HIV Awareness

Presenter Kay –Ann Mantack- Johnson

RN,RM,FNP
What is HIV ?
 HIV stands for human immunodeficiency
virus. It is the virus that can lead to acquired
immunodeficiency syndrome, or AIDS.
How is it spread ?
 HIV is a virus spread through body fluids.
These fluids are blood, semen, pre-seminal
fluids, rectal fluids, vaginal fluids, and breast
milk.
How is it spread ? (cont’d)
 This virus affects specific cells of the immune
system, called CD4 cells, or T cells. Over
time, HIV can destroy so many of these cells
that the body can’t fight off infections and
disease. When this happens, HIV infection
leads to AIDS.
HIV
 The spread of HIV is only possible if these
fluids come in contact with a mucous
membrane or damaged tissue or are directly
injected into the bloodstream (from a needle
or syringe). Mucous membranes are found
inside the rectum, the vagina, the opening of
the penis, and the mouth.   
HIV
 HIV can also spread from an HIV-infected
woman to her child during pregnancy,
childbirth (also called labour and delivery), or
breastfeeding. This spread of HIV is called
mother-to-child transmission of HIV. 
Where did HIV come from ?
 Scientists identified a type of chimpanzee in West Africa
as the source of HIV infection in humans. They believe
that the chimpanzee version of the immunodeficiency
virus (called simian immunodeficiency virus, or SIV)
most likely was transmitted to humans and mutated into
HIV when humans hunted these chimpanzees for meat
and came into contact with their infected blood. Studies
show that HIV may have jumped from apes to humans
as far back as the late 1800s. Over decades, the virus
slowly spread across Africa and later into other parts of
the world. We know that the virus has existed in the
United States since at least the mid- to late 1970s.
 The earliest known case of infection with HIV-
1 in a human was detected in a blood sample
collected in 1959 from a man in Kinshasa,
Democratic Republic of the Congo. (How he
became infected is not known.) Genetic
analysis of this blood sample suggested that
HIV-1 may have stemmed from a single virus
in the late 1940s or early 1950s.
Incidence of HIV in the Caribbean
 250,000- People living with HIV
 1.1%- Adult HIV prevalence
 12,000- New HIV infections
 11,000- AIDs related deaths
 42% - Adults on ARV
HIV STATISTICS FOR JAMAICA

 In Jamaica, it is estimated that 32,000 persons

are living with HIV and as many as 50% are
unaware of their status.
 The most urbanized parishes have the highest

cumulative number of reported HIV cases:

Kingston & St. Andrew – 1570.1 cases per
100,000 persons, and St. James – 2094.6 HIV
cases per 100,000 persons.
 The total number of reported AIDS cases in

Jamaica between January 1982 and December

2011 is 16,264.
AIDS STATISTICS FOR JAMAICA

 The total number of reported AIDS deaths in

Jamaica between January 1982 and December
2011 is eight thousand four hundred and ninety
eight (8,498).
 The cumulative AIDS case rates are higher among

males (689.3 cases per 100,000) compared to

females (504.9 cases per 100,000 females).
 Although the epidemic affects more men than

women, over time females are accounting for an

increased proportion of the AIDS cases that are
reported annually.
HIV STATISTICS FOR JAMAICA
 Behavioural surveillance of PLHIV confirms
that the main factors driving the epidemic
since 1982 have been
 Multiple partnerships,
 Early sexual debut,
 High levels of transactional sex
 Inadequate condom use.
HIV STATISTICS FOR JAMAICA
 A 2008 national survey of the general
population revealed that
 38.9% sexually active respondents had

multiple partner in the last 12 months,

 37% of sexually active persons participate in

transactional sex
 The median age at first sex has trended down

for girls from 17.2 years in 2004 to 16.9

years in 2008
 The National Workplace Policy on
HIV/AIDS
 is a framework for action by government,
employers and workers to deal effectively
with HIV/AIDS at the workplace.
 Highlighted is the fact that the most

productive segment of the workforce (the 15-

49 age group) is the most seriously affected.
HIV/AIDS takes its toll on the rights of
workers infected with and affected by HIV and
AIDS primarily through stigma and
discrimination
 The National Workplace Policy on
HIV/AIDS
 It further impacts on workers through
ignorance and prevailing myths that hinder
corrective preventive action and access to
treatment care and support.
 The workplace can play a critical role in

preventing and controlling the spread of

HIV/AIDS and in reducing significantly stigma
and discrimination. Education and training
are support tools for attitude and behaviour
modification.
What is the difference between HIV-1 and HIV-2?

 There are two types of HIV: HIV-1 and HIV-2.

Both types are transmitted by sexual contact,
through blood, and from mother to child, and
they appear to cause clinically
indistinguishable AIDS. However, it seems
that HIV-2 is less easily transmitted, and the
period between initial infection and illness is
longer in the case of HIV-2. The relatively
uncommon HIV-2 type is concentrated in
West Africa and is rarely found elsewhere
How is HIV treated ?
 ARV -Antiretroviral drugs.
ARV are medications that treat HIV. The drugs
do not kill or cure the virus. However, when
taken in combination (ART) they can prevent
the growth of the virus. When the virus is
slowed down, so is HIV disease.
 HIV cannot be cured.
What are the stages of HIV

 Acute Stage
 Clinical latency (inactivity or dormancy)
 AIDS
Acute stage
  Within 2 to 4 weeks after infection with HIV,
you may feel sick with flu-like symptoms.
This is called acute retroviral syndrome (ARS)
or primary HIV infection, and it’s the body’s
natural response to the HIV infection. (Not
everyone develops ARS, however—and some
people may have no symptoms.)
Acute Stage (con’t)
 During this period of infection, large amounts of HIV
are being produced in your body. The virus uses
important immune system cells called CD4 cells to
make copies of itself and destroys these cells in the
process. Because of this, the CD4 count can fall
quickly.
 Your ability to spread HIV is highest during this stage
because the amount of virus in the blood is very high.
 Eventually, your immune response will begin to bring
the amount of virus in your body back down to a stable
level. At this point, your CD4 count will then begin to
increase, but it may not return to pre-infection levels
Clinical latency (inactivity or
dormancy)
  This period is sometimes called asymptomatic
HIV infection or chronic HIV infection. During
this phase, HIV is still active, but reproduces at
very low levels. You may not have any
symptoms or get sick during this time. Toward
the middle and end of this period, your viral
load begins to rise and your CD4 cell count
begins to drop. As this happens, you may
begin to have symptoms of HIV infection as
your immune system becomes too weak to
protect you .
AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency
syndrome)
 This is the stage of infection that occurs when your
immune system is badly damaged and you become
vulnerable to infections and infection-related cancers
called opportunistic illnesses. When the number of your
CD4 cells falls below 200 cells per cubic mm of blood (200
cells/mm3), you are considered to have progressed to
AIDS. You can also be diagnosed with AIDS if you develop
one or more opportunistic illnesses, regardless of your
CD4 count. Without treatment, people who are diagnosed
with AIDS typically survive about 3 years. Once someone
has a dangerous opportunistic illness, life expectancy
without treatment falls to about 1 year. People with AIDS
need medical treatment to prevent death.
HIV
 A person can transmit HIV to others during any
of these stages.
 People who are on antiretroviral therapy (ART)
may live with clinical latency for several
decades. For people who are not on ART, this
period can last up to a decade, but some may
progress through this phase faster. It is
important to remember that you are still able to
transmit HIV to others during this phase even if
you are treated with ART, although ART greatly
reduces the risk.
How do I know if I have HIV ?
 The only way to know if you are infected with
HIV is to be tested. You cannot rely on
symptoms to know whether you have HIV.
Many people who are infected with HIV do not
have any symptoms at all for 10 years or
more. Some people who are infected with HIV
report having flu-like symptoms (often
described as “the worst flu ever”) 2 to 4
weeks after exposure. :
Symptoms can include:

 Fever
 Enlarged lymph nodes
 Sore throat
 Rash

These symptoms can last anywhere from a few

days to several weeks. During this time, HIV
infection may not show up on an HIV test, but
people who have it are highly infectious and
can spread the infection to others.
How can I reduce my risk of getting HIV?

 ABSTAIN
 Get tested and know your partner’s HIV

status. Talk to your partner about HIV testing

and get tested before you have sex.
 Use condoms. Use a condom correctly every

time you have vaginal, anal, or oral sex.

How can I reduce my risk of getting
HIV?
 Limit your number of sexual partners. The more
partners you have, the more likely you are to have
a partner with HIV whose HIV is not well controlled
or to have a partner with a sexually transmitted
disease (STD). Both of these factors can increase
the risk of HIV transmission. If you have more than
one sexual partner, get tested for HIV regularly.
 Get tested and treated for STDs. Insist that your

partners get tested and treated too. Having an STD

can increase your risk of becoming infected with
HIV or spreading it to others.
How can I reduce my risk of getting
HIV?
 Talk to your health care provider about pre-
exposure prophylaxis (PrEP). PrEP is an HIV
prevention option for people who don’t have
HIV but who are at high risk of becoming
infected with HIV. PrEP involves taking a
specific HIV medicine every day. PrEP should
always be combined with other prevention
options, such as condoms.
 Don’t inject drugs. But if you do, use only sterile

drug injection equipment and water and never

share your equipment with others.
HIV Prevention
 Post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) 
PEP is the use of HIV medicine to reduce the
risk of HIV infection after a possible exposure
to HIV. PEP may be used, for example, after a
person has sex without a condom with a
person who is infected with HIV or after a
health care worker is accidentally exposed to
HIV in the workplace. To be effective, PEP
must be started within 3 days after the
possible exposure to HIV.  
HIV Prevention
 Prevention of mother-to-child transmission
of HIV 
Pregnant HIV-infected women take HIV
medicines during pregnancy and childbirth to
reduce the risk of passing HIV to their babies.
Their newborn babies also receive HIV
medicine for 6 weeks after birth. The HIV
medicine reduces the risk of infection from
any HIV that may have entered a baby’s body
during childbirth. 
Care for Individuals with HIV/AIDS
 Each individual must be treated with respect
regardless is status.
 Wash your hands before and after treatment

for cuts and abrasions.

 Cover all cuts on your hands with waterproof

dressings before treating.

 Avoid skin contact with blood and body

fluids.
Care for Individuals with HIV/AIDS
 Use disposable gloves if skin contact with
blood or blood fluid is likely. Use paper
towels to clean up blood or body fluids.
 Soiled surfaces must be disinfected with

household bleach. Use one part bleach to ten

parts water. Ideally, bleach should be in
contact with the surface for half an hour.
 Place contaminated material, including

gloves, in a plastic bag for safe disposal.

Sexual Purity and Christians
Why is sexual purity important?
 God gave man and woman the joy and

pleasure of sexual relations within the

bounds of marriage, and the Bible is clear
about the importance of maintaining sexual
purity within the boundaries of that union
between man and wife (Ephesians 5:31).
What God says about sexual purity?
 Thessalonians 4:3–5, 7).“You should be
sanctified: that you should avoid sexual
immorality; that each of you should learn to
control his own body in a way that is holy and
honourable, not in passionate lust like the
heathen, who do not know God. . . . For God did
not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life”
This passage outlines God’s reasons for calling
for sexual purity in the lives of His children.
THE END.
QUESTIONS