AIDS

Agenda
• What is AIDS ?
• Where did HIV come from ?
• Perception of AIDS in the 1980’s
• Perception of AIDS today
• Treatment and prevention
• Conclusion
1) What is AIDS ?

• Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is the pathogen that causes AIDS

• HIV emcompasses all of the condition’s stages ( infection deterioration of the immune system )
• No effective cure
• Once people get HIV, they have it for life
• With proper medical care, HIV can be controlled
• People who get effective treatment can live long, have healthy lives and protect their partners
 The usual symptoms

• Flu-like symptoms within 2 to 4 weeks after

infection
• Symptoms don’t mean you have HIV (other
illnesses)
• Sometimes people have no symptoms (only
way get tested)
 Transmission

• HIV can be transmitted by sexual contact, sharing needles (drugs), pregnancy, birth of breastfeeding
• It can’t be transmitted by air, water, insects, pets, sharing toilets, foods, drinks, saliva, sweat, tears, closed-mouth kissing
2) Where did HIV come from ?
• Comes from a type of chimpanzee

• Chimpanzees -> humans : 1800s

• Chimpanzee version of the virus : simian immunodeficiency virus

• Humans hunted for meat, it came in contact with their infected blood
Where did the disease spread ?
I. HIV slowly widespread across Africa
II. Virus has existed in the United States since at least the mid to late 1970s
III. First transmission to HIV in humans occurred in 1920 in Kinshasa
IV. The virus may have spread from Kinshasa along infrastructure
V. 1960 -> Africa to Haiti and the Caribbean
VI. -> Caribbean to New York then to San Francisco
The progression of the disease

• HIV appears in the United States around 1970s : no public attention before 1980
• 1981 : CDC reported that 5 healthy gay men had a rare disease, pneumonia ( = fungus )
• New York Times published an alarming article ( = affected 335 and killed 136 )
• Authorities initially called it « gay related immune defiency » or « GRID »
• 1982 : CDC first used the word « AIDS » to refer the desease
• 1983 : CDC discovered how this disease was transmitted : women who were around sick men could catch it
 3) Perception of AIDS in the 1980’s

80% 50% 30% 20%

• Most people with AIDS • Avoid places where homosexual might
• Employers should be • People with AIDS
be present as a precaution (avoid AIDS)
were homosexual man allowed to fire should be isolated
• It is people’s own fault if they got AIDS
• AIDS might be God’s punishment employees with the from the rest of the
(immoral sexual behavior) disease society
• People with AIDS should carry a card
noting they had the virus
1986, 20/20: "Homophobia" – Violence and hatred against gay & bi people in early years of AIDS
4) Perception of AIDS today ?
Survey carried out in Belgium called GRECOS
Discrimination in the medical field :
• Medical environment
• Social professional life
• Private life / self – esteem
Ø more than 13% of people in the survey have already experienced refusal of care in BE and derogatory comments
• Ex : dentists, emergency, gynaecologist
Discrimination
Social life and professional life :
• 6,5% of respondent’s experienced difficulties in
their training or professional career
• Have to modify or stop their careers because of
their state of health
• Insurance companies >< access to goods and
services
Impact on privacy and self – esteem :
• Afraid of being discriminated against -> to stay
away on their own
• They will give up : emotional or sexual
relationships
• ½ of the people in the survey feel ashamed, guilty
of having AIDS
and homosexuals?
• They are still victims of discrimination and they receive rejection from others
• There is still a lot of homophobia / association between homosexuals and AIDS
• Today : homosexuals assume more responsibility and are less afraid of the gaze of the population
Problems / efforts?
• Many people living with HIV infection do not have access to prevention, treatment, care and there is still no cure

• Major global efforts have been mounted to address the epidemic

• Under sustainable development goal 3, the global community agreed to aim to end the AIDS epidemic by 2030
5) Treatment

There are medecines that can Antiretroviral therapy medecines,

There is no cure for AIDS control HIV and prevent called ART = combination of drugs
complications that suppress HIV replication

Medicine reduces the amount of Undetectable viral load : when the Lower your chances of getting
HIV in the body to a very low level viral load is so low that even a test affection, treatment-resistant HIV
it is called viral suppression can’t detect it and giving HIV to other people
Side effects
Nausea, vomiting or
Heart disease Kidney and liver damage
diarrhea

Weakened bones or Cholesterol levels that

Higher blood sugar
bone loss are not typical

Problems with thinking,

emotions and sleep
Prevention
How to be safe from AIDS

• Pre-exposure prophylaxis ( PrEP)

• Medicine taken to prevent getting HIV
• Condom use is still important if PrEP is nos taken as prescribed and for the protection against other STDs
• The avantage of PrEP Reduces the risk of getting HIV from sex by about 99%, and from injection drug use by
at least 74%
The international AIDS society

International association that does prevention

Birth of IAS : 1988
Experts working together against HIV
15 000 members from 170 countries
Largest association of HIV professionals
Goal : influence the biggest decisions in the fight against HIV worldwide
6) Conclusion
• HIV is cause of AIDS which refers to the stages of deterioration of the immune system due to the virus
• No cure / but proper medical care can help control HIV and medication can also help
• They suffered a lot of discrimination during 1980, many Americans had misconceptions about AIDS -> disease of gay men
• Today : international efforts help improving prevention and care for people living with HIV
• Crucial ! To continue to fight against discrimination while continuing efforts to achieve the global goals to end the epidemic
by 2030
Solidarity and education are the
essential elements to overcome
challenges and create a fairer
world for all
Thank you for your
attention