101, Prevention, Stages, & Treatment HIV & AIDS 101, Prevention, Stages, & Treatment

What is HIV? HIV stands for Human Immunodeficiency Virus Virus that attacks the immune system The immune system can’t get rid of it= you have it for life HIV attacks the important cells in the immune system that fight off infection and disease, which leave the person vulnerable

What is AIDS? AIDS stands for Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome You acquire AIDS after birth; you are not born with this AIDS is a syndrome because it is a complex illness with a wide range of complications and symptoms AIDS is the final stage of HIV infection, and not everyone who has HIV advances to this stage. People at this stage of HIV disease have badly damaged immune systems, which put them at risk for opportunistic infections You will need medical intervention and treatment to prevent death

Opportunistic Infections- infections that usually do not cause disease in a healthy host, one with a healthy immune system. Take advantage of the weakened immune system. Examples of infection Tuberculosis Pneumonia Lymphoma

Stages Acute infection stage Not all people that have HIV develop these symptoms Sometimes symptoms last a couple days to a couple weeks Symptoms can include fever, swollen glands, sore throat, rash, muscle and joint aches and pains, fatigue, and headache.

Stages con’t Clinical latency stage People who are infected with HIV experience no HIV-related symptoms, or only mild ones. This stage can last 10 years In this stage the disease is still transmittable Asymptomatic- producing or showing no symptoms

Stages con’t AIDS This is the stage of HIV infection that occurs when your immune system is badly damaged and you become vulnerable to infections and infection-related cancers called opportunistic infections. Without treatment, people who progress to AIDS typically survive about 3 years. Once you have a dangerous opportunistic illness, life-expectancy without treatment falls to about 1 year Symptoms include; rapid weight loss, extreme tiredness, diarrhea that lasts more than a week, sores of the mouth and genitals, or pneumonia

How is HIV & AIDS Transmitted Unsafe sex Contact with blood of an infected person For instance using a contaminated needle Mother to child

Prevention Lower your sexual risk-by using a condom, having one partner, etc Injection drug use is one of the causes of HIV in the United States and is responsible for approximately 10% of HIV cases annually. Sharing a needle or syringe for any use, including skin popping and injecting steroids, hormones, or silicone, can put you at risk for HIV and other blood-borne infections. Avoid drugs that lower inhibition such as: Alcohol Meth Crack Cocaine Ecstacy

Medicines & Treatments Today, there are 31 ANTIRETROVIRAL drugs (ARVs) approved by the Food and Drug Administration to treat HIV infection. These treatments do not cure people of HIV or AIDS. Rather, they suppress the virus, even to undetectable levels, but they do not completely eliminate HIV from the body. By suppressing the amount of virus in the body, people infected with HIV can now lead longer and healthier lives. However, they can still transmit the virus and must continuously take antiretroviral drugs in order to maintain their health quality. Yet, unfortunately, approximately 50,000 Americans and 2.3 million people worldwide still become newly HIV-infected each year.

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