BASIC FACTS ON

HIV
What is HIV?

H -uman
Found only in humans
Transmitted among humans
Preventable by humans

I -mmunodefiency
Body lacks ability to fight off infections

V -irus
Type of germ
Lives and reproduces in body cells
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 AIDS
A -cquired; received, not inherited (does not run
in families)

I -mmuno; protected from (in this case the

system protects the body from disease)

D -eficiency, - a lack of
S-yndrome; – a group of symptoms or
diseases
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 HIV IS FOUND IN BODY
FLUIDS

 Semen

 Breast milk

 Blood

 Vaginal fluid
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How HIV is passed on?
 During unprotected (skin to skin) sex (anal,
vaginal or oral)

 Contact with HIV infected blood or blood

products

 Sharing IV drug needles of HIV positive people

 From HIV positive mother to child

 During breast feeding

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You CANNOT get HIV from…
 Tears
 Saliva
 Sweat
 Urine
of an HIV infected person

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 Window Period

 When a person gets infected it may take 6

weeks or up to 3 months before antibodies
to HIV are detected in the blood

 The HIV test looks for antibodies. When

these antibodies are detected the person is
diagnosed HIV positive

 A person can be positive and the test shows

negative because the test was done during
the window period
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Why HIV rates not going down?
 Sex at an early age
 Little life-skills and sex education
 Little condom use
 Multiple partners
 Stigma and Discrimination
 Sex for money or sex for .....things
 Substance abuse: Ganja, cocaine, alcohol
 Men having sex with men & homophobia
 Gender inequity and gender roles

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 STI and HIV – The Link
 Persons with a history of STIs are more likely to get
HIV because:
 persons with STIs are more likely to have sores
and small breaks in the skin and lining of their
genitals.

 HIV can more easily enter the body through

these breaks.

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 STI and HIV – The Link
 You can get an STI by having sex without a condom,
with an infected person.

 At the same time, you could be getting HIV which is

also contracted by having unprotected sex.

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ALL STIs are Preventable

Most STI’s are treatable

But

HIV/AIDS CANNOT BE CURED

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Prevention

 Talk with partner about HIV

 Use a condom with your regular and non-

regular clients, and partners every time
you have sex

 Reduce the number of main partners

 Get tested. Know your status

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How You DON’T Get HIV
 You CANNOT get HIV by
hugging, touching,
living with or caring for
someone with HIV,
shaking hands or
kissing.

 You CANNOT get HIV

from eating out of the
same plate or cup or
utensils that an HIV
positive person uses.

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Early Signs & Symptoms of HIV
 Fever
 Fatigue
 Night Sweats
 Loss of Appetite
 Diarrhea
 Swollen Lymph Glands

Remember these are symptoms of many other illnesses.

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REMEMBER
 You CANNOT tell by looking if someone has
HIV.

 An individual can look and feel well for many

years and be HIV positive.

 The HIV positive person can pass the virus on

to someone else.

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What have we learnt?

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