HIVAIDS HIVAIDS HIV human immunodeficiency virus a virus

HIV/AIDS

HIV/AIDS • HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) – a virus that attacks the immune system. • AIDS (acquired immune deficiency syndrome) – a disease in which the immune system of the patient is weakened. It is the end stage of HIV infection.

HIV/AIDS • This is what most people envision when they think about HIV/AIDS. • This person has AIDS, the end stage of HIV infection.

HIV/AIDS • You can not tell that someone has HIV by looking them. They look normal and may not even know that they are infected.

HIV/AIDS FACTS • AIDS has become one of the deadliest diseases in human history. • More than 25 million people around the world have died from this disease, including more than 500, 000 Americans. • Health care officials estimate that currently 40 million people worldwide have HIV/AIDS.

HIV/AIDS FACTS • Approximately 12 million • The seriousness of the people who have HIV/AIDS pandemic is HIV/AIDS are in the 15 -24 greatly increased because age group. many of the young people who are infected do not • Half of all new HIV know it. infections are among young people. Every day, about 7, 000 young people become infected. • The fastest growing population is among African American women aged 15 -19.

HIV and the Human Body • When HIV enters the blood, it invades certain white blood cells of the immune system, including T cells, which help other lymphocytes identify and destroy pathogens (germs).

HIV and the Human Body • The viruses take over the cells and cause them to produce new copies of themselves. • The newly produced viruses break out of the cell, destroying them. • The new viruses infect other cells, and then the process repeats itself.

HIV and the Human Body • As the number of viruses increases and the number of T cells decreases, the immune system becomes less capable of preventing infections and cancer. • The body becomes susceptible to common infections and to opportunistic infections (infections that occur in individuals who do not have a healthy immune system). • HIV infection is progressive (occurring over months or years). • Being infected with HIV does not necessarily mean the individual has AIDS is the advanced stage of HIV infection.

HIV Transmission • HIV is a fragile virus and cannot live outside the human body. Exposure to air at room temperature kills the virus.

HIV Transmission • HIV cannot be spread through airborne transmission, through casual contact (shaking hands, hugging, ), or from insect bites. • Although the virus has been found in sweat, tears, and saliva of infected persons, the amount is too small to be considered dangerous. • Even kissing is a low risk activity if you have no open sore or cuts in your mouth. • It cannot be transmitted through food, sharing toilet seats or telephones, working next to or being in the same room as an infected person, or touching an infected person.

HIV Transmission • HIV is transmitted among humans only when one person’s infected blood, semen, or vaginal secretions comes in contact with another person’s broken skin or mucous membranes. • Mucous membranes can be found in the mouth, eyes, nose, vagina, rectum, and the opening in the penis

HIV Transmission HIV can be spread by: 1. Any form of sexual contact. 2. Injecting drugs and sharing needles. 3. Mother to baby – either directly through the umbilical cord, during delivery, or while nursing.

Stages of HIV Infection • In general, these • A person is considered symptoms disappear infectious immediately after contracting the virus. within a week to a month and are often mistaken • Approximately half of all persons develop for another viral infection, symptoms about 3 -6 such as the flu. weeks after becoming infected with HIV. • Symptoms include fever, rash, headache, body aches, and swollen glands

Stages of HIV Infection • After the flu-like symptoms disappear, the person enters the asymptomatic stage, a period of time during which a person infected with HIV has no symptoms. • A person may show no signs of illness for 6 months to 10 years or more. • However, the virus continues to grow and the infected person can still transmit the virus to others.

Stages of HIV Infection • During the asymptomatic • This marks the stage, the immune system symptomatic stage, the keeps pace with HIV stage in which an infected infection by producing person has symptoms as a billions of new cells. result of a severe drop in immune cells. • Eventually though, the number of cells in the • The symptoms include immune system decline to swollen glands, weight the point where other loss, and yeast infections start to take over

Stages of HIV Infection • During the latter stage of HIV infection, more serious symptoms appear until the infection meets the official definition of AIDS. • This includes the presence of HIV infection, a severely damaged immune system measured by the number of helper T cells, and the appearance of one or more opportunistic infections or illnesses. • By the time AIDS develops, HIV has often attacked brain cells, causing difficulty in thinking or remembering.

AIDS Opportunistic Illnesses • AIDS –OIs are disorders caused by organisms that do not usually produce illness in healthy people with unimpaired immune systems.

AIDS Opportunistic Illnesses Karposis Sarcoma • Usually the first AIDS-OI to infect AIDS patients • It is a type of skin cancer that presents with red lesions covering the body.

AIDS Opportunistic Illnesses Mycobacterium Avium Complex (MAC) • MAC is a bacterial infection. • Symptoms include persistent fever, night sweats, fatigue, weight loss, chronic diarrhea, anemia, abdominal pain, weakness, dizziness, and nausea.

AIDS Opportunistic Illnesses Cryptococcosis (Cryptococcal Disease) • A fungal infection that may cause meningitis or a form of pneumonia. • Symptoms of meningitis include headache, stiff neck, fever, blurred vision, a staggering gait, and fatigue • If left untreated, the infection may end in coma or death.

AIDS Opportunistic Illnesses Pneumocystis Carinii Pneumonia (PCP) • A protozoal infection that causes a form of pneumonia. • Symptoms include difficulty in breathing, fever, and a persistent cough.

AIDS Opportunistic Illnesses Toxoplasmosis Gondii • A protozoal infection that can cause encephalitis. • It is characterized by an altered mental state – confusion, lethargy, and delusional behavior – as well as paralysis on one side of the body, seizures, severe headaches, fever, and coma.

AIDS Opportunistic Illnesses Cytomegalovirus (CMV) • A viral infection with symptoms that include blurry vision, blindness, pain and difficulty swallowing, lesions in the esophagus, fever, diarrhea, abdominal pain, wasting (an infection of the cells lining the intestines), and eventual blindness.

AIDS Opportunistic Illnesses AIDS-Related Cognitive Motor Dysfunction • Formerly known as AIDS Dementia Complex. • A progressive disorder in which brain tissue is destroyed. • Symptoms range from mild confusion to instability to control one’s muscular movement

AIDS Opportunistic Illnesses Peripheral Nerve / Spinal Cord Dysfunction • An inflammation of the nerves connecting the central nervous system to the sensory organs, muscles, glands, and internal organs. • Symptoms include numbness, tingling, pain, and muscle weakness.

Detecting HIV 1. Developing antibodies • The first test usually takes time. Before performed is an ELISA antibodies develop, the (EIA), a test that screens EIA may give a false negative result. This for the presence of HIV means the test is negative, antibodies in the blood. but the person may be • The EIA reacts to even positive; there just aren’t enough antibodies for the small numbers of HIV test to detect. antibodies. • Most people will test • However, the EIA may positive in 3 -4 weeks, but some people take up to 6 give inaccurate results months to test positive. because:

Detecting HIV 2. Certain health conditions such as hemophilia, hepatitis, and pregnancy can cause the EIA to give a false positive reading. • This means that although the test was positive, the person does not have the infection. • If the EIA test is positive, it can be repeated to make sure the results are accurate. • If the repeat test is also positive, other confirmatory test are done.

Detecting HIV • • • The Western Blot test is the most common confirmation test for HIV. If done properly, this test is 100% accurate. If the results of all three of these tests are positive, a person is determined to have HIV, and is referred to as HIVpositive or HIV-Reactive

Detecting HIV • • • Two additional test – the • These two test give a more complete picture of RNA and CD 4 – may be run when a Western Blot an HIV-infected person’s test comes back positive. condition. The RNA, or viral load • They can help doctors test, shows how many monitor the disease and copies of the virus are determine how much circulating in the blood medicine, if any, a patient The CD 4 test looks at the needs. number of white blood cells in a sample of blood.

Detecting HIV • Home testing kits are available, but are not always considered to be trustworthy.

HIV/AIDS Treatment • Since the early 1980 s, drugs have been developed to slow the growth of HIV and treat some of the symptoms. • No drug yet exists to cure HIV/AIDS • Many of the drugs available are also used to treats opportunistic infections.

HIV/AIDS Treatment • To slow the growth of HIV, people take a combination of drugs, a treatment known as highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART). • People may have take more than 30 pills a day. • In 2006, the FDA approved a once-daily, single pill for HIV, but is not effective for every patient.

Health & Wellness IQ

HIV can be transmitted by kissing an infected person.

HIV can be transmitted by kissing an infected person. False HIV cannot be transmitted by saliva; therefore, kissing is unlikely to transmit HIV. The one exception to this would be if there were open sores in a person’s mouth.

A person with HIV also has AIDS.

A person with HIV also has AIDS. It Depends Not all people who have HIV have AIDS; however, people with HIV are likely to develop AIDS as the HIV disease runs it’s course. AIDS is the end stage of HIV infection.

The fastest growing population of people who are getting HIV infection are African American females, aged 15 -19 years.

The fastest growing population of people who are getting HIV infection are African American females, aged 15 -19 years. True

Opportunistic Infections are infections that take advantage of the body’s weakened immune system.

Opportunistic Infections are infections that take advantage of the body’s weakened immune system. True

Being HIV-positive means that HIV antibodies have been detected in a person’s blood.

Being HIV-positive means that HIV antibodies have been detected in a person’s blood. True

AIDS patients do not die from opportunistic infections.

AIDS patients do not die from opportunistic infections. It Depends Some opportunistic infections are not fatal and can be managed, but most AIDS patients do die from opportunistic infections.

Having an STD decreases a person’s risk for becoming infected with HIV.

Having an STD decreases a person’s risk for becoming infected with HIV. False Having an STD increases your chances of contracting HIV.

The cornerstone of HIV/AIDS treatment is antiretroviral therapy.

The cornerstone of HIV/AIDS treatment is antiretroviral therapy. True

When HIV enters the bloodstream, it invades certain immune cells called B-cells.

When HIV enters the bloodstream, it invades certain immune cells called B-cells. False HIV invades T-cells.

The asymptomatic stage of HIV infection can last anywhere from 6 months to 10 years.

The asymptomatic stage of HIV infection can last anywhere from 6 months to 10 years. True