HIV and AIDS

Mrs. K. McVay

Bartlett Yancey High School

Health Education

What is HIV?

• H-Human

• I-Immunodeficiency

• V-Virus

HIV

• HIV attacks the immune system.• HIV is the virus that causes AIDS.• HIV finds and destroys a type of white blood cell

(T cells or CD4 cells) that our immune system needs to fight infections.

• It takes up to three months for our bodies to produce antibodies against HIV. It is important to wait three months after being exposed to a risky behavior before being tested for HIV.

HIV- Where Did It Originate?

• Believed that hunters contracted the disease from a chimpanzee in West Africa.

• Hunters did not contract the virus by having sexual intercourse with the chimpanzee. The virus was actually contracted when the hunters started eating the meat of the chimpanzee.

• HIV was first identified in the mid to late 1970’s in the US after numerous gay men started getting sick with rare types of cancer and pneumonia.

Transmission of HIV

• HIV is found in four main body fluids:

Blood

Semen

Vaginal Fluid

Breast Milk

How Is HIV Spread?

• Sexual Contact

• Sharing Needles

• Contact With Blood

• Mother to Baby

How Is HIV Not Transmitted

• Donating Blood (since 1985 – strict regulations to test blood for HIV)

• Blood Transfusions (since 1985 – strict regulations to test blood for HIV)

• Casual Contact

Signs and Symptoms

• Unexplained, Rapid Weight Loss• Constant Fatigue• Fever/Night Sweats• Diarrhea• Dry Cough (not from smoking or cold)• Swollen Glands/Lymph Nodes (neck, armpit, or groin)• Pink, Blue or Purple Spots – Skin or In Mouth (looks

like bruises but doesn’t go away)• May Go Years Without Getting Sick (10-12)

What Is AIDS?

• A-Acquired

• I-Immunodeficiency

• D-Deficiency

• S-Syndrome

AIDS

• Having AIDS means that the virus has weakened the immune system to the point at which the body has a difficult time fighting infections.

• When a person has AIDS, they are prone to many different infections that could potentially kill them. (Opportunistic Infections-Infections that attack a weakened immune system.)

Things To Remember!

• ANYONE can contract HIV/AIDS.

• There is currently no cure for HIV/AIDS.

• Abstinence is 100% effective in preventing the spread of HIV/AIDS.

• If you choose to have sexual intercourse, always wear a latex condom or polyurethane condom.

HIV IS Real?

• In 2006, 56,300 new cases of HIV/AIDS.

• The CDC estimates that between 24-27% of infected individuals are unaware of their status.

• African Americans accounted for nearly half (49%) of all HIV/AIDS diagnoses in 2006.

Who Should Get Tested?

• Anyone who is having unprotected sexual intercourse.

• Homosexuals• Those who are pregnant or thinking of becoming

pregnant.• Those who have or suspect they have a STD.• Those who have had multiple sex partners.• Those who are or have been IV drug users.

Questions/Concerns

• Is HIV transmitted through kissing?

• Can a woman who test positive for HIV have children?

• What does someone with HIV/AIDS look like?

• Did HIV originate when a gay man had sex with a monkey?

Websites

• www.cdc.gov

• www.epi.state.nc.us

• www.appcnc.org/BirdsNBees.html