Chapter 18
1. How can you find free HIV testing near you? Google “free HIV testing near me”
2. About how much does a home HIV test kit cost and where can you get them? $40,
pharmacies such as Walgreens & CVS
3. What is in a home HIV test kit? Instructions, test swab, test solution, discrete disposal
bag
4. What are the three ways HIV can be spread? Blood, birth, and sex
5. What is PEP and what does it stand for? When might it be needed? Post Exposure
Prophylaxis is taking antiviral medications after an exposure event like a needle stick or
sexual assault.
6. The sooner PEP is started the better. According to the CDC, when should PEP be started?
Per the CDC PEP needs to be started within 72 hours.
7. Although the risk can’t be reduced to zero, modern treatment can greatly reduce the risk of a
pregnant woman passing HIV onto their child. What country was the first in the world to be
recognized by the United Nations as having eliminated mother-to-child HIV transmission as
a public health risk? Cuba
8. What sexual acts pose the greatest risk of catching HIV? Unprotected anal and vaginal sex
with the receptive partner at the greatest risk.
9. The HIV virus is spherical shaped. On the outside of the virus particle is a membrane made
of lipids with protein spikes sticking out of it. Inside the membrane is a capsid made of
protein. Inside the capsid is the viral RNA and a few enzymes.
11. What reaction does the reverse transcriptase enzyme catalyze? Reverse transcriptase
inhibits the conversion of viral RNA to viral DNA
12. What enzyme is used to stick the viral DNA into the host cells’ DNA? The integrase
enzyme inserts the viral DNA into the host cell genome.
13. What enzyme is used to finish the maturation process releasing infectious virus particles?
Protease enzyme finishes the maturation process producing infectious virus particles.
14. Although it varies greatly from person to person, most people who catch HIV will develop
AIDS within 10 years.
15. The amount of virus in a person’s blood is called a(n) viral load.
16. It can take up to 3-6 months for a person to develop antibodies. This period is known
as the window period. During this time a person will test negative despite having the virus and
being contagious.
17. What does HIV stand for? HIV stands for human immunodeficiency virus
18. What does AIDS stand for? AIDS stands for acquired immune deficiency syndrome
19. What is the difference between HIV and AIDS? AIDS is the late stage of infection with
the HIV virus when the immune system is too weak to fight off infections.
20. As of the writing of this book in 2021, what county has one of the highest rates of HIV in the
Nation? Miami Dade County
21. What do HIV tests actually test for? HIV tests test for antibodies, not the actual virus.
22. What are antibodies? Antibodies are specially shaped proteins made by the immune
system that target antigens.
23. What are antigens? Antigens are specially shaped proteins on the surface of viruses
that are targeted by antibodies.
24. A home HIV test stick has the letters C and T on it. What do these stand for? What is the
purpose of the C part? The letter C stands for control and the letter T stands for test. The
control line indicates the test is working correctly.
25. What does PeEP stand for? PrEP stands for pre-exposure prophylaxis.
26. As of the writing of this book what are the two medications on the market for PrEP? Truvada
and Descovy
27. Emtricitabine and Tenofovir belong to the NRTI class of medications. Both work by
blocking the active site of the reverse transcriptase enzyme. These medications are both
examples of competitive enzyme inhibitors
28. What does ART stand for? What does it consist of? ART stands for Antiretroviral therapy.
It consists of a combination of at least three medications from at least two different
classes.
29. Efavirenz belongs to the NNRTI class of medication. It works by binding to a location on the
Reverse transcriptase enzyme away from the active site. This causes the shape of the active
site to change. This makes Efavirenz an example of a(n) non-competitive enzyme inhibitor.
30. What does it mean to be undetectable? Undetectable means one’s viral load is so low
that it is not picked up on routine tests.
31. Is a person who is undetectably cured of HIV? Undetectable does NOT mean cured. As of
2021, there is no cure for HIV. If one stops taking their medications the viral load will
increase again.
32. What does U = U stand for? What does it mean? Undetectable equals Untransmittable.
This means that HIV-positive people who achieve and maintain undetectable status, see
doctors regularly, and keep up with their lab tests, do not need to worry about giving HIV
to their sexual partners.