HIV and AIDS

 HIV = Human Immunodeficiency Virus  AIDS = Aquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome  HIV is the virus that causes AIDS  AIDS is when your immune system is

Where did HIV come from?  Mutation in virus found in Chimpanzees in Africa.  Most likely passed to humans through hunting and exposure to infected blood.  Source: CDC

How does HIV turn into AIDS  The HIV virus destroys certain blood cells.  It takes several years for enough blood cells to be destroyed before we call a person as “having AIDS”.  This is when the immune system cannot protect the body from sicknesses, infections, and cancer.

No HIV HIV positive AIDS

How can I tell if I have HIV?  Best way is to get a blood test  Blood test will look for the HIV antibodies in your blood  The antibodies may not show up until 6 months after getting infected

How do you get HIV?  HIV lives in 4 body fluids: 1. Blood 2. Semen 3. Vaginal Secretions 4. Breast Milk Having sex (vaginal, oral, anal) with someone with HIV Sharing needles Pregnant women to their baby

You cannot get HIV from:  Kissing, hugging, holding hands  Sharing cups, forks, telephones  Using the same bathroom or swimming pool  Mosquito bites or animal bites  Being in the same room

As of 2001, nearly 1,000,000 in the USA have are infected with the HIV virus 1/3 of them do not know they have it! Worldwide: 42,000,000 people are infected with HIV

How many people have HIV or AIDS?  Since 1981, 470,000 people have died in the USA from AIDS  Since 1981, almost 1,000,000 have AIDS in the USA  In 2001, 43,000 new HIV infections in the USA

What does AIDS do to the body?  A fever that won't go away  Sweating while you sleep  Feeling tired all the time  Feeling sick all the time  Losing weight  Swollen glands  Mental changes and headaches  Severe malnutrition  Chronic diarrhea  Kaposi's sarcoma skin tumor that looks like dark purple blotches

Treatments for HIV  Several combination of drugs  Must be taken at the same time every day  Treatment will only slow down moving to AIDS  There is not cure for HIV or AIDS

How do I keep from getting HIV?  Abstinence – no sex (vaginal, oral, anal)  If going to have sex, use a latex condom (2% failure rate, mostly due to incorrect use)  Do not put yourself in a risky situation Drinking alcohol Use drugs, get high