H

- Human I - Immunodeficiency V virus

HIV cannot grow or reproduce on their own, they need to infect the cells of a living organism in order to replicate (make new copies of themselves). immune system

Attacks

 With

around 2.7 million people becoming infected with HIV in 2010, there are now an estimated 34 million people around the world who are living with HIV, including millions who have developed AIDS.

Acquired - something you get rather than you are born with Immune resistance or protection from disease Deficiency - absence of protective power Syndrome - a variety of symptoms rather than one single disease.

AIDS is the name of a disease, which is caused by a virus that breaks down the bodys immune system and leads to fatal infection.

AIDS is caused by HIV damaging the immune system cells until the immune system can no longer fight off other infections that it would usually be able to prevent. If left untreated, it takes around ten years on average for someone with HIV to develop AIDS.

 There are

various ways a person can become infected with HIV:

 Unprotected

sexual intercourse with an infected person

Contact with an infected person's

blood

 Use

of infected blood products

 From

mother to child

 Injecting

drugs

 Blood

and blood products

Semen Breast

and vaginal/cervical fluids

Milk

 ANYONE. Male

or female, young or old, from any country or any religion can acquire HIV. and AIDS are not limited to certain groups of people, sex preferences, or jobs.

HIV

person with HIV may or may not look sick. They can carry the virus for months or even years before they get sick. In early stages, immune deficiency may not cause any symptoms (asymptomatic stage)

 Symptoms

eventually develop because of failure of immune system. Symptoms may include:

Extreme tiredness Unexplained & continued fever & night sweats Loss of appetite Unexplained difficulty of sleeping Unexplained weight loss which is not due to any voluntary actions (e.g dieting, physical exercise) Swollen glands around the neck, armpits or groins Unexplained or unusual diarrhea lasting for weeks or month Unusual skin problems or diseases Progressive shortness of breath Development of Kaposis Sarcoma, Pneumocystic carinii pneumonia (PCP), severe infections with yeast, cytomegalovirus, herpes virus and parasites are expected in the later stage of AIDS.

1.

Rapid Tests

Results can be obtained within 5-30 min Commonly used as they give results quickly & do not require special equipment

2.

ELISA

Commonly used test for HIV today Very sensitive. Most test have a 99% sensitivity with very few false negative results

3.

Western Blot

Are antigen test that are very accurate but also very expensive. Used as a second HIV test conducted to confirm HIV test results (confirmatory tests)

 HIV

CAN NOT pass from one person to another in the ff kinds of contact:
Wearing someone elses clothes or using articles

belonging to them that they have touched Living or sleeping in the same room as a person with HIV/AIDS Hugging or sleeping with a baby or a child who has HIV/AIDS Caring for children when the adult is HIVpositive

 Traveling on crowded buses with a person or

people with HIV/AIDS Having person with HIV/AIDS coughing or sneezing on you Sharing food, cups, & plates with a person with HIV/AIDS Caring for someone who has developed AIDS when basic good hygiene is observed Mosquito bites Donating Blood

= Abstinence from sex B = Be faithful to your partner C = Correct & consistent use of condoms D = Do not use or inject drugs E = Education F = Frequent voluntary testing G = Guidance & counseling H = Have a healthy lifestyle & positive behavior