childbirth, from a birth parent
Diagnosing hepatitis early in people with HIV is especially important because they can have an increased risk of progressive liver problems.
In fact, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) considers hepatitis-related liver disease a major cause of death in people who have HIV.
Due to these risks, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends certain hepatitis vaccines for people over the age of 1 living with HIV for additional protection.
While you may get vaccinated against HAV and HBV, no vaccine is available for HCV infections.
In 2009, the CDC reported that 21% of people with HIV also tested positive for HCV, in comparison, 10 percent were reported to have HBV coinfections.
While not as common as HBV or HCV, HAV is extremely contagious.
HIV Diagnosis
To diagnose HIV, your doctor will consider your symptoms and risk factors, as well as results from the following HIV tests:
blood antigen or antibody testing
oral antibody testing, which you can ask for as home kits
nucleic acid testing, a type of blood test that offers quicker results but is more expensive
Hepatitis Diagnosis
Hepatitis is diagnosed with blood testing.
This may involve:
antibody testing for HAV
hepatitis B surface antigen, to detect either acute or chronic infections of HBV
hepatitis C antibody test — if antibodies are found in the blood, your doctor may order a follow-up test to confirm HCV
liver function tests, which may find chronic hepatitis infections
Treatments of HIV and Hepatitis
HIV is treated with antiretroviral therapy.
Most hepatitis infections are also treated with medications called antivirals.
Treating HBV and HCV early is important in preventing liver diseases and cancers, some of which may be fatal.
HAV is an acute infection, it can resolve on its own, or it can last up to 6 months, according to the CDC.
Rest and fluids are standard treatments, but more severe cases may require hospitalization.
Some people may take separate medications for HIV and hepatitis, like in the case of HCV. However, you can sometimes treat both viruses at the same time with the same medications.
