UNIT 8: STI PREVENTION HIV AND AIDS

WHAT IS HIV? HUMAN IMMUNODEFICIENCY VIRUS DESTROYS IMPORTANT BLOOD CELLS IN THE BODY’S IMMUNE SYSTEM, WHICH LEAVES THE BODY UNABLE TO FIGHT INFECTION FOUND IN BLOOD AND BODY FLUIDS THAT CONTAIN BLOOD CELLS SUCH AS SEMEN, VAGINAL SECRETIONS, AND BREAST MILK DEVELOPS INTO AIDS: ACQUIRED IMMUNE DEFICIENCY SYNDROME

HOW IS HIV TRANSMITTED? VAGINAL, ANAL OR ORAL SEX CONTACT WITH INFECTED BODY FLUIDS SHARING NEEDLES, GETTING TATTOOS, BODY PIERCING MOTHER TO BABY BLOOD TRANFUSIONS OF INFECTED BLOOD ACCIDENTAL CONTACT WITH INFECTED BLOOD REMOTELY POSSIBLE DURING OPEN-MOUTHED KISSING IF SALIVA IS CONTAMINATED WITH BLOOD FROM CUTS/SORES IN MOUTH

YOU CANNOT GET HIV FROM: SALIVA TEARS SWEAT URINE FECES INSECT BITES AIR ENVIRONMENTAL SURFACES

SYMPTOMS OF HIV MILD FLU-LIKE ILLNESS WITHIN A FEW WEEKS OF BEING INFECTED USUALLY CAN GO MANY YEARS WITHOUT SYMPTOMS, BUT IS STILL ABLE TO PASS HIV TO ANOTHER PERSON SLOW DESTRUCTION OF WHITE BLOOD CELLS IN IMMUNE SYSTEM BODY BECOMES UNABLE TO FIGHT INFECTIONS AND SYMPTOMS APPEAR SUCH AS NIGHT SWEATS, WEIGHT LOSS, FEVER & DIARRHEA

STAGES OF HIV ASYMPTOMATIC STAGE: can last for 10 years, virus confined to lymph nodes where it destroys t-helper cells MIDDLE STAGE: acute antiretroviral stage, fever, headache, sore throat, rash, diarrhea, enlarged lymph nodes SYMPTOMATIC STAGE: t-helper cells fall to 200 to 400 ml of blood, flu-like symptoms AIDS STAGE: t-helper cells drop to less than 200 or one or more AIDS-opportunistic illnesses are present

TREATMENT FOR HIV/AIDS CAN BE TREATED, BUT NOT CURED TREATMENT MORE EFFECTIVE IF CAUGHT EARLY GIVEN A “COCKTAIL” OF MANY DRUGS TO TAKE TO TRY TO SLOW THE PROGRESSION