1. The Effects of HIV/AIDS on the Immune System
Kylina, Kate, Sarah, Jackie

2. What is HIV? Human Immunodeficiency Virus
HIV is a virus that infects cells necessary to activate immune responses, by attacking the body’s T-Cells and helper T-Cells
HIV-1 originated in West-Central Africa in the first half of the 20th century when a closely related chimpanzee virus first infected humans
The global spread of HIV-1 has been documented to have occurred in the 1970s, and AIDS was first recognized in 1981

3. HIV Virus

4. What is AIDS? Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome
AIDS is a condition where the body’s specific defense system against all infectious agents no longer functions properly
A person is diagnosed with AIDS after having HIV for a while

5. How does HIV affect the body?
HIV infects cells necessary to activate immune responses
Helper T-Cells
Without helper T-Cells, body cannot make antibodies properly, nor can infected cells containing HIV (intracellular pathogen) be properly eliminated
The Virus can:
Multiply
Kill the helper T-Cells in which it lives
Infect adjacent helper T-Cells
Repeat the cycle, and on and on until eventually there is a substantial loss of helper T-Cells

6. How does HIV affect the body?
Virus and immune system continually fights for supremacy
Body makes more T-Cells, that mature into helper T-Cells
Virus still attacks these new T-Cells as body continues to make them
This process continues until the body can no longer create T-Cells
This takes up to 10 years
Loss of helper T-Cells results in complete inability of the body to ward off any organisms
This acquired condition of immunodeficiency is called AIDS

7. How does HIV cause AIDS? Infection
The virus can copy itself and infect cells before your immune system has time to react. Flu-like symptoms occur
Response
The body responds to the virus by making antibodies. This is called seroconversion when you move from HIV negative to positive
No symptoms
Your body moves into a phase where you experience no symptoms, but are still affect, called asymptomatic infection

8. How does HIV cause AIDS? Symptoms
You begin to experience some symptoms of HIV such as PCP
AIDS
It is diagnosed (not a definite way to diagnose AIDS) when you have certain symptoms, infections, and specific test results
Person with a healthy immune system has a CD4 count is 500 to 1800
Person is diagnosed with AIDS when the CD4 count goes below 200 or if they have HIV with certain diseases such as tuberculosis

9. How HIV transmitted? Sexual contact with an infected person
Sharing needles or syringes with someone who is infected
Primarily from drug infection
Through transfusions of infected blood or blood clotting factors
Babies born to HIV
Infected women may become infected and infect their child before birth, during birth, or through breastfeeding after birth
Infected blood gets into an open cut or a mucous membrane
For example, the eyes or the inside of the nose

10. What are the social implications of HIV/AIDS?
Worldwide, about 33.2 million people are estimated to be infected
There are about 2.5 million new infections and 2.1 million deaths each year
Most (95%) occur in developing countries
One half occur in women, and one in seven occur in children under 15 years old
In parts of Africa, more than 30% of people between the ages of 15 and 45 are infected
This threat can dramatically reduce the life expectancy of a whole generation

11. What are the social implications of HIV/AIDS?
The dramatic loss of people due to AIDS in certain countries has caused negative impacts in societies
Economically, infected men and women cannot provide for their households
Expenses for the treatment of HIV/AIDS has taken a toll on healthcare systems, especially in Africa
Businesses and agriculture has taken a hard hit due to a loss of workers

12. HIV/AIDS Statistics, 2007 Region
Adults (15+) Living with HIV/AIDS, 2007
Percent of Adults (15+) living with HIV/AIDS that are women, 2007
Children (<15) living with HIV/AIDS, 2007
Adult (15+) and child deaths due to AIDS, 2007
Sub-Saharan Africa
22.0 million
59%
1.8 million
1.5 million
South/Southeast Asia
4.2 million
37%
140,000
340,000
Eastern Europe/ Central Asia
31%
12,000
58,000
Latin America
1.7 million
32%
44,000
63,000
North America
1.2 million
21%
4,400
23,000
East Asia
740,000
27%
7,800
40,000
Western/Central Europe
730,000
1,300
8,000
Middle East/ North Africa
380,000
54%
26,000
27,000
Caribbean
230,000
50%
11,000
14,000
Oceania
74,000
30%
1,100
1,000
Global
32.9 million
2.0 million
Source: globalhealthreporting.org

14. Effect of AIDS on Child Mortality, 2002-2005
Source: UNPopulation Division, World Population Prospects: The 2004 Revision(2005); and UNAIDS and UNICEF, A Call to Action: Children, the Missing Face of AIDS(2005)

15. Prevention of HIV/AIDS
Improve the infrastructure and capacity of healthcare systems to provide treatment
Education
Educate people on the impacts of HIV/AIDS and the ways that they can prevent the infection of themselves or others
Reduce poverty, illiteracy, and other social, economic and political factors that increases people’s vulnerability to HIV