HIV/AIDS Education

1. HIV/AIDS Education

2. There are currently 33.2 million HIV-infected people in the world. • Approximately 14,000 new HIV infections occur daily around the world. • In October 2008, 1,106,400 adults and adolescents were living with HIV infection in the United States. • Approximately 994,000 infected Americans at the end of 2003.

3. What is HIV • Human – This virus infects human beings • Immunodeficiency – This virus attacks a person’s immune system, causing it to become deficient and not work properly. • Virus – A virus is a type of germ. Viruses need living cells to grow and reproduce.

4. What is AIDS? • Acquired – This is a condition that is acquired, meaning that a person becomes infected with it. • Immuno – This condition affects a person’s immune system, the part of the body in charge of fighting off germs such as bacteria or viruses. • Deficiency – The immune system is weakened and does not work properly. • Syndrome- A person with AIDS may experience many other diseases and infections due to their weakened immune system.

5. What HIV Does to the Body The virus attacks specific lymphocytes called T helper cells (also known as T-cells), takes them over, and multiplies. This destroys more T-cells, which damages the body's ability to fight off invading germs and disease. Continue to next slide

6. (Continued) When the number of T-cells falls to a very low level, people with HIV become more susceptible to other infections and they may get certain types of cancer that a healthy body would normally be able to fight off. This weakened immunity (or immune deficiency) is known as AIDS and can result in severe life-threatening infections, some forms of cancer, and the deterioration of the nervous system.

7. Where did it come from? • It was first discovered from a man’s blood in 1959, from a single virus contracted in the Republic of Congo.

8. Where did it come from? Researchers believe that HIV was introduced into the human population when hunters became exposed to infected blood from a subspecies of chimpanzees native to west Africa.

9. How does HIV spread? • any sexual activity with an infected person • through significant and direct contact with infected blood • and from mother to baby.

10. Body fluids containing HIV include: These body fluids may contain HIV • Blood (including menstrual blood) • Semen and pre-seminal fluid • Vaginal secretions • Breast milk These body fluids do NOT contain HIV • Saliva • Sweat • Urine • Feces

11. Other ways that HIV can be transmitted are: • Sharing needles when shooting drugs • Home tattooing and body piercing • Accidental needle stick • Childbirth • Breastfeeding • Blood transfusions-although this is VERY rare now.

12. HIV is NOT transmitted through: • Saliva, tears, sweat, feces, or urine • Hugging • Kissing • Massage • Shaking hands • Insect bites • Living in the same house with someone who has HIV • Using the same showers or toilets with as someone with HIV

13. To avoid getting HIV: • Prevent the blood, semen, vaginal fluids, or breast milk of someone who is infected from entering your body through an entry site. • Abstinence is 100% effective.

14. How risky is kissing, hugging, and touching? The 9 gallon theory

15. Is HIV always fatal? • You can die from other complications before the HIV infection turns to AIDS and takes your life. • There are drugs that HIV patients are taking that allow some of them to live for longer periods of time. For instance AZT is an antiviral medicine that slows the progress of HIV in the body. How long? No one really knows, but we do know that this treatment is very expensive and this disease is incurable, therefore can be the cause of an HIV patients death.

16. Every 10 seconds someone dies of AIDS. That’s 2,820 lives during our Wellness class (47 minutes).