BASIC FACTS ABOUT HIV/AIDS
by Rev. Hal Low, MDiv
HIV Information Coordinator for Other Sheep East Africa
December 1, 2010.
What is a virus? A virus is a submicroscopic parasite. There are many
different types of viruses that can infect plants or animals or bacteria.
Different viruses cause different diseases. Some diseases causes by
different types of viruses include: the common cold, influenza, smallpox,
measles, and many other different diseases. Different viruses are spread
from one person to another in different ways, so how you protect yourself
from any particular virus will be different. For example, the virus that
causes the flu is spread when someone with the flu coughs and tiny
moisture droplets that carry the virus are released into the air, then
someone near by may breathe in the droplets that carry the virus and get
the flu. This is why the flu virus is called an “air borne” virus. An example
of a virus that is spread in a different manner is the virus that causes
hepatitis A (a type of liver disease). The Hepatitis A virus is found in
human feces and is spread when food or water is contaminated with
feces containing the Hepatitis A virus. If someone drinks the
contaminated water or eats contaminated food they will get Hepatitis A.
But you can not get Hepatitis A from someone who has it when they
cough because it is not an air borne virus. So there is no need to worry if
someone with Hepatitis A is coughing near you because you can not get
it that way.
What is HIV? HIV is a type of virus. HIV stands for Human Immune-
deficiency Virus. The “H” stands for human because it is a virus only
humans can get or transmit. So you can not get HIV from pets or
livestock nor can you give it to them. The “I” stands for immune-
deficiency which means this virus affects the immune system. Our bodies
are made of various different systems each with a specific job to do that
helps keep the whole body healthy and functioning. Each system is
made of a specific group of organs, tissues, and cells that work together
to perform the specific function of that the system. The job of the immune
system is to fight off germs (like viruses and bacteria) when they enter
the body to keep us from getting sick. Because HIV attacks the human
immune system it makes it very hard for the immune system to work
properly, in other words it makes the immune system weak or deficient.
Lastly, the “V” stands for virus.
How is HIV transmitted (spread from person to person)? HIV
transmission can occur when someone who is infected with HIV
exchanges specific body fluids directly into another person. These
specific body fluids are: blood, semen, vaginal fluids, and breast milk. It
is important to note that these body fluids must have direct contact with
another person’s mucous membrane (such as the lining of the vagina or
anus) or damaged tissue (such as a fresh cut or open sore) or be directly
injected into the blood-stream (such as when people share syringes).
HIV is not able to enter a person through their skin, unless the skin has a
fresh cut or sore, as intact skin is an effective barrier to HIV (for example,
a nurse is treating someone with HIV and some of the person’s blood
dripped onto the nurse’s arm. So long as there are no cuts or sores on
the nurse’s arm, her intact skin will not allow the virus to get through it).
HIV can not live in the general environment (outside the human body)
because it can not survive when exposed to oxygen or temperature
changes. This is why transmission only occurs during direct exposure
such as during unprotected sex with a person infected with HIV, or by
sharing syringes that have not been properly cleansed with bleach, or
during child-birth. Unprotected sexual contact or sharing syringes with
someone infected with HIV are the most common way HIV is transmitted.
HIV is not an air-borne virus so you can not get it from someone who is
coughing. Since HIV can not live outside the human body it can not
contaminate water or food, so you can not get it by eating food prepared
by someone who is HIV positive.
How does a person prevent HIV infection? Basically you can protect
yourself from being infected with HIV by avoiding activities that can allow
for transmission of the virus from one person to another person.
Remember, HIV can be transmitted when specific body fluids (blood,
semen, vaginal fluids, and breast milk) from a person who is already
infected with the virus comes into direct contact with another person’s
mucous membrane (such as the lining of the vagina or anus), or directly
into an open cut or sore, or directly injected into the bloodstream.
Therefore, transmission of the virus is possible if a person engages in
unprotected sex (that means sexual intercourse of any kind without using
a condom), shares syringes that have not been properly sanitized (either
for illegal drugs or legitimate medication), or during childbirth because of
the excessive amount of bleeding that is a normal part of childbirth.
There are two primary options to protect you from sexual transmission of
HIV: abstinence - always refraining from any sexual contact with another
person. Consistently abstaining from sexual contact is the surest means
of prevention. However, due to a number of sociological factors,
abstinence is not always practical or desirable; therefore the consistent
and correct use of latex condoms from start to finish during any type of
sexual contact will greatly reduce the possibility of HIV transmission.
Many studies have proven the effectiveness of condoms in greatly
reducing the risk of HIV transmission. Condoms can only be used once,
they can not be cleaned and/or re-use. A new condom must be used
each time two people are going to have sex in order for condoms to be
effective. Most condoms are made of latex. Only water-based lubricants,
such as k-y jelly, can be used with latex condoms. Never use oil-based
lubricants, such as petroleum jelly or mineral oil, because oil will cause a
chemical reaction with the latex that will weaken it and may cause it to
break. To learn the proper way to use a condom click on this link for a
video demonstration http://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=LWcABcngUwc&feature=related.
There are two options to protect you from HIV transmission via syringes
(needles): never share syringes with another person, or if that is not
possible to properly cleanse a syringe before, between, and after sharing
it. Ideally a syringe should never be shared or used more then once;
however, due to certain socio-economic factors the ideal may not be
realistic. Poverty or lack of medical supplies are a reality, so for example,
if two members of a family have diabetes that require them to use insulin
and there is only one syringe which they share and re-use, then it is
critical that they properly cleanse the syringe between each use. To
learn the proper way to cleanse a syringe click on this link for a video
demonstration http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SnsK_4gOYHU
What is the HIV antibody test (commonly referred to as the HIV
test or the AIDS test)? The HIV test is a simple blood test that can
determine if a person has been exposed to HIV. The test does not test
directly for the virus, rather it tests for a specific antibody produced by
the body’s immune system in respond to exposure to the HIV virus.
Anytime a germ (whether it’s a virus or a bacteria) enters the body the
immune system goes immediately into action producing a specific
antibody designed to fight off that specific germ. Antibodies are a good
thing, it’s the body’s first defense against infection. An HIV antibody is an
antibody specifically produced by the immune system to fight off the HIV
virus. Antibodies are only produced when the body is invaded by a virus
or bacteria. So if someone has been exposed to the HIV virus the body
will produce an HIV antibody to help fight the HIV virus. If someone has
not been exposed to the virus then no antibody will be produced.
What does the term “HIV positive” mean? If someone tests positive for
HIV antibodies that means they have been exposed to the HIV virus and
are infected with the virus, and can pass on the virus through
unprotected sexual intercourse or sharing syringes also called “needles”
(this is true whether the shared syringes are for the use of illegal drugs or
necessary medication, for example, if two members of a family have
diabetes that require them to use insulin, and one family member is HIV
positive, and they share the insulin syringe without properly cleansing it
first with bleach and water, then the HIV virus can be transmitted via the
syringe from the HIV positive family member to the other family member.)
It should be noted that a person in the early stages of HIV infection will
appear healthy and likely show no symptoms of disease, but is able to
transmit the virus.
What does the term “HIV negative” mean? If someone tests
negative for HIV antibodies that means they most likely have not been
exposed to HIV and therefore are most likely not infected. *Please see
note about the “window period”.
*What is the “window period”? The “window period” is the time
between first being infected with the HIV virus and the time it takes the
body to produce enough HIV antibodies that can be measured in the HIV
antibody test. There needs to be a certain number of antibodies present
in the blood for the test to be able to detect them. Typically it takes
between 3 to 6 months for the body to produce enough HIV antibodies for
the blood test to be able to give an accurate result (meaning a positive or
negative result that is true). If a person hasn’t waited long enough
between the possible exposure incident and the body’s ability to produce
the needed amount of antibodies for the test to detect, then the results of
the test are questionable. For example, let’s say “Mr. Jojo” had
unprotected sex with another person yesterday and then two weeks later
goes for an HIV antibody test and the test results come back as
“negative”, that test result may not be accurate because “Mr. Jojo” didn’t
wait long enough between the time he had unprotected sex and taking
the blood test. Now if “Mr. Jojo” had unprotected sex yesterday and
waited about 6 months before taking the blood test and the results come
back negative then “Mr. Jojo” can be confident in the accuracy of the test
results.
Why doesn’t the immune system fight off HIV? Since the human
immune system does produce antibodies to fight off HIV why don’t the
antibodies rid the person of the HIV virus? The reason is because the
HIV virus attacks the part of the immune system that produces the
antibodies that fight the virus, thus the immune system can not produce
enough antibodies to rid the person of the virus. The more the virus
attacks the immune system the harder it is for it to fight off the virus.
Think of it this way: if one country invades another country the country
that is being attacked will launch a defense by sending soldiers out from
their training camps to fight the invading soldiers. But if the invaders blow
up the training camp, then the camp can not train more soldiers to send
out to defend the nation. The more training camps they blow up the
fewer soldiers there will be to defend the country, meanwhile the invaders
keep sending in more troops to blow up even more camps. This is kind of
how the HIV virus works in the body by going after the “training camps”
that are producing and sending out the antibodies, and while the immune
system is continuing to be attacked the virus is reproducing at a fast rate
eventually overwhelming the immune system’s ability to effectively fight
back.
What is AIDS? AIDS stands for Acquired Immune-Deficiency Syndrome.
It refers to that point in HIV infection (late stage HIV infection) when the
immune system has reached a serious point of deterioration that other
types of infections, which normally the body would be able to fight off on
its own, are now able to take the opportunity to cause diseases in the
body. These types of infections are called Opportunistic Infections
because they take the opportunity of the body’s weakened state to attack
it and cause disease. One very common Opportunistic Infection is PCP
(Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia). Pneumoina is a disease of the lungs
that can be causes by many different types of viruses, bacteria or fungi.
PCP is one type of pneumonia and is caused by a specific fungus call
pneumocystis carinni (also called pneumocystis jivoreci). If a person with
a healthy immune system was exposed to it there would not be any
problem as the person’s immune system would be able to fight it off
easily. But in a person whose immune system is very weak, such as due
to a long time fight with HIV, PCP can easily infect the lungs and make the
person very sick. Without treatment with certain types of antibiotic
medication PCP will often lead to death. PCP is only one of many different
types of Opportunistic Infections.
In a nutshell, AIDS is that point in HIV infection (known as late stage HIV
infection) when the immune system has become so badly compromised
that it is not able to fight off infections that a healthy immune system
normally would be able to do, thus the person is subject to all sorts of
infections that can make them very sick and often leading to death. The
time from initial HIV infection to late stage HIV infection (or what is
commonly called AIDS) is typically 5 to 10 years.
__________________________________________________________
This information has been prepared by the Rev. Hal Low, MDiv. Rev. Low
is a former Director of Treatment Education for the PWA Health Group,
and a former Resource Room Manager for the Staten Island AIDS Task
Force. He has presented extensively on HIV prevention throughout the
New York Metropolitan area. Presently, Rev. Low serves a church in
upstate New York, and is the HIV Information Coordinator for Other
Sheep East Africa. Additional more detailed pages regarding HIV
prevention and treatment are under development.
by Rev. Hal Low, MDiv
HIV Information Coordinator for Other Sheep East Africa
December 1, 2010.
What is a virus? A virus is a submicroscopic parasite. There are many
different types of viruses that can infect plants or animals or bacteria.
Different viruses cause different diseases. Some diseases causes by
different types of viruses include: the common cold, influenza, smallpox,
measles, and many other different diseases. Different viruses are spread
from one person to another in different ways, so how you protect yourself
from any particular virus will be different. For example, the virus that
causes the flu is spread when someone with the flu coughs and tiny
moisture droplets that carry the virus are released into the air, then
someone near by may breathe in the droplets that carry the virus and get
the flu. This is why the flu virus is called an “air borne” virus. An example
of a virus that is spread in a different manner is the virus that causes
hepatitis A (a type of liver disease). The Hepatitis A virus is found in
human feces and is spread when food or water is contaminated with
feces containing the Hepatitis A virus. If someone drinks the
contaminated water or eats contaminated food they will get Hepatitis A.
But you can not get Hepatitis A from someone who has it when they
cough because it is not an air borne virus. So there is no need to worry if
someone with Hepatitis A is coughing near you because you can not get
it that way.
What is HIV? HIV is a type of virus. HIV stands for Human Immune-
deficiency Virus. The “H” stands for human because it is a virus only
humans can get or transmit. So you can not get HIV from pets or
livestock nor can you give it to them. The “I” stands for immune-
deficiency which means this virus affects the immune system. Our bodies
are made of various different systems each with a specific job to do that
helps keep the whole body healthy and functioning. Each system is
made of a specific group of organs, tissues, and cells that work together
to perform the specific function of that the system. The job of the immune
system is to fight off germs (like viruses and bacteria) when they enter
the body to keep us from getting sick. Because HIV attacks the human
immune system it makes it very hard for the immune system to work
properly, in other words it makes the immune system weak or deficient.
Lastly, the “V” stands for virus.
How is HIV transmitted (spread from person to person)? HIV
transmission can occur when someone who is infected with HIV
exchanges specific body fluids directly into another person. These
specific body fluids are: blood, semen, vaginal fluids, and breast milk. It
is important to note that these body fluids must have direct contact with
another person’s mucous membrane (such as the lining of the vagina or
anus) or damaged tissue (such as a fresh cut or open sore) or be directly
injected into the blood-stream (such as when people share syringes).
HIV is not able to enter a person through their skin, unless the skin has a
fresh cut or sore, as intact skin is an effective barrier to HIV (for example,
a nurse is treating someone with HIV and some of the person’s blood
dripped onto the nurse’s arm. So long as there are no cuts or sores on
the nurse’s arm, her intact skin will not allow the virus to get through it).
HIV can not live in the general environment (outside the human body)
because it can not survive when exposed to oxygen or temperature
changes. This is why transmission only occurs during direct exposure
such as during unprotected sex with a person infected with HIV, or by
sharing syringes that have not been properly cleansed with bleach, or
during child-birth. Unprotected sexual contact or sharing syringes with
someone infected with HIV are the most common way HIV is transmitted.
HIV is not an air-borne virus so you can not get it from someone who is
coughing. Since HIV can not live outside the human body it can not
contaminate water or food, so you can not get it by eating food prepared
by someone who is HIV positive.
How does a person prevent HIV infection? Basically you can protect
yourself from being infected with HIV by avoiding activities that can allow
for transmission of the virus from one person to another person.
Remember, HIV can be transmitted when specific body fluids (blood,
semen, vaginal fluids, and breast milk) from a person who is already
infected with the virus comes into direct contact with another person’s
mucous membrane (such as the lining of the vagina or anus), or directly
into an open cut or sore, or directly injected into the bloodstream.
Therefore, transmission of the virus is possible if a person engages in
unprotected sex (that means sexual intercourse of any kind without using
a condom), shares syringes that have not been properly sanitized (either
for illegal drugs or legitimate medication), or during childbirth because of
the excessive amount of bleeding that is a normal part of childbirth.
There are two primary options to protect you from sexual transmission of
HIV: abstinence - always refraining from any sexual contact with another
person. Consistently abstaining from sexual contact is the surest means
of prevention. However, due to a number of sociological factors,
abstinence is not always practical or desirable; therefore the consistent
and correct use of latex condoms from start to finish during any type of
sexual contact will greatly reduce the possibility of HIV transmission.
Many studies have proven the effectiveness of condoms in greatly
reducing the risk of HIV transmission. Condoms can only be used once,
they can not be cleaned and/or re-use. A new condom must be used
each time two people are going to have sex in order for condoms to be
effective. Most condoms are made of latex. Only water-based lubricants,
such as k-y jelly, can be used with latex condoms. Never use oil-based
lubricants, such as petroleum jelly or mineral oil, because oil will cause a
chemical reaction with the latex that will weaken it and may cause it to
break. To learn the proper way to use a condom click on this link for a
video demonstration http://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=LWcABcngUwc&feature=related.
There are two options to protect you from HIV transmission via syringes
(needles): never share syringes with another person, or if that is not
possible to properly cleanse a syringe before, between, and after sharing
it. Ideally a syringe should never be shared or used more then once;
however, due to certain socio-economic factors the ideal may not be
realistic. Poverty or lack of medical supplies are a reality, so for example,
if two members of a family have diabetes that require them to use insulin
and there is only one syringe which they share and re-use, then it is
critical that they properly cleanse the syringe between each use. To
learn the proper way to cleanse a syringe click on this link for a video
demonstration http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SnsK_4gOYHU
What is the HIV antibody test (commonly referred to as the HIV
test or the AIDS test)? The HIV test is a simple blood test that can
determine if a person has been exposed to HIV. The test does not test
directly for the virus, rather it tests for a specific antibody produced by
the body’s immune system in respond to exposure to the HIV virus.
Anytime a germ (whether it’s a virus or a bacteria) enters the body the
immune system goes immediately into action producing a specific
antibody designed to fight off that specific germ. Antibodies are a good
thing, it’s the body’s first defense against infection. An HIV antibody is an
antibody specifically produced by the immune system to fight off the HIV
virus. Antibodies are only produced when the body is invaded by a virus
or bacteria. So if someone has been exposed to the HIV virus the body
will produce an HIV antibody to help fight the HIV virus. If someone has
not been exposed to the virus then no antibody will be produced.
What does the term “HIV positive” mean? If someone tests positive for
HIV antibodies that means they have been exposed to the HIV virus and
are infected with the virus, and can pass on the virus through
unprotected sexual intercourse or sharing syringes also called “needles”
(this is true whether the shared syringes are for the use of illegal drugs or
necessary medication, for example, if two members of a family have
diabetes that require them to use insulin, and one family member is HIV
positive, and they share the insulin syringe without properly cleansing it
first with bleach and water, then the HIV virus can be transmitted via the
syringe from the HIV positive family member to the other family member.)
It should be noted that a person in the early stages of HIV infection will
appear healthy and likely show no symptoms of disease, but is able to
transmit the virus.
What does the term “HIV negative” mean? If someone tests
negative for HIV antibodies that means they most likely have not been
exposed to HIV and therefore are most likely not infected. *Please see
note about the “window period”.
*What is the “window period”? The “window period” is the time
between first being infected with the HIV virus and the time it takes the
body to produce enough HIV antibodies that can be measured in the HIV
antibody test. There needs to be a certain number of antibodies present
in the blood for the test to be able to detect them. Typically it takes
between 3 to 6 months for the body to produce enough HIV antibodies for
the blood test to be able to give an accurate result (meaning a positive or
negative result that is true). If a person hasn’t waited long enough
between the possible exposure incident and the body’s ability to produce
the needed amount of antibodies for the test to detect, then the results of
the test are questionable. For example, let’s say “Mr. Jojo” had
unprotected sex with another person yesterday and then two weeks later
goes for an HIV antibody test and the test results come back as
“negative”, that test result may not be accurate because “Mr. Jojo” didn’t
wait long enough between the time he had unprotected sex and taking
the blood test. Now if “Mr. Jojo” had unprotected sex yesterday and
waited about 6 months before taking the blood test and the results come
back negative then “Mr. Jojo” can be confident in the accuracy of the test
results.
Why doesn’t the immune system fight off HIV? Since the human
immune system does produce antibodies to fight off HIV why don’t the
antibodies rid the person of the HIV virus? The reason is because the
HIV virus attacks the part of the immune system that produces the
antibodies that fight the virus, thus the immune system can not produce
enough antibodies to rid the person of the virus. The more the virus
attacks the immune system the harder it is for it to fight off the virus.
Think of it this way: if one country invades another country the country
that is being attacked will launch a defense by sending soldiers out from
their training camps to fight the invading soldiers. But if the invaders blow
up the training camp, then the camp can not train more soldiers to send
out to defend the nation. The more training camps they blow up the
fewer soldiers there will be to defend the country, meanwhile the invaders
keep sending in more troops to blow up even more camps. This is kind of
how the HIV virus works in the body by going after the “training camps”
that are producing and sending out the antibodies, and while the immune
system is continuing to be attacked the virus is reproducing at a fast rate
eventually overwhelming the immune system’s ability to effectively fight
back.
What is AIDS? AIDS stands for Acquired Immune-Deficiency Syndrome.
It refers to that point in HIV infection (late stage HIV infection) when the
immune system has reached a serious point of deterioration that other
types of infections, which normally the body would be able to fight off on
its own, are now able to take the opportunity to cause diseases in the
body. These types of infections are called Opportunistic Infections
because they take the opportunity of the body’s weakened state to attack
it and cause disease. One very common Opportunistic Infection is PCP
(Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia). Pneumoina is a disease of the lungs
that can be causes by many different types of viruses, bacteria or fungi.
PCP is one type of pneumonia and is caused by a specific fungus call
pneumocystis carinni (also called pneumocystis jivoreci). If a person with
a healthy immune system was exposed to it there would not be any
problem as the person’s immune system would be able to fight it off
easily. But in a person whose immune system is very weak, such as due
to a long time fight with HIV, PCP can easily infect the lungs and make the
person very sick. Without treatment with certain types of antibiotic
medication PCP will often lead to death. PCP is only one of many different
types of Opportunistic Infections.
In a nutshell, AIDS is that point in HIV infection (known as late stage HIV
infection) when the immune system has become so badly compromised
that it is not able to fight off infections that a healthy immune system
normally would be able to do, thus the person is subject to all sorts of
infections that can make them very sick and often leading to death. The
time from initial HIV infection to late stage HIV infection (or what is
commonly called AIDS) is typically 5 to 10 years.
__________________________________________________________
This information has been prepared by the Rev. Hal Low, MDiv. Rev. Low
is a former Director of Treatment Education for the PWA Health Group,
and a former Resource Room Manager for the Staten Island AIDS Task
Force. He has presented extensively on HIV prevention throughout the
New York Metropolitan area. Presently, Rev. Low serves a church in
upstate New York, and is the HIV Information Coordinator for Other
Sheep East Africa. Additional more detailed pages regarding HIV
prevention and treatment are under development.
This information has been
prepared by the Rev. Hal Low,
MDiv. Rev. Hal Low is a former
Director of Treatment Education
for the PWA Health Group, and a
former Resource Room Manager
for the Staten Island AIDS Task
Force. He has presented
extensively on HIV prevention
throughout the New York
Metropolitan area. Presently,
Rev. Low serves a church in
upstate New York, and is the HIV
Information Coordinator for
Other Sheep East Africa.
Additional more detailed pages
regarding HIV prevention and
treatment are under
development.
prepared by the Rev. Hal Low,
MDiv. Rev. Hal Low is a former
Director of Treatment Education
for the PWA Health Group, and a
former Resource Room Manager
for the Staten Island AIDS Task
Force. He has presented
extensively on HIV prevention
throughout the New York
Metropolitan area. Presently,
Rev. Low serves a church in
upstate New York, and is the HIV
Information Coordinator for
Other Sheep East Africa.
Additional more detailed pages
regarding HIV prevention and
treatment are under
development.
"I have other sheep that do not belong to this fold. I must bring them also."
John 10:16 NRSV
John 10:16 NRSV
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