HIV and AIDS Facts HIV Human Immunodeficiency Virus

HIV and AIDS Facts

HIV – Human Immunodeficiency Virus AIDS – Auto Immune Deficiency Syndrome • HIV is the name given to a virus • HIV affects your immune system (the way your body fights illness and infection) • HIV stops your immune system from working properly so that your body can no longer defend itself. This is AIDS.

What is a Virus? • Viruses are microbes • They consist of • DNA or RNA (which hold the information about the virus, like your DNA) • A protein coat (to protect the DNA/RNA) • Influenza (flu), Polio, Smallpox

How a virus ‘works’ A virus is a parasite which cannot reproduce on its own, it needs another living thing to survive It infects the cells of your body and ‘hijacks’ them (Adsorption & Entry) Your cells stop doing what they’re supposed to and instead make copies of the virus (Replication & Assembly) The new viruses are released and go on to infect other cells (Release)

Is It Alive? • Viruses have characteristics of living things but, in some ways, could be said to be non-living – what do you think? Remember – Living things Move Reproduce Sense Grow Respire Get rid of waste Need energy

How does it spread? • A virus needs to make its way from one ‘host’ to another • This can happen in different ways – Airborne – Transfer of body fluid – Through a ‘carrier’ (malaria) • HIV is transferred ONLY through transfer of body fluid • Can you think of any examples of body fluids that could spread HIV? • How much of each body fluid do you think needs to be transferred for someone to become infected with HIV?

How does AIDS affect you? • HIV stops your immune system from working properly • This means an illness that is not very serious for you and me can become life threatening to someone with HIV • People do not die from AIDS, they die because their bodies cannot fight off infections from other disease-causing organisms -pnuemonia -tuberculosis

HIV in South Africa • South Africa has an estimated five million people living with HIV - more than any other nation. • Activists say some 600 South Africans die from Aids-related diseases each day.

Aids is predicted to cause a huge rise in the country's death rate over the next two decades.

• Researchers say that people who use and abuse alcohol are at both greater risk of contracting Aids, and infecting others. • A survey conducted in Carltonville in South Africa revealed that men who drink are four times more likely to be HIV positive.

Unsafe Sex in South Africa • Why do you think that unsafe sex is so prevalent in South Africa? • Why do you think women in South Africa feel they must have sex when asked? • What could the government do to change these statistics?

HIV prevalence rates in women under 20 have fallen since 1998, suggesting that Aids awareness campaigns are having an impact

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