1. HIV/AIDS

2. TRUE or FALSE?

3. HIV and AIDS are exactly the same thing.
FALSE
AIDS is the final stage of HIV and is characterized by a severely compromised immune system which is measured by the number of CD4 cells in the body. CD4 cells are white blood cells also known as T-helper cells.

4. People between the ages of 13 and 24 account for only 5% of all new HIV infections in the United States.
FALSE
Youth between the ages of 13 and 24 account for approximately 26% of all new HIV infections in the United States (2010.)

5. There are currently 35 million people living with HIV/AIDS worldwide.
TRUE
According to the World Health Organization, the vast majority of people living with HIV are in low and middle-income countries with sub-Saharan Africa being the most affected region.

6. HIV is the WORLD’S leading infectious KILLER
TRUE
According to the World Health Organization, an estimated 39 million people have died since the first cases were reported in 1981 and 1.5 million people died of AIDS-related causes in 2013.

7. What is HIV?  Human  Immunodeficiency  Virus H I V
Ask students what they think HIV stands for
Ask students what an immune system is.
cool video on what our immune system does for them to understand?
AIDS cell video V
 Virus

8. What does HIV do to the body?
It attacks an important part of your immune system – your T-helper cells or CD4 cells. These cells fight infections and disease, but HIV invades them, uses them to make more copies of itself, and then destroys them.

9. HIV/AIDS

10. What is AIDS? Acquired  Immune  Deficiency  Syndrome A I D S
Syndrome – A syndrome is a collection of symptoms and signs of disease. AIDS is a syndrome, rather than a single disease, because it is a complex illness with a wide range of complications and symptoms.
Late stage of HIV infection S
 Syndrome

11. When does HIV become AIDS?
Diagnostic criteria for AIDS has to do with the patient's CD4 cell count.
As the disease progresses, the number of CD4 cells diminishes.
A person may receive a diagnosis of AIDS if he or she has a CD4 cell count of under 200 cells/mm3 , even if he or she does not have an opportunistic infection.
A normal CD4 count ranges from 500–1,200 cells/mm3  in adults/adolescents.

12. How is HIV transmitted?
Body fluids that contain HIV: blood, semen(cum), pre-seminal fluid (pre-cum), breast milk, vaginal fluids, rectal (anal) mucous
How is it transmitted: during sex you have contact with partners body fluids and the virus enters the bloodstream through microscopic rips in vagina, vulva, penis, rectum or mouth.

13. What is the HIV window period?
A period of time after a person is infected during which they won't test positive. This can last from 9 days to 3-6 months, depending on the person's body and on the HIV test that's used. During that time, you can test HIV negative even though you're HIV infected. You can still catch HIV from someone who is in the window period.

14. Signs and Symptoms
Many people who are HIV-positive do not have symptoms of HIV infection. Often people only begin to feel sick when they progress toward AIDS (Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome). Sometimes people living with HIV go through periods of being sick and then feel fine.
Similar to other common illnesses-- fever, chills, rash

15. Statistics
Ask why being unaware of infection is an issue?

16. Is HIV in my Community?
HIV is the leading cause of death among African American women, aged
The rate of HIV among young women aged 16–21 is 50% higher than the rate among young men in that age group.
There are over 10,000 people living with HIV/AIDS in CT
CT is ranked 7th in the nation in terms of AIDS cases per capita
Peter’s Retreat – supportive housing community for people living with HIV/AIDS operated by Hands on Hartford f
v_age.pdf
v_death_diagnosis_plw.pdf

17. What about the cure? There is NO cure for HIV.
Doctors can only prescribe different medications to try and control the virus once a person is infected.
AZT (azidothymidine) is used to delay development of AIDS. In 1987, AZT was approved by the FDA for the purpose of prolonging the lives of patients with AIDS.
ART (Antiretroviral therapy) consists of the combination of at least three antiretroviral (ARV) drugs to maximally suppress the HIV virus and stop the progression of AIDS.

18. No Cure extended
Immune, Very few people are immune to AIDS but carry HIV. Why? Because they have a mutation on there CD4 cells. So HIV virus cant attach to the white blood cells, meaning they cant get AIDS. But they can still pass the virus to others.
Zinc Fingers are small protein modifiers which can change DNA. The changes in DNA tell our bodies to produce newly mutated white blood cells. The purpose would be to be immune to AIDS. Why haven't these been given to all individuals with HIV? Studies are still being done and the newly research cant be approved by FDA till all long and short term side effects have been found in the tests.

19. Can I Get Infected?
YES.
If you partake in dangerous behaviors like unprotected sex (including oral sex) and sharing needles then you put yourself at high risk for contracting HIV.

20. Can I Reduce My Risk?
To completely eliminate your risk of infection you should practice abstinence and not share needles.
BUT
If you do have sex, reduce your risk of HIV infection by doing the following:
Do NOT have unprotected sex!
Be monogamous – have only one sex partner!
Ask your partner to get tested.

21. Ryan White…What is his story?
BE SURE TO COVER: Ryan Wayne White became a national poster child for HIV/AIDS in the United States after being expelled from school in Indiana because of his infection. A hemophiliac, he became infected with HIV from a contaminated blood treatment and, when diagnosed in 1984, was given six months to live.

22. The Ryan White CARE Act
Comprehensive AIDS Resources Emergency
Act

23. The act passed in the United States House of Representatives in 1990.
The Ryan White CARE Act
Named after Ryan White who died of AIDS in This is the United States’ largest federally funded program for people living with HIV/AIDS.
The act improves the availability of care for low-income, uninsured and under-insured victims of AIDS and their families.
The act passed in the United States House of Representatives in 1990.

24. Can you name any famous people that are HIV positive?
Magic Johnson
Arthur Ashe
Gia Carangi
Freddie Mercury
Robert Reed

25. Living with HIV/AIDS