HIV

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HIV and AIDS
THE FACTS
Blanca I. Jackson, RN, Nurse Educator Robert Wood
Johnson AIDS Program
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The Basics What is HIV?

• HIV stands for Human Immunodeficiency Virus
• HIV is the virus that causes AIDS
• A person who is infected with HIV is infected for
  life
• People living with HIV can look and feel well for
  a long time

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What is AIDS?

• Acquired
• Immune
• Deficiency
• Syndrome

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more on AIDS

• A person has AIDS if they have HIV and have had
  a severe illness
• There is currently no cure for AIDS and no
  vaccine to prevent it
• Both HIV and AIDS are PREVENTABLE

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The Difference Between HIV and AIDS

• HIV is the virus that causes infection
• The person who is HIV-infected may have no signs
  of illness but can still infect others
• Most people who are HIV-infected will develop
  AIDS after a period of time, which may be several
  months to several years
• AIDS is a group of serious illnesses and
  opportunistic infections that develop after being
  infected with HIV for a long period of time

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HIV knows no boundaries
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What does HIV do in the body?

• HIV targets the immune system

HIV invades a special white blood cell of the
immune system called the T-cell
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What do T-cells do?

• T-cells protect the body from germs such as
  viruses and bacteria
• T-cells are also calledhelper cells
• Counting the number of T-cells in your blood is
  one way of finding out how well a person can
  fight infection and illness

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• How does HIV harm the immune system?
• Over time, HIV kills the bodys T-cells

With fewer T-cells, the body has a difficult
time fighting disease and illness
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How does HIV make you feel?

• Some people have several symptoms of HIV,
  including fever, swollen glands, and weight
  loss.
• However, many people with HIV do not feel any
  different than other people
• People living with HIV can feel and look
  completely normal

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Children Living with HIV
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Is there a cure?

• Currently prevention is the only cure for HIV

• Scientists and researchers are working on a
  vaccine

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How do doctors treat HIV?

• First, doctors measure the amount of HIV in the
  blood
• This measurement is called a viral load
• If the viral load is low, the patient does not
  need any medicine
• If the viral load is high, there are medicines
  that can help

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Medicine The Inside Scoop

• HIV is treated with a type of medicine called
  antiretroviral drugs
• There four different types of antiretrovirals
• People living with HIV usually take a
  combination of antiretrovirals

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How do people become infected with HIV?

• HIV is only spread through 4 bodily fluids
• Blood
• Breast milk
• Vaginal Fluids
• Semen
• Remember, exposure to the bodily fluid is
  required for possible transmission.

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Spreading HIV

• An HIV-positive individual can pass HIV
  to another by means of
• Sexual intercourse and oral sex
• Giving birth (mother-to-child)
• Breastfeeding (mother-to-child)
• Sharing syringes or needles

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HIV is not spread through

• Sweat
• Tears
• Saliva

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You cannot become infected by

• Sharing a drink or utensils
• Kissing, touching, or hugging
• Using the same toilet or bathroom
• Sneezing, coughing
• Insects (i.e. mosquitoes)
• Protected sex

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Risk Reduction

• You are responsible to reduce your own personal
  risk by
• Not engaging in unprotected sex
• Not participating in substance abuse (alcohol
  and drugs)
• Communicating with responsible adults to learn
  more about HIV/AIDS

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What can you do to help?

• Raise awareness
• Learn more
• Sponsor an event or fundraiser for World AIDS Day
  (December 1st)
• Participate in the Promise Run on April 23rd

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Stay informed!
Make sure you have the right information.
SUPPORT the HIV/AIDS Community