The primary ways HIV spreads are: Sex (either vaginal or anal) Sharing of contaminated needles From mother to child at birth Breastfeeding

HIV to AIDS Remember HIV will attack and wipe out your immune system (T-Cells). When an HIV positive persons T-cells count is below 200 (normal is 800-1500) & has an opportunistic infection present, they have AIDS. An opportunistic infection is an infection caused by pathogens that usually do not cause disease in a healthy immune system. A compromised immune system, however, presents an "opportunity" for the pathogen to infect. (ex. A cold, sunburn….)

HIV Variable incubation period months-years HIV lives in the blood, semen, vaginal fluid and breast milk of an infected person. 70 % of all new infections are by unprotected sex. Sharing needles is the second most common way it is transmitted. Mother to child during birth and breast feeding are also ways of transmission.

HIV Flu-like symptom. Known as a ‘wasting’ disease- rashes, weight loss, fever are common signs (for those that engage in risky behavior). There are specific treatments but NO CURE. The end result will be death of the infected person.

Where did HIV Come From? Hunter Theory A Hunter was exposed to SIV (monkey virus) while hunting or butchering a monkey. The SIV ‘morphed’ to HIV in the hunters body. The hunter is now infected with HIV. Researchers believed this happened many times but the outbreak would die off in the small isolated village the hunter lived in. One time it took off like no other. They believe that the transmission event that has caused the current pandemic of HIV happened around the 1930’s. From that single transmission event when 1 man was infected from 1 monkey HIV has gone on to spread person to person to approximately 80 million people. Contributing factors – The urbanization of Africa, cars trains and other forms of transportation aloud a person that lived in the bush or village to travel to more densely populated areas like cities. If an infected hunter were to travel to a city that person could no infect more people. Unwitting vaccine transfer, during this time vaccine controls were vaccinating thousands of people a day for diseases like small pox and polio. The technique of using 1 needle to vaccinate many people would also expose many more people to HIV if someone getting the vaccine had HIV. From testing saved blood samples researchers have found that first confirmed death from HIV occurred in 1959 in the Congo region of Africa (West Central Africa).