Johannesburg, HIV / AIDS does not cause death, but it opened up opportunities for a variety of accompanying infection. Of the various kinds of accompanying infection, which kills most people with HIV are tuberculosis, pneumonia and influenza.

Recent reports from South Africa’s statistical agency, tuberculosis caused 7500 deaths in people with HIV or nearly 50 percent during 2008. The next rank occupied by pneumonia and influenza, which cause 45,600 deaths in the same year.

Although HIV / AIDS epidemic in South Africa is believed to have reached the peak in 2006, an increase in death rate with HIV / AIDS again showed improvement in 2008.The significant increase, from 13,561 in 2007 to 15,097 in 2008.

This figure is quite high compared to mortality rates in general. Statistics records the number of deaths in this country reached 592,073 during 2008, largely due to natural causes and only 52,950 are not natural for example due to illness and accidents.

“These findings are based on deaths recorded by Kementeraian of the Interior. Amounts may actually be even greater,” said Pali Lehohla from Statistics South Africa, as quoted from Timeslive, Friday (11/19/2010).

Not surprising really, because in this country has always been the most common cause of TB deaths in people with HIV / AIDS. Statistics noted, TB infection has been ranked first since 1997.

Although from time to time of death with HIV / AIDS is high, the disease is never once recorded as a cause of death. Without any accompanying infection, HIV / AIDS will not actually cause death.

However, HIV infection can cause loss of body immune system, thus opening the opportunity of accompanying the entry of a variety of infections including tuberculosis.With no immune system, the slightest infection can easily lead to death.

HIV Transmission

When someone is infected, the initial symptoms that appear sometimes similar to flu or viral infection medium.
Symptoms and early signs of HIV, including fever, headache, fatigue, nausea, diarrhea and swollen lymph nodes in the neck, armpit or groin.

Center for disease control (Centers for Disease Control / CDC) revealed there are several symptoms that indicate an advanced stage of HIV are:

Lose weight fast without any reason
Hacking cough
Recurring fever or sweating at night
Fatigue
Diarrhea is more than a week
Memory loss
Depression and other nervous disorders.

HIV is caused mostly by the behavior of mutually exchange sex partners without using condoms or those who used drugs since the turn of a syringe.

HIV is transmitted through:

Relationship sex and oral sex or anal
Transfusion
The use of contaminated needles shared by drug injection and in health care
Between mothers and their babies during pregnancy, birth and lactation.