HIV/AIDS
Jodie Smith
What Are HIV and AIDS?
Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is
the virus that primarily affects cells of the
immune system and that causes AIDS.
Acquired immune deficiency syndrome
(AIDS) is the disease that is caused by the
HIV virus, which weakens the immune
system.
AIDS Around the World
AIDS is a pandemic, a
disease that spreads
quickly through
human populations all
over the world.
Most scientists think
HIV originally came
from Africa, but this is
not a fact.
AIDS Around the World (cont.)
850,000 to 900,000 people
are currently living with
HIV in the United States.
Over 300,000 people are
currently living with AIDS
in the United States.
Teens are one of the
fastest-growing groups to
become infected with HIV.
How HIV Infects the Body
Helper T Cells
(CD4+cells) are the white
blood cells that activate
the immune response ant
that are the primary target
cells of HIV infection.
HIV uses helper T cells to
make copies of itself,
killing the helper T cells in
the process.
As helper T cell counts
drop, the body loses its
ability to fight off other
infections and certain
cancers.
Understanding HIV and AIDS
There are three phases associated with HIV and
AIDS.
Phase I: This is the asymptomatic stage, which means
the infection is present but there are few or no
symptoms. This phase can last 10 years or more.
Phase II: This phase is marked by the beginning or
worsening of symptoms as the immune system fails.
Phase III: This phase marks the begging of AIDS. The
helper T cell count is 200 or less and AIDS-defining
conditions develop, such as opportunistic infections.
Ways That HIV Is Spread
There are 3 main ways that HIV is spread:
1. Sexual activity
2. Sharing needles or intravenous equipment
3. Mother to infant
Testing for HIV
An HIV-antibody test is
used to detect HIV
antibodies.
A person is considered to
be HIV positive if they
test positive for HIV
twice.
A negative test result can
be misleading because
antibodies may not be
found for 6 months after
an infection.
You should get retested
after 6 months following a
Treating HIV and AIDS
No cure exists for HIV
and AIDS. (Treatment
can only help an
infected person
survive longer.)
Drug combination
therapy is an AIDS
treatment program in
which patients take
more than one drug.
Drugs for treating HIV
can have severe side
effects, can lose their
effectiveness over
time, are expensive,
and require diligence
and commitment.
Famous People Infected
with HIV or AIDS
Magic Johnson-played for the Lakers
in the NBA
Famous People Infected
with HIV or AIDS
Rock Hudson-an actor known for his
good looks
Famous People Infected with
HIV or AIDS
Kevin Peter HallPlayed the Predator in
both Predator and
Predator 2 as well as
the “Bigfoot” in Harry
and the Hendersons
Famous People Infected with
HIV or AIDS
Easy-E-one of the
founding members of
the rap group N.W.A
Famous People Infected with
HIV or AIDS
Robert Reed-famous
for his role of Mr.
Brady on the Brady
Bunch
Famous People Infected
with HIV or AIDS
Freddy Mercury-leadsinger of the
British rock band Queen
Famous People Infected with
HIV or AIDS
Liberace-a famous
pianist that
immigrated from Italy
Living with HIV Infection
Maintaining good health through treatment, diet,
exercise, and rest help delay the progression of
HIV to AIDS.
Most HIV-infected people in the early phases can
do almost everything they did before they got
infected.
People infected with HIV must avoid participating
in activities that could expose others to HIV.
Works Cited
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liberace
http://office.microsoft.com/enus/clipart/download.aspx
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=harry+a
nd+the+hendersons
http://www.answers.com/topic/eazy-e
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/320685/
famous_people_who_have_suffered_from.html?ca
t=70
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001658/
Works Cited (cont.)
Holt, Rinehart and Winston. Lifetime
Health. Austin:
Harcourt Education Company, 2004
THE END!