Course Code: DCP102

Course Title: HEALTH AWARENESS AND LIFESKILLS

Course Purpose:

The main aim of this course is to positively influence the health behaviour of students and thus
improve their health status, that of their families, communities and the nation at large.

Course Objectives:
The learner will be able to;
a) To gain knowledge about HIV/AIDS, transmission, prevention and care of people living with
HIV/AID, as well their role as academicians in prevention this disease

b) Gain knowledge and understand the common sexually transmitted diseases, and develop the
understanding of their personal responsibility in prevention of these diseases

c) Understand different types of drugs and substances that are abused, causes of addiction and
consequence of individual drugs the addict, as well as its prevention and treatment

d) Demonstrate understanding of types of lifestyle diseases, their causes and prevention in an

individual as well as the community

e) Learn and Adapt different types of life skills that will enable them face life challenges and
develop personal independence.

f) Gain knowledge and understand about causes of gender inequality and prevention of gender
based violence in families and communities

g) Demonstrate understanding of child protection against abuse ,neglect and exploitation as well
as child rights

Course content:

Brief introduction about health awareness stating briefly the contents of the course
1 H.I.V/AIDS

• Introduction
• Definition and origin
• Immune system and transmission
• Stages of HIV/AIDS
• Prevention strategies
• Positive living with HIV
• Causes of HIV transmission in academic community
• Effects of HIV on academics
• The role of academicians in HIV prevention

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2. TRANSMITTED DISEASES
• Brief introduction
• Explain the causes ,transmission, signs and symptoms, effects and prevention of the
following
sexually transmitted diseases

a) Syphilis
b) Gonorrhoea
c) Genital wart
d) Candidiasis
e) Trichomoniasis

3. ALCOHOL, DRUGS AND SUBSTANCE ABUSE.

a) Drugs and substance abuse.

• Brief introduction
• Define drugs ,substance abuse and addiction
• Used of drugs
• Causes of abuse
• classification of drugs and example
• Indicators of abuse of coccain, marijuana, inhalant, heroin, LSD, Molly
• Addiction
• Side effects of individual drugs above and their impact on health of an individual and
society.
• withdrawal and prevention

b) Alcohol.
• definition,
• classes,
• signs of abuse
• addiction
• side effects on health and community.
• Withdrawal and prevention

LIFESTYLE DISEASES(NON-COMMUNICABLE DISEASES,

• Briefly introduction.
• life style diseases ;
i) heart disease,
ii) diabetes,
iii) cancers,
iv) Obesity.

• Risk factors of each disease

• Signs and symptoms of each disease
• Management of each disease

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• Prevention of lifestyle diseases

2. NUTRITION
• Definition
• Healthy eating
• Importance of healthy eating

4.LIFE SKILLS
• Brief introduction
• Define life skills
• knowing and living with oneself
• Discuss how one can develop the individual skill on; self-awareness, self-esteem, stress
management, coping with emotion, empathy, assertiveness, negotiation, non-violent, Conflict
resolution, effective decision making, critical thinking, creative thinking, problem solving, Time
management, relationships.
• Importance and benefits of life skills

4.GENDER EDUCATION
• Introduction
• Definition of gender based violence
• Causes of gender based violence
• Types of Gender Based Violence
• Effects and Contributing Factors to Gender Based Violence
• Legal implication to gender based violence
• Prevention of gender based violence
• Definition of Gender equality
• Importance of Gender equality

5.CHILD ABUSE AND PROTECTION

• Introduction
• Definition of child abuse
• Types of child abuse
• Legal implication of child abuse
• Child protection and its importance
• Children rights.

Teaching Methodology:
• Lectures, tutorials and discussion.
Problem solving and exercises

Instructional Materials/Equipment
• White board, marker pen, visual aids

Course assessment and student performance;

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• Continuous Assessment: 40%
• Examination: 60%
(Grading as detailed under examination regulations)

Recommended Readings
1. Medical microbiology, Guide to microbial infections: pathogenesis, immunity, laboratory
diagnosis and control, Edited by David Greenwood, Richard Slac, John F. Peutherer.

2. Textbook of Medical Parasitology, P. Chakrabo.

3. Muir,s Textbook of Pathology Edited by J.R ANDERSON.

4. BEING HEALTHY, Larry K. Oslen, Richard w.st. Pierre.

5. Davidson’s Principles and Practice of Medicine. Edited by John Maelod, Cristopher

Edward, Ian Botchier.

6. The family and HIV Edited by: Robert Bor and Jonathan Elford.

7. AIDS, reading on a Global crisis : Elisabeth ,Rash, Bethel

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INTRODUCTION
Some definitions: Health
• Defined as the State of physical and mental well being of a person.
• Good health is not the absence of disease or sickness
• “Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being
and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.“ ~ WHO (2017)
• Health is viewed in 4D’s – Physical, mental, spiritual and social.
• At times not all are aware of their health status!

HIV stands for Human Immunodeficiency Virus. It is a virus that attacks cells that help the body
fight infection, making a person more vulnerable to other infections and diseases. HIV targets
cells of the immune system, called CD4 cells, which help the body respond to infection. Within
the CD4 cell, HIV replicates and in turn, damages and destroys the cell. Without effective
treatment of a combination of antiretroviral (ARV) drugs, the immune system will become
weakened to the point that it can no longer fight infection and disease.

How Do I Know If I Have HIV?

The only way to know if you have HIV is to get tested. Testing is relatively simple. You can
ask your health care provider for an HIV test OR test it yourself. Self-testing allows people to
take an HIV test and find out their result in their own home or other private location. You can
buy a self-test kit at a pharmacy or online. Some health departments or community-based
organizations also provide self-test kits for free.

AIDS stands for Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome. This is a disease. If left untreated, HIV
can lead to the disease which is caused by the HIV when left untreated.  AIDS is one of
humanity’s deadliest and most persistent epidemics. Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome
(AIDS) is a term that applies to the most advanced stages of HIV infection.
A person with HIV is considered to have progressed to AIDS when:

 the number of their CD4 cells falls below 200 cells per cubic millimeter of blood (200
cells/mm3). (In someone with a healthy immune system, CD4 counts are between 500
and 1,600 cells/mm3.) OR
 they develop one or more opportunistic infections regardless of their CD4 count.
It is defined by the occurrence of any of the more than 20 life-threatening cancers or
“opportunistic infections”, so named because they take advantage of a weakened immune
system.
AIDS was a defining feature of the earlier years of the HIV epidemic, before antiretroviral
therapy (ART) became available.
Now, as more and more people access ART, most people living with HIV do not progress to
AIDS. However, it is more likely to occur in people with HIV who have not been tested, in
people who are diagnosed at a late stage of infection, and in people who are not taking ART.

History

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Scientists believe that HIV originally came from a virus particular to chimpanzees in West
Africa during the 1930s, and originally transmitted to humans through the transfer of blood
through hunting. Over the decades, the virus spread through Africa, and to other parts of the
world.

It wasn’t until the early 1980s, when rare types of pneumonia, cancer, and other illnesses
were being reported to doctors that the world became aware of HIV and AIDS.

The Discovery

In the US, there were reports of unusually high rates of the rare forms of pneumonia and
cancer in young gay men begins. The disease was initially called Gay-Related Immune
Deficiency (GRID) because it was thought it only affected gay men. Cases were also
reported in Injection Drug Users by the end of the year

The first AIDS case was reported in March 1981 in Canada. Then they discovered that the
infection is caused by HIV and it can be transmitted through sex and blood transfusion.

In 1982 it was discovered that women can become infected with AIDS through heterosexual
sex.

In 1983 the first International Conference on AIDS is held in Georgia, USA.

In 1985 it was discovered that HIV can be passed from mother to child through breast-
feeding

In 1986 the U.S. Food & Drug Administration approved the first anti-retroviral
drug, AZT.

In 1987 the first World AIDS Day is held on December 1st, 1988.

In 1988, 8-10 million people were estimated to be living with HIV worldwide.

In 1990 the red ribbon became the international symbol of AIDS awareness, intended to be

a symbol of compassion for people living with HIV and their care takers.

In 1991 CANFAR-funded researcher Dr. Mark Wainberg and he developed 3TC, a drug

being used to treat HIV. This was a combination drug therapy, which brought about an
immediate decline of between 60% – 80% in rates of AIDS-related deaths and
hospitalization for patients who could afford it.
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In 1996 a troubling statistic by World Health Oganization revealed that AIDS was the fourth
biggest cause of death worldwide and the number one killer in Africa. An estimated 33
million people were living with HIV, and 14 million people were recognized to have died
from AIDS since the start of the epidemic.

1999 UN adopted the Millennium Development Goals, which included a specific goal to
reverse the spread of HIV, malaria, and TB.

In the same year UNAIDS negotiated with 5 pharmaceutical companies to reduce the cost of
HIV medication for developing countries. As a result there was Greater Access to HIV
Medication.

In 2000 the US created the United States President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief
(PEPFAR), to provide $15 billion over five years to countries with high infection rates.
In 2003 Health Canada approves a rapid HIV antibody test for sale to health
professionals in Canada, which enabled point-of-care (POC) testing that could provide an
accurate HIV antibody test result in two minutes.

In 2005 CANFAR-funded a researcher, Dr. Kelly McDonald and he unveiled a new HIV

vaccine candidate that could reduce, and in some cases prevent, HIV progression.

In 1984, the first case of HIV in Kenya was identified and in the following year the National
AIDS Committee is established.

For the whole of the 1980s and 1990s, even into the 2000s, Kenyan leaders persisted in
denying the existence of HIV. There was plenty of evidence that HIV was a serious problem in
Nairobi because prevalence among CSWs there peaked at 81%. Prevalence subsequently
declined, despite the fact that HIV prevention efforts were not very widespread until many years
later.

In 1987 the WHO formed the Global Programme on AIDS.

In 1988 Kenya’s Ministry of Health issued guidelines stating that patients should be told their
HIV status.

By 1990, there were an estimated 7.5 million people living with HIV, globally.

Without the Kenyan government substantially moving from their position of denial, HIV
incidence the number of new infections per year peaked at 2%. Prevalence in one province, Rift
Valley, peaks at 14% in the same year. Prevalence peaks in Western Province at 17% in 1994
and the government as a whole recognises HIV as a pandemic.

But in 1995, the Kenyan government still seemed uninterested in the epidemic. At this time 17.5

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million people were living with AIDS, globally. Prevalence in Nairobi peaked at 17% and
national prevalence is estimated at between 10 and 14%.

1996: Highly Active Anti-Retroviral Therapy was developed (HAART). In the same year, a
Kenyan cardinal condemned the use of condoms to prevent HIV infection.

In 1997, HIV prevalence peaked. Early prevalence figures were subsequently revised andt HIV
prevalence peaked at 9 or 10% in the late 1990s.

1997: UNAIDS (Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS) was formed. The Kenyan
Parliament approved a 15 year national AIDS policy and forms the National AIDS Council.

1998: A large number of Kenyan public sector employees died as a result of AIDS. The Great
Lakes Initiative on AIDS (GLIA) was established.

In 1998, the president declared AIDS a national disaster and the National AIDS Control
Council was formed and is still in operation.

In 2000 an estimated 27.5 million people were living with AIDS, globally. Kenya develops a five
year National AIDS Strategic Plan and planed AIDS education for all schools and colleges. The
Millennium Development Goals (MDG) were adopted by the international community and
reducing the spread and impact of HIV was included in this initiative.

In 2002 the new president, Mwai Kibaki, declared ‘Total War on AIDS’. However, the following
year, Global Fund grants are withheld because of corruption allegations.

In2003 Kenya’s prevalence is found to have dropped to 6.7% and the death rate peaked at
120,000 per year.
In 2005 globally, 37 million people were living with HIV. AIDS deaths peaked at around 2.2
million. Kenyan prevalence was at 6.1%. A new five year strategic plan to run up to 2010, was
published.

The data published in 2008 show rising prevalence .

In 1996, 10.5% of Kenyans were living with HIV, although prevalence has almost halved since
then, standing at 5.9% by 2015 thanks to the rapid scaling up of HIV treatment and care. Other
factors may also have been at play( discussed in class)
In 2016, 64% of people living with HIV were on treatment, 51% of whom were virally
suppressed. Kenya’s HIV epidemic is driven by sexual transmission and is generalized,
meaning that it affects all sections of the population including children, young people,
adults, women and men.

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 As of 2015, 660,000 children were recorded as being orphaned by AIDS. However, a
disproportionate number of new infections happen among people from key populations. In 2014,
it was estimated that 30% of new annual HIV infections in Kenya are among these groups.
How is HIV transmitted?

HIV is transmitted through contact with certain body fluids from a person with HIV who has a
detectable viral load. These fluids are:

 Blood
 Semen (cum) and pre-seminal fluid
 Rectal fluids
 Vaginal fluids
 Breast milk
For transmission to occur, the HIV in these fluids must get into the bloodstream of an HIV-
negative person through a mucous membrane (found in the rectum, vagina, mouth, or tip of the
penis); open cuts or sores; or by direct injection.

How is HIV spreads from one person to another?

 Sexual contact - HIV is spread most commonly by anal or vaginal sexual contact with an
infected partner without using a condom. The virus enters the body through the lining of
the vagina, vulva, penis, rectum, or mouth during sexual activity.
 Blood contamination - HIV may also be spread through contact with infected blood.
However, due to the screening of blood for evidence of HIV infection, the risk of
acquiring HIV from blood transfusions is extremely low.
 Needles - HIV is frequently spread by sharing needles, syringes, or drug use equipment
with someone who is infected with the virus. Transmission from patient to healthcare
worker, or vice-versa through accidental sticks with contaminated needles or other
medical instruments, is rare.
 Mother-infant - HIV also can be spread to babies born to, or breastfed by, mothers
infected with the virus.

Does HIV Viral Load Affect Getting or Transmitting HIV?

Yes. Viral load is the amount of HIV in the blood of someone who has HIV. Taking HIV
medicine (called antiretroviral therapy or ART) daily as prescribed can make the viral load very
low—so low that a test can’t detect it (this is called an undetectable viral load).

People with HIV who take HIV medicine daily as prescribed and get and keep an undetectable
viral load have effectively no risk of transmitting HIV to an HIV-negative partner through sex.

HIV medicine is a powerful tool for preventing sexual transmission of HIV. But it works only as
long as the HIV-positive partner gets and keeps an undetectable viral load. Not everyone taking

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HIV medicine has an undetectable viral load. To stay undetectable, people with HIV must take
HIV medicine every day as prescribed and visit their healthcare provider regularly to get a viral
load test.

How do you prevent HIV?

How can I prevent getting HIV from sex?

1. Choose Sexual Activities With Little or No Risk

You can’t get HIV from sexual activities that don’t involve contact with body fluids
(semen, vaginal fluid, or blood).
2. Use Condoms the Right Way Every Time You Have Sex
Condoms are highly effective in preventing HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases
(STDs), like gonorrhea and chlamydia.
Use water-based or silicone-based lubricants to help prevent condoms from breaking or
slipping during sex.

3. Take PrEP
 Take pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP)- this is medicine people at risk for HIV take to
prevent HIV.
If taken as prescribed, PrEP is highly effective for preventing HIV from sex.
However PrEP is much less effective when it is not taken as prescribed.

4. Decide Not to Have Sex

 Not having sex (abstinence) is a 100% effective way to make sure you won’t get HIV
through sex.
 Not having sex also prevents other STDs and pregnancy.
5. Get Tested and Treated for Other STDs
 If you have another STD, you are more likely to get HIV. Getting tested and treated for
other STDs can lower your chances of getting HIV.
If Your Partner Has HIV, Encourage him or her to Get and Stay in Treatment
 If your partner takes HIV medicine and gets and keeps an undetectable viral load, there is
effectively no risk of you getting HIV from sex with your partner.
How to care for people living with HIV.
One of the best places for people with AIDS to be cared for is at home, surrounded by the
people who love them.
Take care of them from home. Many people living with HIV or AIDS can lead an active life for
long periods of time. Most of the time, people with AIDS do not need to be in a hospital. Being
at home is usually cheaper, more comfortable, more familiar, and gives the person more
control of his/her life. In fact, people with AIDS-related illnesses often get better faster because
there is less discomfort at home and they get help of their friends and loved ones.
Share out your concerns with people in similar challenges. Caring for someone with HIV or
AIDS is a serious responsibility. AIDS is stressful both for the person who is sick and the person
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who is providing care. By rising to the challenges of caring for someone with HIV or AIDS, you
can share emotionally satisfying experiences, even joy, with people you love, and you may
find new strengths within yourself.
It is therefore important that you must take care of yourself as well as the person with AIDS.
a) To take good care of the person with HIV or AIDS, you may need to:
■ Learn the basics, and more if possible, about HIV and AIDS- know how HIV is spread, and
how it is NOT spread, know what to expect as the disease progresses, and what is involved in
various treatment regimens.
■ Take a home care course, if possible. This is to help you learn the skills you need to take
care of someone at home and how to manage special situations. Where can you get this
education? Public health departments, the local Red Cross/Red Crescent chapter and other state
or local HIV/AIDS service organizations.
■ With permission from the person you are caring for, talk with the doctor, nurse, social
worker, case manager, and other health care workers who are also providing care. You need to
know about medicines you will be administering (including possible side effects), about changes
in the person’s health or behaviour that require medical intervention, and where to go for
information and support of various kinds.
■ Talk to a lawyer or AIDS support organization. For some medical care or life support
decisions, you may need to be legally named as the care coordinator. If you are going to help file
insurance claims, apply for government aid, pay bills, or handle other business for the person
with AIDS, you may also need a power of attorney.
b) To take good care of yourself, you may need to:
■ Think about joining a support group or talking to a counsellor. Taking care of someone
who is sick can be emotionally and physically draining. Talking about it with people with the
same kinds of worries can sometimes help. You can learn how other people cope and realize that
you are not alone.
■ Attend to your own feelings and needs. You can't take care of someone else if you are sick or
upset. Get the rest and exercise you need to keep going. Make time to do some of the things you
enjoy, such as visit your friends and relatives. Some AIDS service organizations can help by
providing "respite care", i.e., sending someone to be with the person you're caring for while you
get out of the house for a while.
c) Prevent the spread of infections. This includes protecting the person who has HIV (and, thus,
a weakened immune system) from germs that you or others in the environment might be
carrying, and protecting yourself (and others) from being infected by HIV or other germs from
the person you are caring for.
Correct and consistent practice of some basic safety measures is all that is required (How?).
Guarding against Infections- People living with AIDS can get very sick from common germs
and infections. Hugging, holding hands, giving massages, and many other types of touching are
safe for you, and needed by the person with AIDS. But you have to be careful not to spread
germs that can hurt the person you are caring for.
Wash your hands- Washing your hands is the single best way to kill germs. Do it often! Wash
your hands after you go to the bathroom, before you fix food, before and after feeding them,
bathing them, helping them go to the bathroom, or giving other care. Wash your hands if you
sneeze or cough; touch your nose, mouth, or genitals; handle garbage or animal litter; or clean

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the house. If you touch anybody's blood, semen, urine, vaginal fluid, or faeces, wash your hands
immediately. If you are caring for more than one person, wash your hands after helping one
person and before helping the next person. Wash your hands with warm, soapy water for at
least 15 seconds. Clean under your fingernails and between your fingers. If your hands get dry
or sore, put on hand cream or lotion, but keep washing your hands frequently.
Cover your sores- If you have any cuts or sores, especially on your hands, you must take extra
care not to infect the person with AIDS or yourself. If you have cold sores, fever blisters, or any
other skin infection, don't touch the person or their things. You could pass your infection to
them. If you have to give care, cover your sores with bandages, and wash your hands before
touching the person. If the rash or sores are on your hands, wear disposable gloves. Do not
use gloves more than one time; throw them away and get a new pair. If you have boils, impetigo,
or shingles, if at all possible, stay away from the person with AIDS until you are well.
Keep sick people away- If you or anybody else is sick, stay away from the person with AIDS
until you're well. A person with AIDS often can't fight off colds, flu, or other common illnesses.
If you are sick and nobody else can do what needs to be done for the person with AIDS, wear a
well-fitting, surgical-type mask that covers your mouth and nose and wash your hands before
coming near the person with AIDS.
Watch out for chickenpox- Chickenpox can kill a person with AIDS. If the person you are
caring for has already had the chickenpox, they probably won't get it again. But, just to be on the
safe side: Never let anybody with chickenpox in the same room as a person with AIDS, at least
not until all the chickenpox sores have completely crusted over. • Don't let anybody who
recently has been near somebody with chickenpox in the same room as a person who has AIDS.
If you are the person who was near somebody with chickenpox and you have to help the person
with AIDS, wear a well-fitting, surgical-type mask, wash your hands before doing what you have
to do for the person with AIDS, and stay in the room as short a time as possible.
-Don't let anybody with shingles (herpes zoster) near a person with
AIDS until all the shingles have healed over. The germ that causes shingles can also cause
chickenpox. If you have shingles and have to help the person with AIDS, cover all the sores
completely and wash your hands carefully before helping the person with AIDS.
- Call the doctor as soon as possible if the person with AIDS does get
near somebody with chickenpox or shingles. There is a medicine that can make the chickenpox
less dangerous, but it must be given very soon after the person has been around someone with the
germ.
Get your shots/ vaccinations- Everybody living with or helping take care of a person with
AIDS should make sure they received all their "childhood" shots (immunizations). This is not
only to keep you from getting sick, but also to keep you from accidentally spreading the illness
to the person with AIDS.
-Children or adults who live with someone with AIDS and who need
to get vaccinated against polio should get an injection with "inactivated virus" vaccine. The
regular oral polio vaccine has weakened polio virus that can spread from the person who got the
vaccine to the person with AIDS and give them polio.
-Everyone living with a person with AIDS should get a flu shot every
year to reduce the chances of spreading the flu to the person with AIDS. Everyone living with a
person with AIDS should be checked for tuberculosis (TB) every year.

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 Be careful with pets and gardening Pets can give love and companionship. Having a pet
around can make a person with AIDS feel better and enjoy life more. However, people with HIV
or AIDS should not touch pet litter boxes, faeces, bird droppings, or water in fish tanks. Many
pet animals carry germs that don't make healthy people sick, but can make the person with AIDS
very sick. A person with AIDS can have pets, but must wash his/her hands with soap and water
after handling the pet. Someone who does not have HIV infection must clean the litter boxes,
cages, fish tanks, pet beds, and other things. Wear rubber gloves when you clean up after pets
and wash your hands before and after cleaning. Empty litter boxes every day, don't just sift. Pets
need regular checkups and current vaccinations. If the pet gets sick, take it to the veterinarian
right away.
-Someone with AIDS should not touch a sick animal. Gardening
can also be a problem. Germs live in garden or potting soil. A person with AIDS can garden, but
they must wear work gloves while handling dirt and must wash their hands before and after
handling dirt. You should do the same.
Personal items People with HIV infection should not share personal items eg razors,
toothbrushes, tweezers, nail or cuticle scissors, pierced earrings or other "pierced" jewellery, or
any other item that might have their blood on it.
-Laundry Clothes and bed sheets used by someone with AIDS can
be washed the same way as other laundry. If you use a washing machine, either hot or cold water
can be used, with regular laundry detergent. If clothes or sheets have blood, vomit, semen,
vaginal fluids, urine, or faeces on them, use disposable gloves and handle the clothes or sheets as
little as possible. Put them in plastic bags until you can wash them. You can but you don't need
to add bleach to kill HIV; a normal wash cycle will kill the virus. Clothes may also be dry
cleaned or hand washed. If stains from blood, semen, or vaginal fluids are on the clothes, soaking
them in cold water before washing will help remove the stains. Fabrics and furniture can be
cleaned with soap and water or cleansers you can buy in a store; just follow the directions on the
box. Wear gloves while cleaning.
Cleaning house- Cleaning kills germs that may be dangerous to the person with AIDS. You
may want to clean and dust the house every week. Clean tubs, showers, and sinks often; use
household cleaners, then rinse with fresh water. You may want to mop floors at least once a
week. Clean the toilet often; use bleach mixed with water or a commercial toilet bowl cleaner.
You may clean urinals and bedpans with bleach after each use. Replace plastic urinals and
bedpans every month or so.
Well balanced diet with plenty of nutrients, fibre, and liquids Food. Someone with AIDS
can eat almost anything they want; in fact, the more the better. Fixing food for a person with
AIDS takes a little care • Don't use raw (unpasteurized) milk. • Don't use raw eggs( take
precaution ,raw eggs may be in homemade mayonnaise, hollandaise sauce, ice cream, fruit
drinks (smoothies), or other homemade foods). • All beef, pork, chicken, fish, and other meats
should be cooked well done, with no pink in the middle. • Don't use raw fish or shellfish (like
oysters). • Wash your hands before handling food and wash them again between handling
different foods. • Wash all utensils (knives, spatulas, mixing spoons, etc.) before reusing them
with other foods. If you taste food while cooking, use a clean spoon every time you taste; do not
stir with the spoon you taste with. • Don't let blood from uncooked beef, pork, or chicken or
water from shrimp, fish, or other seafood touch other food. • Use a cutting board to cut things on
and wash it with soap and hot water between each food you cut. • Wash fresh fruits and
vegetables thoroughly. Cook or peel organic fruits and vegetables because they may have germs
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on the skins. Don't use organic lettuce or other organic vegetables that cannot be peeled or
cooked. A person living with AIDS does not need separate dishes, knives, forks, or spoons. Their
dishes don't need special cleaning either. Just wash all the dishes together with soap or detergent
in hot water. When fixing food other people, people with AIDS should wash their hands first and
not lick their fingers or the utensils while they are cooking. However, no one who has diarrhoea
should fix food. To keep food from spoiling, serve hot foods hot and cold foods cold. Cover
leftover food and store it in the refrigerator as soon as possible.
Protect Yourself
A person who has AIDS may sometimes have infections that can make you sick. You can protect
yourself, however. Talk to the doctor or nurse to find out what germs can infect you and other
people in the house. This is very important if you have HIV infection yourself. For example,
diarrhoea can be caused by several different germs. Wear disposable gloves if you have to clean
up after or help a person with diarrhoea and wash your hands carefully after you take the gloves
off. Do not use disposable gloves more than one time. Another cause of diarrhoea is the
cryptosporidiosis parasite. It is spread from the faeces of one person or animal to another person
or animal, often by contaminated water, raw food, or food that isn't cooked well enough. Again,
wash your hands after using the bathroom and before fixing food. Boil your drinking water for
to kill the parasite, then let the water cool before drinking. You may want to buy bottled
(distilled) water for cooking and drinking if the cryptosporidiosis parasite or other organisms that
might make a person with HIV infection sick could be in the tap water.
If the person with AIDS has a cough that lasts longer than a week, the doctor should check
them for TB. If they do have TB, then you and everybody else living in the house should be
checked for TB infection, even if you aren't coughing. If you are infected with TB germs, you
can take medicine that will prevent you from developing TB. If the person with AIDS gets
yellow jaundice (a sign of acute hepatitis) or has chronic hepatitis B infection, you and
everybody else living in the house and any people the person with AIDS has had sex with should
talk to their doctor to see if anyone needs to take medicine to prevent hepatitis. All children
should get hepatitis B vaccine whether or not they are around a person with AIDS. If the person
with AIDS has fever blisters or cold sores (herpes simplex) around the mouth or nose, don't kiss
or touch the sores. If you have to touch the sores to help the person, wear gloves and wash your
hands carefully as soon as you take the gloves off. This is especially important if you have
eczema (allergic skin) since the herpes simplex virus can cause severe skin disease in people
with eczema. . Many persons with or without AIDS are infected with a virus called
cytomegalovirus (CMV), which can be spread in urine or saliva. Wash your hands after touching
urine or saliva from a person with AIDS. This is especially important for someone who may be
pregnant because a pregnant woman infected with CMV can also infect her unborn child. CMV
causes birth defects such as deafness. Remember, to protect yourself and the person with AIDS
from these diseases and others, be sure to wash your hands with soap and water before and after
giving care, when handling food, after taking gloves of, and after going to the bathroom.
Gloves -Because the virus that causes AIDS is in the blood of infected persons, blood or other
body fluids (such as bloody faeces) that have blood in them could infect you. You can protect
yourself by following some simple steps. Wear gloves if you have to touch semen, vaginal fluid,
cuts or sores on the person with AIDS, or blood or body fluids that may have blood in them.
Wear gloves to give care to the mouth, rectum, or genitals of the person with AIDS. Wear gloves
to change diapers or sanitary pads or to empty bedpans or urinals. If you have any cuts, sores,
rashes, or breaks in your skin, cover them with a bandage. If the cuts or sores are on your hands,

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use bandages and gloves. Wear gloves to clean up urine, faeces, or vomit to avoid all the germs,
HIV and other kinds, that might be there. There are two types of gloves you can use. Use
disposable, hospital-type latex or vinyl gloves to take care of the person with AIDS if there is
any blood you might touch. Use these gloves one time, then throw them away. Do not use latex
gloves more than one time even if they are marked "reusable”. You can buy hospital-type gloves
by the box at most drug stores, along with urinals, bedpans, and many other medical supplies.
For cleaning blood or bloody fluids from floors, bed, etc., you can use household rubber gloves,
which are sold at any drug or grocery store. These gloves can be cleaned and reused. Clean them
with hot, soapy water and with a mixture of bleach and water (about 1/4 cup bleach to 1 gallon of
water). Be sure not to use gloves that are peeling, cracked, or have holes in them. Don't use the
rubber gloves to take care of a person with AIDS; they are too thick and bulky. To take gloves
off, peel them down by turning them inside out. This will keep the wet side on the inside, away
from your skin and other people. When you take the gloves off, wash your hands with soap and
water right away. If there is a lot of blood, you can wear an apron or smock to keep your clothes
from getting bloody. Clean up spilled blood as soon as you can. Put on gloves, wipe up the
blood with paper towels or rags, put the used paper towels or rags in plastic bags to get rid of
later, then wash the area where the blood was with a mix of bleach and water. Since HIV can be
in semen, vaginal fluid, or breast milk just as it can be in blood, you should be as careful with
these fluids as you are with blood. If you get blood, semen, vaginal fluid, breast milk, or other
body fluid that might have blood in it in your eyes, nose, or mouth, immediately pour as much
water as possible over where you got splashed, then call the doctor, explain what happened, and
ask what else you should do.
Needles and Syringes- A person with AIDS may need needles and syringes to take medicine for
diseases caused by AIDS or for diabetes, haemophilia, or other illnesses. If you have to handle
these needles and syringes, you must be very careful not to stick yourself. That is one way you
could get infected with HIV. Use a needle and syringe only one time. Hold the sharp end away
from yourself. Put the used needle and syringe in a puncture-proof container.. Keep a container
in any room where needles and syringes are used. Put it well out of the reach of children or
visitors, but in a place you can easily and quickly put the needle and syringe after they are used.
Aet. Toilet paper and tissues with blood, semen, vaginal fluid, or breast milk may also be
flushed down the toilet. Paper towels, sanitary pads and tampons, wound dressings and
bandages, diapers, and other items with blood, semen, or vaginal fluid on them that cannot be
flushed should be put in plastic bags.
Sex- If you used to or are still having sex with a person with HIV infection, and you haven’t used
latex condoms the right way every time you had sex, you could have HIV infection, too. You
should talk to your doctor or a counsellor about taking an HIV antibody test.
Causes of HIV in educational institutions

A large of Adolescents are sexually active and have multiple partners over a period of time, and
fail to consistently use a condom during every act of intercourse.
In addition, many young people also become infected with other STDs that facilitate the
transmission of HIV.

Adolescents in countries where HIV infection is widespread are at much higher risk of
contracting HIV because they have unprotected intercourse with members of very high-risk

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groups (eg, males who have sex with other males).
Adolescence are also tied in drugs and the use drug injection put them at high risk.
Finally, some adolescents are at risk of contracting HIV through sharing needles used to inject
drugs.
These patterns have important implications for educational programs. First, they suggest that
there should be effective HIV education programs for all young people. Furthermore, they
suggest that there should be additional, more focused programs targeting those groups of
adolescents who are at higher risk of HIV infection. Educational programs for school-aged
males should adequately address the risks of unprotected intercourse among males who may
have sex with males, while programs for young women and female adolescents should address
the special threat of unprotected heterosexual intercourse with injection drug users and the
exchange of sex for drugs. Finally, programs should address drug use and needle sharing.

Impact of HIV in educational communities

 Due to illness, HIV-infected children may miss school days and perform
academically less than non-HIV children. Because of HIV, women and
girls are more likely to lose jobs, lose income, miss school, and primarily
take care of sick people due to patriarchal norms that subordinate women.
 orphans – have to contend li=ving with other people or caring for
themselves and as a result they can drop out of school because of the
strain involved

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  Dropping out of school as a result of lack of fees in cases where the two
parents die or due to the much money being channeled to treatment of the
patient.
 Lack of basic needs because they eat from hand to mouth.
 Emotional drain which is likely to led to poor performance in school-
Children with HIV/AIDS-ill parents may observe that their parents
physically deteriorate from the disease and may experience both parents’
deaths, sometimes in quick succession. This may lead to posttraumatic
stress syndrome, depression, poverty, and stigma
 Death of educators and other people in learning institutions thus affecting
delivery of education
ASSIGNMENT
What is the role of educational institutions in prevention of HIV and
AIDS?

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