HIV/AIDSTHE BASICS

HIV/AIDS

Education + Risk Reduction =

Prevention

Good News about AIDS!

• The good news is the discovery of powerful new drugs for treating AIDS.

• The drugs cannot prevent or cure the disease, but they can stop the growth of the disease in the infected person’s body.

Bad news about AIDS

• The bad news is that young people are contracting HIV/AIDS at an alarming rate.

• Over 50% of the new HIV infections in the United States last year were to teenagers and young adults between the ages of 13 and 25 years old.

What does AIDS Mean?

• AIDS stands for Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome

– Acquired means you can catch it;– Immune deficiency means a weakness in the

body’s system that fights diseases– Syndrome means a group of health problems

(illnesses)that make up a disease.

AIDS and HIV are not the same thing...

• AIDS is caused by the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV)

• It is the VIRUS (HIV) that causes the condition (AIDS)

HIV is a VIRUS

• Characteristics of viruses:– Cannot reproduce outside of a living host cell– Consists of a strand of DNA or RNA

surrounded by a protein coat.– Extremely small– Viruses do not produce toxins, but rather kill

there host cell by some pathologic mechanism such as rupture.

Virus latching on to a T cell

What Body Fluids Contain HIV

• People who are HIV positive have enough virus in the following fluids to infect other people:

– Blood

– Vaginal Fluids

– Semen

– Breast Milk

How Do You Get AIDS?• Having sex with an infected person

– Vaginal, oral, anal

• Sharing a needle (injecting drugs/steroids) with someone who is infected– Piercing, tattooing, steroid use

• Being born when a mother is infected, or drinking the breast milk of an infected mother

– If mom is HIV+, 25% chance baby will be infected at birth

• Blood Transfusions– Test for antibodies, not actual virus

There are no documented cases of HIV being transmitted by exposure to sweat, tears or saliva, but it is possible to catch HIV through oral sex, especially if you have open sores in your mouth or bleeding gums. After brushing and flossing teeth, there is an increased risk.

What about biting?

• There have been 2 cases of HIV being transmitted through biting– severe bites, badly torn flesh

IMPORTANT TAKE HOME MESSAGES

1. HIV is not spread easily. You can only get HIV if you allow infected blood or sexual fluids into your system. You cannot get HIV from mosquito bites, coughing or sneezing, sharing household items, shaking hands, or swimming in the same pool as someone with HIV.

2. To infect someone, the virus must get past the body’s defenses. The skin is a natural barrier to disease transmission. If your skin is not cut, it will protect you from infection from blood and sexual fluids.

3. HIV infected blood or sexual fluids can get inside your body through a cut or open sore in your skin, during sexual activity, or if you share needles to inject substances into your body.

Is There a Cure for AIDS?

• There is no cure for AIDS!• There are drugs available to slow down the

progress of the virus, but there is no way to remove all of the virus from your body.

Once exposed to the HIV virus, it generally takes between 2 weeks and 6 months before your immune system will respond by producing antibodies. It is at this time that a person seroconverts and becomes HIV positive. Upon conversion you may feel some flu-like symptoms that will last for 7 to 10 days.

Once these flu-like symptoms disappear, the HIV positive person may live for 10 to 15 years without any symptoms of the disease. However, your immune system is being destroyed and you can spread the HIV virus to other individuals.

POST INFECTION CARE

• Eat Well

• Rest

• Exercise

• Avoid Drugs and Alcohol

• Avoid HIV Re-infection– If infected with additional, different strain, these

strains can mix, mutate and cause a strain that is resistant to medications

HIV/AIDS Spectrum• 1. HIV Asymptomatic (HIV Positive)

• HIV + but AIDS-• “Asymptomatic Period” varies between each individual,

though average time is around 10 years • T-cells = 500 - 1500 per mL of blood

• 2. HIV Symptomatic (HIV Disease)• Still HIV+ but AIDS-• 1 to 3 years (longer with effective Drug Cycle)• < 500 T cells per mL of blood

• 3. AIDS• HIV + and AIDS +• 1 to 2 years (Longer with effective Drug Cycle)• < 200 T cells per mL of blood or Presence of one or

more “Opportunistic Infections”• Once have AIDS always have it, even if T cell #

increases

The HIV virus damages your immune system by invading, thenkilling, the CD4+ (T-helper) cells. These are the cells that fight off infections that enter your body.

Healthy people have between 500 and 1,500 CD4+ cells per milliliter of blood.

As your CD4+ cell count decreases, you may begin to show signs of HIV disease. These signs may include:

* Fevers, chills or drenching night sweats* Fatigue* Sudden excessive weight loss* Dry Cough* Diarrhea* Swollen Lymph Nodes

These conditions may last several weeks.

How Do I Know If I Have AIDS• HIV disease becomes AIDS when your

immune system has been so damaged that you have less than 200 CD4+ cells and/or you experience an opportunistic infection.

Opportunistic Infections

• Tuberculosis (TB)• PCP – Pneumonia• Kaposi’s Sarcoma• Wasting Syndrome

• Candida (Thrush) • Cytomegalovirus (eye

infections)• Crytococcus

Neoforms (funal meningitis)

• HIV-associated dementia (HAD)

Kaposi’s Sarcoma (KS)

• Bluish / Purple spots• Form of skin cancer,

can be found in mouth and on skin

Thrush

• White or grayish-white patches found alongside cheeks or tongue

• Yeast Infection of the mouth

Wasting Syndrome

• Rapid weight and muscle loss

• Usually seen in late stages of HIV infection

HIV Testing

• Test looks for the presence of HIV antibodies found in blood or in mucous membranes of the mouth.

• Test is more accurate after close of “window period”

• Two Types of Testing:- Anonymous- Confidential

Testing Sites

• Broward County Health Departments & Clinics

• Some Community Organizations

• Private Physicians

* 954-467-4749

* 1-800-FLA-AIDS

HOW CAN YOU PROTECT YOURSELF?

PROTECTION: Safe Sexual Activity

• Abstinence• Monogamous Relationships with someone who:

– Is HIV negative– Remains monogamous (faithful)– Does not risk infection through drug use or other careless

activities.• Correct and Consistent Use of Barriers

– Male / Female Condoms– Dental Dams– Rubber Gloves

PROTECTION: Drug Use

• Abstinence from ALL drug and alcohol use– When you are under the influence of drugs and alcohol,

you can be tempted to do things you normally would not do. FURTHER, DURING SUCH ACTIVITIES, YOU MAY ALSO FORGET TO PROTECT YOURSELF.

– Do not inject ANYTHING into your body using someone else’s needles or syringes. Tiny drops of blood on these items can infect you!

THE BOTTOM LINE

• Abstain from sex

• If you choose not to abstain from sex, PROTECT YOURSELF by using condoms PROPERLY

• Don’t share injection equipment

• Protect open cuts, open sores, and your eyes from contact with another persons blood or sexual fluids.

REVIEW…

• HIV is the virus that causes AIDS

• Can be found in ANYONE, you cannot tell by looking at someone

• HIV Testing Is Important to learn your status