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HIV/AIDS
In 1980, no one knew about Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) or Acquired
Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS). Now almost everyone is aware. Still,
many people do not know how HIV is transmitted, and who is at risk for
infection. Nearly one million people are HIV infected in the United States.
About 10% of these have AIDS. AIDS is the disease caused by infection
with HIV.
It takes an average of 11 years before someone infected with the HIV
virus actually develops AIDS. During this time, many people who are infected
feel fine, look well, and may not know they have the virus. Unfortunately
they can pass the virus on to others during these years.
HIV is passed to others by:
- direct intimate contact with body fluids, such as blood, vaginal secretions,
or semen
- an HIV-infected mother to her baby during pregnancy
- having sexual intercourse without a latex or plastic condom with an
HIV-positive partner and
- sharing contaminated needles
Casual contact does not transmit HIV. People of any age, race, or sex
can become infected if exposed. The fastest growing groups include heterosexuals,
women, and teens. HIV is an "equal opportunity virus."
Three to six weeks after people are exposed and infected with HIV, most
will get the "HIV flu." Symptoms of this include a sore throat,
rash, fatigue, and swollen lymph glands. This "flu" resolves
in one to two weeks. After this, there is usually a long period during
which the virus is growing inside the body.
The person who is infected may have swollen glands and fatigue, but otherwise
feels OK. HIV infects special immune system cells called T-helpers or
CD4 cells. These cells help fight off infections. As HIV disease progresses,
the number of these T- helper cells is diminished, resulting in a loss
of ability to fight off infections.
Symptoms of AIDS eventually start to occur. These may be non- specific,
such as loss of appetite, fatigue, and night sweats. More specific symptoms
include thrush, vaginal yeast infections, skin conditions, and dental
problems. Serious infections may begin to occur when the T-helper count
falls to less than 25 percent of normal. It is at this time that a person
is said to have AIDS.
HIV/AIDS:
IN THE GLOBAL COMMUNITY
Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) is a global problem. In 1996, the
World Health Organization reported that there were 21 million cases of
HIV infection around the world. As many as 40 to 60 million cases are
expected by the year 2000. So many people are infected with HIV, that
it is considered a world-wide epidemic.
Although many think of HIV as an infection of gays and IV drug users,
over 75% of the cases worldwide are due to sexual contact between a man
and woman. New cases are occurring most rapidly in the developing nations
within Africa, Asia, and South and Central America.
There are around 14 million cases of HIV in southern African countries
such as Uganda and Zaire. Equal numbers of men and women are infected
there. A big problem there is the infection is passed from mother to child.
Many children who escape HIV are left orphaned by their infected parents.
The United States, Europe, and Australia have stable rates of infection.
This means that the same number of people die each year from AIDS as new
people are infected with the virus. The U.S. currently has around one
million cases. While the number of those infected is stable, the risk
factors for acquiring HIV are changing.
Those groups that are developing new HIV infections fastest include:
- minority heterosexual women
- women who are partners of intravenous drug users
- young adults and
- young gay men
People who live with HIV face many difficulties such as:
- cost of medications and medical care to treat their illness
- assistance required to help with activities of daily living
- prejudice, fear, and scorn by many people just because they are HIV-positive
HIV/AIDS:
MYTHS AND MISCONCEPTIONS
In the past, people have had good reason to be afraid of "catching"
diseases. Although they had many explanations about why people became
ill and died, they did not know what caused a disease, or how to avoid
it. Now, we have the benefit of science to provide us with answers. We
now know how to prevent HIV infection. However, myths and misconception,
continue to develop.
Some common myths regarding how you can get HIV are by:
- sharing food with an infected person
- hugging an infected person
- an insect bite
- being a gay or bisexual man or
- being an IV drug user
Science has provided us with answers to these myths. HIV is not transmitted
through casual contact. Even in family members where there is on-going
close contact there have been no cases of non- sexual transmission. Insects
are not able to transmit HIV. Finally, the highest increases in new infections
are in women, heterosexuals, and teens. HIV does not discriminate as to
age, sex, race, or sexual orientation.
Remember: not everyone who is HIV positive knows they are infected! HIV
is passed to others by:
- direct intimate contact with body fluids, such as blood, vaginal
secretions, or semen
- an HIV-infected mother to her baby during pregnancy
- having sexual intercourse without a latex or plastic condom with an
HIV-positive partner and
- sharing contaminated needles
Take the time to know the facts, and share these facts with your loved
ones. The spreading of HIV is completely preventable, if we all take personal
responsibility.
MINORITIES
AND HIV
Anyone who is sexually active, regardless of age, sex, race, or sexual
orientation, is at risk for AIDS. Minority populations are especially
at risk. AIDS cases reported to the Centers for Disease Control in the
United States for minorities are:
- African-American, one out of every three.
- Hispanic, one out of every six.
- The rates among Native Americans, Asian Americans, and Pacific Islanders
are still low, but it is feared that these numbers will rise as well.
Why are the numbers so much higher with African-Americans and Hispanics?
There are many theories including:
- minorities have less access to healthcare and education or
- minorities may be less likely to take precautions while having sex
or using injection drugs
Sometimes it takes knowing someone with HIV or AIDS to make the danger
real to people. Unfortunately, more and more Hispanic and African-American
people are having this experience.
What can you do to avoid getting HIV? If you use needles to inject drugs,
use new needles or clean your needles before and after re- using them.
There is a 3-step cleaning process that uses bleach to disinfect needles.
The steps must be done immediately before and after using the needle.
Contact your local or national AIDS help organisations for further information.
If you are sexually active, engage in safer sex. While safer sex is not
one hundred percent effective, it can greatly reduce your risk of infection
with HIV and other diseases. Use latex or plastic condoms for vaginal
or anal intercourse, or oral sex on men. Use dental dams or other barriers
for oral sex on women. Avoid lambskin condoms. Using latex or plastic
condoms and water- based lubricants with nonoxynol-9 may also help reduce
the risk.
While it may be difficult to talk to your partner about sex, you may
be risking your life if you do not speak up. Contact an HIV or AIDS service
organization for help in learning to speak to your sexual partner.
A
CO-WORKER IS HIV INFECTED
Learning that someone you work with has HIV, the virus that causes AIDS,
should not be alarming. Many at your work site may react with fear, and
others may feel helpless and not know what to do. Knowing more about HIV
will help everyone feel more comfortable. Here are the facts.
HIV is NOT transmitted through casual contact such as:
- holding hands or hugging
- sneezing or coughing
- insect bites or
- sharing food, drink, or work space
HIV is passed to others by:
- direct intimate contact with body fluids, such as blood, vaginal secretions,
or semen
- an HIV-infected mother to her baby during pregnancy
- having sexual intercourse without a latex or plastic condom with an
HIV-positive partner and
- sharing contaminated needles
Most people do not work in places where there is risk for blood- to-blood
exposure. Those who are at risk for such exposure at work include healthcare
workers, laboratory staff, and public safety workers.
Very few people have been infected with HIV through occupational exposure.
In these cases the source has been a patient, not a co- worker. HIV is
a weak virus. It cannot live for long outside of the body. Everyone should
use common sense when cleaning up body fluids of any kind. This will protect
you from organisms such as hepatitis, as well as from HIV. If there should
be an accident at your work site, use latex gloves and a 10% bleach or
virus killing solution to clean up the spill. Wash your hands thoroughly
afterward.
Learning the truth about HIV will help you learn that you cannot get
HIV just by working with an infected person. Those who have HIV are covered
by the Americans with Disabilities Act. This law protects those with HIV
from being fired just because they have HIV.
People who are living with HIV face many difficulties. By reaching out
with a kind word or touch you can make a big difference. This may put
your co-workers more at ease. Your attitude can make your job site a more
supportive place. If you are still concerned about working with someone
with HIV, contact your company nurse, your local health department, your
local AIDS organization.
TESTING
FOR THE AIDS VIRUS
Deciding to get tested for HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, is not an
easy decision. However, a person can have HIV without showing any signs.
There is no way to know, without testing, if a person is infected.
HIV is passed to others by:
- direct intimate contact with body fluids, such as blood, vaginal
secretions, or semen
- an HIV-infected mother to her baby during pregnancy
- having sexual intercourse without a latex or plastic condom with an
HIV-positive partner and
- sharing contaminated needles
As soon as a person is infected with HIV, antibodies against the virus
begin to form. The presence of these antibodies is used as a test for
HIV. Even though a person may be infected with HIV, he or she may not
test positive for up to six months.
Two blood tests are used to check for HIV. They both must be positive
before a person is said to be HIV-positive. If one is positive and the
other is not, both tests should be repeated in one month. Testing for
HIV is confidential, and some centers offer anonymous testing.
Confidential testing assures that your results will be guarded with care.
Only those persons who need to know are told. Positive results will be
reported by name to the health department for two reasons. The first is
so they can assist with partner notification and referral to care. The
second is that these figures are reported to the federal government in
order to know how many people have HIV, and how much money each state
needs for HIV care. Anonymous testing does not use your name at all. Positive
results are reported without any personal identifiers. Some people feel
this better insures the civil rights of those who test HIV positive.
It is important to get pre-test counseling with the HIV test. This can
help to identify those behaviors that place a person at risk for HIV.
If the test is negative, one can make the changes needed to stay free
of HIV. If the test is positive, counseling can help with finding the
medical and social services needed.
Recently, home test kits have been made available. Pre-and post- test
counseling is not received when one uses home test kits. Make sure you
know to whom you will turn should your results come back positive. If
the result is negative, take the time to learn how you can minimize your
future risk for HIV.
Those who test positive face many hard choices. Whom do they tell? What
can they do to stay healthy? How can they best protect their loved ones?
Local AIDS support organizations can offer answers and support. Learning
whether you are HIV-positive will help you protect yourself and your loved
ones.
AIDS:
THE LATEST NEWS
AIDS stands for acquired immunodeficiency syndrome. It is a disease caused
by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Most people who are infected
with HIV eventually develop AIDS. There may be a small percentage of people
with HIV who will never develop AIDS. When people develop AIDS, their
immune systems are slowly destroyed. People with AIDS get diseases called
opportunistic diseases or infections. The weakened immune system no longer
can provide protection for these diseases.
The bad news about HIV is how much it has spread. Over twenty million
people in the world have HIV. Nearly a million of them live in the United
States. Many people with HIV have not been tested and do not realize that
they have the virus.
There is good news, however, about new treatments for HIV and AIDS. Many
new discoveries are helping people with HIV. How many viruses are actually
in the bloodstream can now be measured. These tests are much more helpful
in showing how well anti-viral medications are working.
There are two classes of medications that are helping people with HIV.
They work by keeping the virus from reproducing and spreading. The first
class is the reverse transcriptase inhibitors, such as AZT. The second
class of drug is the protease inhibitors, which help prevent HIV from
reproducing. Using a combination of such drugs together can slow the virus
down a great deal. However, no one is sure how long it will take people
to develop resistance to these drugs.
There are also medications that are known as prophylactic medications.
These medications can help prevent the infected person from getting some
of the worst opportunistic infections such as:
- different types of pneumonia
- tuberculosis and
- other diseases and infections
HIV/AIDS:
INFORMATION & REFERRAL
HIV and AIDS have been recognized for less than 20 years. Over one million
people in the U.S. are now infected with HIV. AIDS is the number one killer
of men and women between the ages of 25 and 44. New research and information
about HIV and AIDS is reported every day.
Look in the Yellow Pages under "AIDS Information and Treatment."
Many cities have AIDS service organizations which will be listed there.
Public and university libraries often have HIV and AIDS information.
Many people have heard about "safer sex," but still have many
questions that they are too shy to ask. Further information is available
at public libraries, family planning clinics, sex disease clinics or through
local/national help orgainisations.
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