WhaL ls AluS/Plv

W Puman lmmunedeflclency vlrus (Plv) ls

a vlrus LhaL aLLacks Lhe human lmmune
sysLem ln Lhe process of reproduclng
lLself lL desLroys Lhe bodys naLural
ablllLy Lo flghL off dlsease and oLher
lnfecLlons Plv causes people Lo be more
suscepLlble Lo dlsease
W Plv leads Lo Acqulred lmmune ueflclency
Syndrome (AluS) uue Lo weakened
lmmune sysLems people lnfecLed wlLh
AluS dle from perlpheral lllnesses such as
malarla Luberculosls or varlous S1uS
whlch would oLherwlse be LreaLable ln
nonPlv poslLlve people
W A healLhy unlnfecLed person usually has 800
Lo 1200 Cu4+ 1 cells per cublc mllllmeLer
(mm3) of blood uurlng unLreaLed Plv
lnfecLlon Lhe number of Lhese cells ln a
person's blood progresslvely decllnes When
Lhe Cu4+ 1 cell counL falls below 200/mm3 a
person becomes parLlcularly vulnerable Lo Lhe
opportun|st|c |nfect|ons and cancers LhaL
Lyplfy AluS Lhe end sLage of Plv dlsease
LffecLs of AluS
W 9eople wlLh AluS ofLen
suffer lnfecLlons of Lhe
lungs lnLesLlnal LracL
braln eyes and oLher
organs as well as
deblllLaLlng welghL loss
dlarrhea neurologlc
condlLlons and cancers
such as fpos|'s
sfrcomf and cerLaln
Lypes of lymphomas
Plv ls LransmlLLed ln many ways
W nf sex (or fnf
|ntercourse) commonly
refers Lo Lhe sex acL
lnvolvlng lnserLlon of Lhe
penls lnLo Lhe anus of a
sexual parLner

1he Lerm
can also lnclude oLher
sexual acLs lnvolvlng Lhe
anus lncludlng pegglng
anlllngus (analoral sex)
flngerlng and ob[ecL
lnserLlon

efth r|sks
W Among Lhe dlseases wlLh whlch anal sex ls
assoclaLed are Plv human papllloma vlrus
(P9v) (whlch can lncrease rlsk for anal
cancer)or Lyphold fever
W 1he hlgh concenLraLlon of whlLe blood cells
around Lhe recLum LogeLher wlLh Lhe rlsk of
cuLs Lo Lhe recLum and LhaL one of Lhe
funcLlons of Lhe recLum ls Lo absorb fluld
lncreases Lhe rlsk of Plv Lransmlsslon because
Lhe Plv reLrovlrus reproduces wlLhln Lhe
lmmune sysLems 1cells/Cu4 cells
exuf Intercourse
also known as
copuft|on or co|tus
commonly refers Lo
Lhe acL ln whlch a
males penls enLers a
females vaglna for Lhe
purposes of sexual
pleasure or
reproducLlon

PealLh 8lsk
W Sexual lnLercourse can also be a dlsease vecLor
1here are 19 mllllon new cases of sexually
LransmlLLed dlseases (S1u) every year ln Lhe uS
W AluS ls caused by Plv whlch ls spread prlmarlly
vla sexual lnLercourse 1he World PealLh
CrganlzaLlon reporLed LhaL ln 2008
approxlmaLely 334 mllllon people had Plv (abouL
2/3 ln subSaharan Afrlca and 11 mllllon ln Lhe
unlLed SLaLes) and 2 mllllon dled of AluS
worldwlde
ood 1rfnsfus|on
ls Lhe process of recelvlng
blood producLs lnLo ones
clrculaLlon lnLravenously
1ransfuslons are used ln a
varleLy of medlcal
condlLlons Lo replace losL
componenLs of Lhe blood
PealLh 8lsk
W 1he Puman lmmunodeflclency vlrus (Plv)
whlch causes AluS ls easlly LransmlLLed
Lhrough blood Lransfuslons 8lood
Lransfuslons wlll always carry cerLaln rlsks
potherm|c
Needes
ls a hollow needle
commonly used wlLh a
syrlnge Lo ln[ecL
subsLances lnLo Lhe body
or exLracL flulds from lL
1hey may also be used Lo
Lake llquld samples from
Lhe body for example
Laklng blood from a veln ln
venlpuncLure
PealLh 8lsk
W 8oLh ln[ecLlng drug use and Plv lnfecLlon can
spread rapldly wlLhln a communlLy
lnLroducLlon of and rapld lncrease ln ln[ecLlng
drug use ls belleved Lo be responslble for
dramaLlc lncreases ln Plv lnfecLlon ln some
areas
9regnfnc
ls Lhe carrylng of one
or more offsprlng
known as a feLus or
embryo ln Lhe womb
of a woman
PealLh 8lsk
W lf a pregnanL woman ls lnfecLed wlLh Plv she
can LransmlL Lhe vlrus Lo her baby durlng
pregnancy labour and dellvery or
breasLfeedlng WlLhouL LreaLmenL around 13
30 percenL of bables born Lo PlvlnfecLed
women wlll become lnfecLed wlLh Plv durlng
pregnancy and dellvery A furLher 320
percenL wlll become lnfecLed Lhrough
breasLfeedlng
1
ow cfn IV trfnsm|ss|on be
9revented?
9revenLlng MoLher Chlld
1ransmlsslon
W 1he mosL effecLlve way Lo prevenL
moLherLochlld Lransmlsslon of Plv
lnvolves a long course of anLlreLrovlral
drugs and avoldance of breasLfeedlng
whlch reduces Lhe rlsk Lo below 2
W 1he mosL baslc of Lhese comprlses [usL Lwo
doses of a drug called nevlraplne one glven
Lo Lhe moLher durlng labour and Lhe oLher
glven Lo her baby soon afLer blrLh 1hese
shorLcourse LreaLmenLs comblned wlLh safer
lnfanL feedlng have Lhe poLenLlal Lo save
many Lens of Lhousands of chlldren from Plv
lnfecLlon each year
9revenLlon of Plv Lransmlsslon
Lhrough blood
W 8lood should be screened for Lhe presence of
dlseases causlng vlruses bacLerla or oLher
mlcroorganlsms or for Lhe presence of anLl
bodles produced agalnsL Lhese agenLs Screenlng
of blood has Lo be done before Lransfuslon Lo
prevenL from lnfecLlon lnLo reclplenL Ma[orlLy of
LesLs deLecL Lhe presence of anLl bodles Lo Plv
and noL Lhe vlrus lLself
9revent|on of IV trfnsm|ss|on
through sexuf |ntercourse
W Use f bfrr|er Lo prevenL conLacL wlLh blood or
sexual fluld 8emember LhaL Lhe body's
naLural barrler ls Lhe skln lf you don'L have
any cuLs or sores your skln wlll proLecL you
agalnsL lnfecLlon Powever ln rare cases Plv
can geL lnLo Lhe body Lhrough healLhy mucous
membranes 1he rlsk of lnfecLlon ls much
hlgher lf Lhe membranes are damaged
W 1he mosL common
arLlflclal barrler ls a
condom for men ?ou
can also use a female
condom Lo proLecL Lhe
vaglna or recLum durlng
lnLercourse
9revent|on of IV trfnsm|ss|on
through needes or sr|nge
Do not shfre needes or sr|nge
W 8egardless of whaL Lhey are
used for ln[ecLlng drugs
sLerolds vlLamlns for
LaLLoolng or body plerclng
Lhey should noL be shared
Also do noL share
equlpmenL used Lo prepare
drugs for ln[ecLlon
Pere are some plcLures relaLed
Lo AluS
nd of 9resentft|on
"1he most v|oent eement |n soc|et |s
|gnorfnce"
Lmma Coldman
lernandez 8lchard C
8SM1 3