Introduction to HIV and AIDS

It is bad enough that people are dying of AIDS, but no one should die of ignorance. Elizabeth Taylor

UMAN HIV is a virus that attacks the cells that fight disease. People who are HIV-positive don't get sick immediately. Instead, the virus slowly wears down the immune system, until the body can no longer fight disease. Once the immune system is damaged, HIV-positive people develop a group of diseases that are known as AIDS. People who have the virus are medically known as HIV-positive. A more helpful term to use is “people living with HIV”. H IVH IV Image copyright Russell Kightley MediaRussell Kightley Media MMUNODEFICIENCY IRUS

A set of diseases that people get once their immune system is damaged by HIV. CQUIRED A IDSA IDS Acquired means “caught” not inherited Immunodeficiency means weakness of the immune system Syndrome means a pattern of signs or symptoms that indicate the presence of a disease MMUNO YNDROME EFICIENCY

HIV is spread through human body fluids, especially blood and sexual fluids. The most common way to get HIV is: Other common ways: mother-to-child transmission dirty medical equipment people who inject drugs using unsterile needles blood products unprotected male-to-male sex How do people get HIV? unprotected heterosexual sex

time Living with HV combined with antiretroviral therapy is a completely different proposition to living with HIV without treatment. dying from AIDS ARV brings hope vs. living with HIV

Source: UN GLOBAL HIV/AIDS RESPONSE Progress Report 2011 Towards universal access to antiretroviral therapy

Stigma

People living with HIVPeople diagnosed with AIDS Children of parents living with HIV Grandparents with families living with HIV Nurses and doctors Students and teachers Sick people Healthy people People living positively This topic is about people. This study is not about: victimsbad peoplegood peopleaccusingjudging This study is about people affected by HIV and AIDS. People

Let’s talk more about HIV, let’s get informed. We know that stigma kills. Let’s ‘Think Wise’, don’t stigmatise. Virender Sehwag