Download HIV/AIDS

HIV/AIDS
HIV is an STD but you can get
it in a non-sexual way
History
 1st reported in the U.S. in 1981
 Worldwide pandemic
 Pandemic: infectious disease that is spreading
through human populations worldwide
 estimated that there are 33.3 million people
worldwide infected
 2.6 million new HIV infections per year
 1.8 million annual deaths due to AIDS 76% of those
deaths occurred in sub-Saharan Africa.
 attacks everyone everywhere no matter age, race,
socio-economic group (rich/poor)
Information
 HIV- human immunodeficiency virus
 virus that causes AIDS
 Attacks the body’s immune system
 specifically the T-Cells
 AIDS- acquired immunodeficiency
syndrome
 Acquired means you get it from someone
 final stage of HIV infection
 May take years for a person even without
treatment, to reach this stage
 1 or more specific infections/low # of Tcells/certain cancers-they are considered to
have AIDS
 Know you are HIV positive?
 knowingly spread it to your partner
during sex without telling them
beforehand
 you can and will stand trial for murder
or attempted murder
 HIV can not live outside the body for
very long
 primarily found in
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blood
semen
vaginal fluid
less then .06% of the time in breast milk
 can be transmitted thru infected blood
but since 1985 all donated blood is
tested for HIV
Not Transmitted
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sitting next to someone who is HIV positive
donating blood
a toilet seat
drinking fountain
Doorknob
Dishes
drinking glasses
Food
Pets
mosquitoes
Risk Factors
 increase your risk for infection if:
 injected IV drugs/steroids into veins with
equipment that was shared with others
 unprotected vaginal/anal/oral sex
 multiple/anonymous partners
 exchanged sex for drugs/money
 been diagnosed or treated for
Hepatitis/STD
 blood transfusion between 1978-1985
 unprotected sex with anyone who has the
above listed risk factors
 Tattoos/piercings with unsterilized
equipment
Prevention
 abstinence until you are in a relationship
with only one person and are having sex
with only each other
 talk about HIV/STD’s with your partner
before you have sex
 use a latex condom every time you have
sex
 get tested if you have another STD
 do not inject illegal drugs
 A- Abstinence
 B- Be Faithful
 C- Condoms
Diagnosis
 only way to know if you have been infected
is to be tested
 have to be tested when applying for a
marriage license-only way to keep track
 can not rely on symptoms because some
people do not have symptoms for many
years
 takes 3 weeks to 2 months before your
body shows antibodies for HIV-some people
can take even longer
Symptoms
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3 Stages (Early/Middle/Late)
Early Stage
fever
Headache
Flu-like symptoms
tiredness
enlarged lymph nodes (about a month
after exposure)-then they disappear
 Later Stages (up to 10 years after
infection)
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lack of energy
weight loss
frequent fever and sweats
frequent yeast infections
skin rashes
flaky skin
PID in females
short term memory loss
Testing
 Home test kits
 EIA/ELISA tests are blood tests99.5% accurate
 positive test is followed with a second
test called the Western Blot Test to
confirm
 When all test are done there is a 99.9
% accuracy
 Most HIV tests look for antibodies in
the blood
Why hasn’t a vaccine been
developed?
 An HIV vaccine continues to elude
researchers
Opportunistic Diseases
 most common ones:
 PCP (Pneumocystis) Pneumonia- a severe lung
infection
 KS (Kaposi’s Sarcoma)- a skin cancer
 CMV- an infection of the eyes
 Candida- a fungal infection that can cause
thrush (a white film in the mouth)
 throat and vaginal infections
 serious weight loss “Wasting Syndrome”
 brain tumors
Treatment
 no cure for AIDS
 antiretroviral drugs such as AZT slow
down the virus/slow down the
damage HIV does to your immune
system
 side effects such as nausea and vomiting
 VERY EXPENSIVE
 health insurance does not want to pay
the costs