A serious illness

What is HIV?  HIV is the human immunodeficiency virus. It is the virus that can lead to acquired immune deficiency syndrome, or AIDS. CDC estimates that about 56,000 people in the United States contracted HIV in  HIV damages a person’s body by destroying specific blood cells, called CD4+ T cells, which are crucial to helping the body fight diseases.

Where did HIV come from?  The earliest known case of infection with HIV-1 in a human was detected in a blood sample collected in 1959 from a man in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo. (How he became infected is not known.)  Genetic analysis of this blood sample suggested that HIV-1 may have stemmed from a single virus in the late 1940s or early 1950s.  We know that the virus has existed in the United States since at least the mid- to late 1970s.

What causes HIV?  HIV is spread primarily by: Not using a condom when having sex with a person who has HIV. All unprotected sex with someone who has HIV contains some risk. Having multiple sex partners or the presence of other sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) can increase the risk of infection during sex. Sharing needles, syringes, rinse water, or other equipment used to prepare illicit drugs for injection. Being born to an infected mother—HIV can be passed from mother to child during pregnancy, birth, or breast- feeding.

What is AIDS  AIDS stands for Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome. Acquired – means that the disease is not hereditary but develops after birth from contact with a disease-causing agent (in this case, HIV). Immunodeficiency – means that the disease is characterized by a weakening of the immune system. Syndrome – refers to a group of symptoms that indicate or characterize a disease.  In the case of AIDS, this can include the development of certain infections and/or cancers, as well as a decrease in the number of certain specific blood cells, called CD4+ T cells, which are crucial to helping the body fight disease.  Before the development of certain medications, people with HIV could progress to AIDS in just a few years. Currently, people can live much longer - even decades - with HIV before they develop AIDS. This is because of “highly active” combinations of medications that were introduced in the mid 1990s.

How long does it take HIV to cause AIDS?  Prior to 1996, scientists estimated that about half the people with HIV would develop AIDS within 10 years after becoming infected. This time varied greatly from person to person and depended on many factors, including a person's health status and their health-related behaviors.  Since 1996, the introduction of powerful antiretroviral therapies has dramatically changed the progression time between HIV infection and the development of AIDS. There are also other medical treatments that can prevent or cure some of the illnesses associated with AIDS, though the treatments do not cure AIDS itself. Because of these advances in drug therapies and other medical treatments, estimates of how many people will develop AIDS and how soon are being recalculated, revised, or are currently under study.  As with other diseases, early detection of infection allows for more options for treatment and preventative health care.

How does HIV cause AIDS  Although the scientific evidence is overwhelming and compelling that HIV is the cause of AIDS, the disease process is still not completely understood.  Infection with HIV has been the sole common factor shared by AIDS cases throughout the world among the following people: Infected individuals who have been sexually active Blood transfusion recipients Persons with hemophilia (Hemophilia is an inherited bleeding disorder in which the blood does not clot properly) Children born to infected women Occupationally exposed health care workers.

REFUSAL SKILLS  Pick up line: A line someone may say to someone they are interested in: Might be romantically interested Might be just interested in hanging out

Pick Up Lines  Can I borrow your library card? I wanna check you out.  Are you from Tennessee? ‘Cause you’re the only TEN-I-SEE  Are your feet tired? ‘Cause you’ve been running through my mind all day.  Are you Jamaican? ‘Cause Jamaican me crazy!  Well, here I am! What are your other two wishes?  I have 20 bucks you’re going to turn me down

Refusal line  The line a person can say to another person using a pick up line Examples:  Pick up line: Are you from Tennessee? ‘Cause you’re the only TEN-I-SEE  Refusal line: No, sorry, I’m from Illinois.  Pick up line: Well, here I am! What are your other two wishes?  Refusal line: 1 – Get away from me, 2 – Never talk to me again

Mr. Kasak’s favorite lines from previous classes  I went to the doctor and they said that they found you in my heart  Are you a scientist? Because I want to experiment with YOU.  Can you give me a time out? Because I’ve been baaaaad.  Are you a firework? Because I see sparks in your eyes.  Did it hurt when you fell from heaven?  *checks tag on the back of persons shirt* Just like I thought… made in heaven.  You remind me of a parking ticket because you got “fine” written all over you  If I could rearrange the alphabet I’d put U and I together