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INDEX
S.NO TOPIC PAGES
1. CERTIFICATE
2. Acknowledgement
3. Introduction
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
CERTIFICATE
INTRODUCING TO AIDS
AIDS stands for Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome. AIDS is a serious
condition that weakens the body's immune system, leaving it unable to
fight off illness.AIDS is the last stage in a progression of diseases resulting
from a viral infection known as the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV or
AIDS virus). The diseases include a number of unusual and severe
infections, cancers and debilitating illnesses, resulting in severe weight
loss or wasting away, and diseases affecting the brain and central nervous
system.HIV originally came from a virus particular to chimpanzees in West
Africa during the 1930. HIV targets the body’s white blood cells,
weakening the immune system. This makes it easier to get sick with
diseases like tuberculosis, infections and some cancers. There is no cure
for HIV infection. HIV remains a major global public health issue, having
claimed an estimated 42.3 million lives to date. Transmission is ongoing
in all countries globally.
What is
HIV
HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) is a virus that
attacks cells that help the body fight infection, making a person
more vulnerable to other infections and diseases. It is spread by
contact with certain bodily fluids of a person with HIV, most
commonly during unprotected sex (sex without a condom or HIV
medicine to prevent or treat HIV), or through sharing injection
drug equipment. If left untreated, HIV can lead to the disease
AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome).The human body
can’t get rid of HIV and no effective HIV cure exists. So, once you
have HIV, you have it for life. Luckily, however, effective
treatment with HIV medicine (called antiretroviral therapy or ART)
is available. If taken as prescribed, HIV medicine can reduce the
amount of HIV in the blood (also called the viral load) to a very
low level. This is called viral suppression. If a person’s viral load is
so low that a standard lab can’t detect it, this is called having an
undetectable viral load. People with HIV who take HIV medicine
as prescribed and get and keep an undetectable viral load can
DIFFERENCE BETWEEN HIV AND AIDS
• HIV is a virus that weakens your immune
system.
AIDS is a condition that can happen as
a result of an HIV infection when your
immune system is severely weakened.
CAUSES OF AIDS
• The virus is spread (transmitted) person-to-
person through certain body
fluids:BloodSemen and preseminal fluidRectal
fluidsVaginal fluidsBreast milkHIV can be
spread if these fluids come in contact
with:Mucous membranes (inside of the
mouth, penis, vagina, rectum)Damaged
tissue (tissue that has been cut or
scraped)The blood stream by injectionHIV
cannot be spread through sweat, saliva, or
……
In the United States, HIV is mainly spread:Through vaginal
or anal sex without using a condom with someone who has
HIV who is not taking medicines to prevent or treat
HIVThrough needle sharing or other equipment used to
inject drugs with someone who has HIVLess often, HIV is
spread:From mother to child. A pregnant woman can
spread the virus to her fetus through their shared blood
circulation, or a nursing mother can pass it to her baby
through her breast milk. Testing and treatment of HIV-
positive mothers has helped lower the number of babies
getting HIV.Through needle sticks or other sharp objects
that are contaminated with HIV (mainly health care
HIV IS NOT SPREAD BY
Casual contact, such as hugging . Participating in sports
Touching items that were touched by a person infected
with the virus. Eating food handled by a person with HIV,
Intimate contact with an HIV-positive person with a stably
undetectable viral load.
HIV and blood or organ
donation: HIV is not spread to a person who donates
blood or organs. People who donate organs are never in
direct contact with the people who receive them.
Likewise, a person who donates blood is never in contact
with the person receiving it. In all of these procedures,
sterile needles and instruments are used.Blood banks and
organ donor programs thoroughly check (screen) donors,
blood, and tissues. It is very unlikely to get HIV from
blood transfusions, blood products, or organ or tissue
SYMPTOMS
• Symptoms related to acute HIV infection (when a person is first infected)
can be similar to the flu or other viral illnesses. They include:
• Fever and muscle pains
• Headache
• Sore throat
Mouth sores, including yeast infection
(thrush)
Swollen lymph glands
Diarrhea
Many people have symptoms when they are first infected with HIV.
…..
• Acute HIV infection (Stage 1) progresses over a few weeks to months to
become chronic or asymptomatic HIV infection (Stage 2) (no symptoms).
This stage can last 10 years or longer. During this period, the person
might have no reason to suspect they have HIV, but they can spread the
virus to others.
• Some people develop AIDS within a few years of infection. Others remain
completely healthy after 10 or even 20 years (called long-term
nonprogressors).
• People with AIDS have had their immune system damaged by HIV.
…..
• They are at very high risk of getting infections that are uncommon in people
with a healthy immune system. These infections are called opportunistic
infections and can affect any part of the body. These can be caused by:
• Bacteria …..
• Viruses
• Fungi
• Protozoa
• People with AIDS are also at higher risk for certain cancers, especially
lymphomas and a skin cancer called Kaposi sarcoma.
• Symptoms depend on the particular infection and which part of the body is
infected.
…..
• Lung infections are common in AIDS and often cause cough, fever, and shortness
of breath.
• Intestinal infections are also common and can cause:
• Diarrhea
• Abdominal pain
• Vomiting
• Swallowing problems
• Other common symptoms in people with HIV infection and AIDS include:
• Weight loss
• Fever
• Rashes
• Swollen lymph glands
MYTHS ABOUT HIV
• 1. ‘HIV and AIDS are the same things
HIV is the name of a virus. AIDS (what we now call late stage or advanced
HIV) is the name for a collection of illnesses caused by this virus
2. ‘HIV is a death sentence
Before advances in HIV treatment, someone diagnosed with HIV in the
1980s and early 1990s may have only been given a few years to live. But
today people living with HIV can live long healthy lives, if they are on
treatment.
3. ‘If you have sex with someone living with HIV, you will get HIV too’
People taking effective HIV treatment cannot pass on HIV through sex.
4. ‘Condoms are the only way to prevent HIV’
Condoms are an effective way to prevent HIV transmission but there’s also a pill you
can take to protect against HIV.
5. ‘People with HIV can’t have children’
You can have children if you are living with HIV if you are on effective treatment and
have an undetectable viral load – the risk of HIV being passed on to the baby is just
0.1%.
6. ‘HIV only affects gay men’
HIV can, and does, affect anyone of any age, sexuality, ethnicity or gender. In the UK,
around half of people living with HIV are gay and bi men and the other half are
straight people.
