HIV/AIDS Awareness

EMILY HABERMEHL, LMSW

FAMILY ELDERCARE
CARE ATTENDANT TRAINING

What is HIV/AIDS?
HIV stands for Human Immunodeficiency Virus
AIDS stands for Acquired Immunodeficiency
Syndrome
HIV is a virus that your bodys immune system cannot
get rid of. Unlike the flu or other viruses, HIV
attacks a specific part of your immune system,
invades disease-killing cells called T or CD4 cells,
makes copies of these good cells, and then destroys
them.

The difference between HIV and AIDS

Simply put, AIDS is the end-stage of HIV. A person
infected with HIV may not necessarily have
symptoms. Many people with HIV live normal
lives and HIV does not impact their daily
functioning.
When an HIV infection progresses, it is then referred to as
AIDS. A person is diagnosed with AIDS if they have a very
badly damaged immune system, have developed cancer,
have been diagnosed with an opportunistic infection,
and/or have a very low number of good (T or CD4) cells.

How does AIDS kill?

AIDS doesnt kill you. It so badly damages your

immune system that you cant fight off deadly
opportunistic infections such as pneumocystis carinii
pneumonia or Kaposi's sarcoma (similar to cancer.)
These infections are what actually end the life of
someone with AIDS.

How HIV is spread, part 1

You do not catch HIV or AIDS. You become infected

with it.
Why is this distinction important?

How is HIV spread, part 2

HIV is transmitted through blood, semen, pre-seminal fluid,
vaginal fluids, anal mucous, and breast milk only.
What bodily fluids are missing from this list?
Saliva
Feces
Urine
Sweat
Tears
Vomit
Nasal Fluid

How HIV is spread, part 3

You cannot get HIV from casual contact including

hugging, kissing, sharing toilet seats, handshaking,

etc.
In order for a bodily fluid to be an infection risk, it
must contain large amounts of blood and be
transmitted into your body via open cuts and sores, a
needle, etc.
HIV does not live long outside the body and it cannot
reproduce.

HIV/AIDS Myths Debunked!

You can not get HIV from a mosquito bite.

You can not get HIV from food handled by a person with HIV/AIDS.
There has not been one documented case of a person becoming infected

with HIV via tattooing or body piercing (though in theory it is possible.)

You can not get HIV from drinking fountains.
HIV/AIDS is not a death sentence.
HIV/AIDS effects people of every sexual orientation.

Living with HIV/AIDS

Many people with HIV lead active, healthy lives.

Greg Louganis was diagnosed with HIV in 1988 he currently

works as a diving/swim coach.
Magic Johnson was diagnosed with HIV in 1991 he still plays
basketball and runs several businesses.

HIV/AIDS is no longer a death sentence. A recent study by the

British Medical Journal found that people with HIV now have
a life expectancy of about 13 years below the general UK
population. This means many people with HIV will live into
their 60s and 70s. People are living longer with HIV.

HIV/AIDS and stigma

Though people are living longer, healthier lives with HIV, the
stigma around being HIV+ has changed very little since the
1980s.
People who are HIV positive face rejection by family and friends,
job and housing discrimination, and are at an increased risk of
violence.
Why is this so?
People view and fear HIV/AIDS as a deadly disease, associate
HIV/AIDS with certain behaviors (drug use, unsafe sex), or may
blame the person who is HIV+ for getting infected.

Universal Precautions
According to OSHA: Universal precautions is an

approach to infection control to treat all human blood

and certain human body fluids as if they were known to
be infectious for HIV, HBV and other bloodborne
pathogens
Remember: Specifically regarding HIV+ clients,
utilizing proper hygiene protocol is not just a method to
protect yourself from getting ill it is also crucial to
protect the client who has a compromised immune
system!