Making the Connection: Health and Student Achievement

2. Office of Healthy Schools Making the Connection: Health and Student Achievement

3. HIV Basics Mississippi Department of Education HIV/AIDS Program Office of Healthy Schools 359 North West Street, Suite 230 Jackson, MS 39205 MSDE HIV/AIDS Program

4. Purpose To ensure that the 152 school districts provide current and updated information about HIV/AIDS to staff and students.

5. Link to other programs • Wellness Policy – commitment to Comprehensive Health Education • Title IV – support programs in schools that support programs that prevent illegal use of alcohol and drug use • Character Education • 2006 MS Comprehensive Health Framework – Disease Prevention Strand (ensures that all students receive necessary health information to make age appropriate decisions • EPSDT / School Nurse Program – school nurse practices • Preventing epidemics and spread of communicable disease • Provide Health Education • Distribute age appropriate health information

6. Funding Opportunities • $5,000 grant awarded to 5 school districts in high risk areas as determined by Mississippi Department of Health • Actively collaborating with other state agencies • Seeking addition funds from outside sources

7. Key Points • HIV is the virus that causes AIDS. AIDS is the result of HIV infection. • HIV infection can be prevented. • HIV is not spread through everyday casual contact. • People cannot get HIV when they give blood. Source: American Red Cross HIV/AIDS Program: HIV Education and Prevention MSDE HIV/AIDS Program

8. HIV Infection • People infected with HIV--- • May look and feel health for a long time. • Can infect others even if they don’t look or fell sick. • May have symptoms that are like those of many other illnesses. • When people develop AIDS, they may get illnesses that healthy people usually don’t get. • Only a test can show if someone is infected with HIV. • Only a doctor can diagnose AIDS. Source: American Red Cross HIV/AIDS Program: HIV Education and Prevention MSDE HIV/AIDS Program

9. How HIV is Not Spread HIV is not spread through everyday casual contact. Source: American Red Cross HIV/AIDS Program: HIV Education and Prevention MDE HIV/AIDS PROGRAM

10. How HIV is Spread • HIV is spread--- • By having vaginal, anal, or oral sex with an infected person. • By sharing needles or syringes with and infected person. • During pregnancy, birth or breast feeding from an infected • mother to her baby. • Body fluids of an infected person that spread HIV: • Semen Vaginal fluid • Blood Breast milk Source: American Red Cross HIV/AIDS Program: HIV Education and Prevention MDE HIV/AIDS PROGRAM

11. HIV Testing People who think they are at risk of HIV infection are encouraged to seek counseling and testing. Do not donate blood to get tested for HIV. Source: American Red Cross HIV/AIDS Program: HIV Education and Prevention MDE HIV/AIDS PROGRAM

12. Blood Supply • The risk ofgetting HIV from a • blood transfusion in the U.S. is • extremely low. • All blood donors are screened • for their risk of HIV. • All donated blood is tested. • All blood that tests positive for • signs of HIV is destroyed. Source: American Red Cross HIV/AIDS Program: HIV Education and Prevention MDE HIV/AIDS PROGRAM

13. Universal Precautions What are Universal precautions? MDE HIV/AIDS PROGRAM

14. Universal Precautions • Universal precautions are work practices that help • prevent contact with blood and certain other body • fluids. Universal precautions are: • Your best protectionagainst HIV (the virus that • causes AIDS), hepatitis B and some other infectious • diseases. • Required in certain jobs. • Can help prevent illness and save lives—including • your own! MDE HIV/AIDS PROGRAM

15. How Universal Precautions Work • Certain infectious diseases are caused by viruses. • For example: • AIDS is caused by HIV (human immunodeficiency virus). • HIV attacks the body’s natural defense against disease. • Hepatitis B is caused by HBV (hepatitis B virus). Hepatitis • C is caused by HCV (hepatitis C virus). HBV and HCV • attack the liver and can result in severe illness—even death. MDE HIV/AIDS PROGRAM

16. How Universal Precautions Work cont. • HIV, HBV and some other viruses are spread through certain body fluids,including: • blood (or any fluid containing visible blood) • semen • vaginal secretions • fluids surrounding the heart, lungs, brain, stomach, • joints, and tendons; fluids in the womb of a pregnant • woman. MDE HIV/AIDS PROGRAM

17. Preventing Infection • Universal precautions help prevent infection through the • use of: • protective barriers, such as gloves, gowns, masks and • goggles • safe work practices, such as proper disposal of sharps • and proper hand washing. http://www.itsasnap.org/snap/teachers_nurses.asp MDE HIV/AIDS PROGRAM

18. Statewide Available Resources • HIV/AIDS Service Organizations: • Building Bridges, Inc. – Jackson, MS 601-922-0100 • South MS AIDS Task Force – Biloxi, MS 228-385-1214 • Medications: • Ryan White Program 601-576-7723 • Financial Assistance: • Episcopal AIDS Commission 601-366-5485 • Social Security Administration 800-772-1213 • Medicaid 800-421-2408 • Housing Assistance: • HOPWA 601-362-4879 • Grace House 601-353-1038 MDE HIV/AIDS PROGRAM

19. Available Resources cont. • Hotlines: • MS HIV/AIDS Information Hotline 1-800-826-2961 • Centers for Disease Control and • Prevention National AIDS Hotline 1-800-342-2437 • Capacity Building Assistance Services and Training: • MS State Department of Education Office of Health Schools • 601-359-2359 • Jackson State University MS Urban Research Center • 601-979-4100 • My Brother’s Keeper Community REACH Project • 601-898-0955 MDE HIV/AIDS PROGRAM

20. Office of Healthy Schools Charles R. Orr, Sr., HIV/AIDS Program Coordinator Shane McNeill, Director, Office of Coordinated School Health Regina Ginn, Director, Office of Healthy Schools Phone: 601-359-1737 Fax: 601-576-1417 www.healthyschoolsms.org