What is AIDS?
AIDS stands for Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome.By name, we can understand a lot about the disease.
It is Acquired, meaning that it must be transmitted from an outside source.
It affects the Immune system, and causes a
Deficiency.This means that it causes the body’s natural defenses to be worn down.
And it is a Syndrome, which means that it is a general name for a number of common symptoms.
AIDS is not a virus in itself.
It is simply a name for the later stages of HIV.
Where does it exist?
Where does it exist?HIV can be found in primarily four bodily fluids. It is important to remember these four bodily fluids in order to understand how HIV is transmitted.
HIV can be present in
Blood,
Vaginal fluids,
Semen, and
Breast milk.
HIV is transmitted through:
Sharing of body fluids (Infected blood, semen, vaginal secretions and breast milk).
HIV can also be transmitted by sharing needles and works used to inject any substance, such as heroin, cocaine, steroids.
Ports of entry:
Sharing blood with someone by using a needle they used into the vein, muscles, or under the skin (skin popping), or
Having unprotected sex so that you ejaculate inside someone else, or someone comes inside you, whether it is vaginal, oral or anal sex.
Where it doesn’t exist?
Where it doesn’t exist?
Sweat
Tears
Urine
HIV can sometimes live in saliva, but it would take two gallons at once, for anyone to be infected with HIV this way.
You cannot get HIV from:
Casual kissing, hugging, touching, or ordinary contact.
Living with, shaking hands, or sitting next to someone with HIV.
Sleeping in the same dorm with someone infected.
Sharing cups and eating utensils with someone infected.
What is the Window Period?
What is the Window Period?The window period is, AT MOST, 3 months.
This means that someone who has engaged in risky behavior must wait this amount of time before being tested to insure an accurate result.
It is also important to realize that this does not mean someone is not infectious during this time span.
Be carefulPeople can infect others from the moment they themselves are infected and you will never be able to identify who is infected and who is not.
Always Take your precautions!!!
How to protect myself?
How to protect myself?Your best protection against HIV is having no sexual intercourse and using no drugs.
This is known as abstinence
[Abstinence: Means not having any form of sex or drug use].
Although, there are activities that other people engaged in, they said that they are FUN, ENJOYABLE, and pose NO risk of HIV infection.
Just in case if you plan to engage in any of them!!
CASUAL KISSING
CUDDLING
HUGGING AND HOLDING
TOUCHING
MASSAGE
MASTURBATION – solo or mutual
TALKING
FANTASY
For those who feel abstinence is not for them.
There are other precautions one can take to reduce the risk of being infected or re-exposed to the virus when a latex barrier or clean needles are used.
REMEMBER
The idea here is to keep body fluids from getting inside one’s body during a sexual encounter. (semen, vaginal secretions, blood)
The following are activities that are considered high risk (SUPER DANGEROUS) for infection or re-exposure if engaged in WITHOUT a latex barrier:
RECEPTIVE (receiving) anal intercourse
INSERTIVE (giving) anal intercourse
RECEPTIVE (receiving) vaginal intercourse
INSERTIVE (giving) vaginal intercourse
ORAL SEX on a man with ejaculation
ORAL SEX on a man without ejaculation
ORAL SEX on a woman
ORAL-ANAL contact – rimming (not risky for HIV infection, BUT risky for other infections)
AND DO NOT FORGET TO
Never share a needle when injecting drugs.
What are Antibody Blood tests?
What are the Antibody Blood tests?These tests are used for the detection of HIV antibodies in blood.
The antibody EIA (enzyme immunoassay) or ELISA (enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay) is the most commonly used screening test.
The antibody Western blot is the most commonly used confirmatory test.
Is there any hope for a vaccine soon?
Is there any hope for a vaccine soon? Clinical trials are ongoing, as well as field trials to determine efficacy, safety, tolerance, and to judge the body’s immune system response to a preventative HIV vaccine.
But till there is a Vaccine
Prevention and Education will remain
our only succefull intervention to
STOP AIDS