PUBLICHEALTH101:

HIV and AIDS

“Education, awareness and prevention are the

key, but stigmatisation and exclusion from
family is what makes people suffer most.”
Topic Outline
• What is HIV?
• What is AIDS?
• Difference: HIV vs AIDS?
• What are the symptoms of HIV?
• Epidemiology an Statistics
• Transmission and Risk
• Transmission and Risk Myths
• Is there a cure for HIV?
• HIV Treatment
What is HIV?
• stands for Human Immunodeficiency Virus.
• virus that can cause AIDS.
• infect humans and cause damage by:

“by taking over cells in the immune system”

- part of the body that works to fight germs,

bacteria and disease.
What is AIDS?
• stands for Acquired Immune Deficiency
Syndrome.
• group of symptoms that result from HIV
infection.
• considered as “advanced stage” of HIV
infection:
- causing damage to immune system
- and ongoing inflammation
What is AIDS?
• When that happen:
- the body won’t be able to fight of certain
types of illnesses and diseases.

• When the immune system is damaged to

certain level because of HIV = diagnosed
with AIDS.
Difference: HIV vs AIDS?
• HIV is the “virus”.
• AIDS is the condition cause by HIV.

• One can have HIV without developing AIDS.

• But if you have AIDS, you have to have HIV.
What are the symptoms of HIV?
• If one think that he/she has been infected
with HIV,

“find a place to get free, confidential HIV

test.”

• One can have HIV, not have any symptoms.

What are the symptoms of HIV?
• Some people infected with HIV will
experience “flu-like” symptoms.
• This might include:
- fever - night sweats
- severe fatigue - sores or ulcers
- non-itchy rush
- swollen glands/lymph nodes
- muscle aches
- sore throat
What are the symptoms of AIDS?
• There is not one set of symptoms that defines
AIDS.
• When the immune system damage is
severe, patient experience “opportunistic”
infections.
• Some examples: shingles, Kaposi’s sarcoma,
non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, thrush,
tuberculosis and candida esophagitis.
Epidemiology and Statistics
Transmission and Risk
• HOW IS HIV TRANSMITTED?

common questions?

How do you get infected HIV? How is HIV

transmitted? How do you catch HIV? How
do you get AIDS?
Transmission and Risk
• One can’t “catch” AIDS; you only develop
AIDS if you have contracted HIV.
• HIV can only be transmitted from a person
living with HIV to another through direct
contact of the following bodily fluids:
- blood
- semen
- vaginal secretions
- breast milk
Transmission and Risk
• HIV is oftentimes transmitted during sex and
when using injection drugs and sharing
needles.
• Mothers can also transfer HIV to their babies
before or during birth or while
breastfeeding.
Transmission and Risk “MYTHS”
• Q1: Can I get HIV from kissing?
- NO, HIV is not transmitted by kissing.

• Q2: Can I get HIV from oral sex?

- “low risk” in terms of transmission.

• Q3: Isn’t everything sexual risky?

- it’s easier to get HIV from some types of
sex than others.
Transmission and Risk “MYTHS”
Transmission and Risk “MYTHS”
Is there a cure for HIV?
• Presently, there is no cure for HIV or AIDS.
• There is no readily available procedure or
medication which has been scientifically
proven:
- to reliably eliminate the virus from a
person’s body or,
- reverse the damage to the immune
system.
HIV Treatment
Antiretroviral therapy or “ART”
- extremely effective.
- can reduce damage caused by HIV to the
immune system.

• There is still no functional cure for HIV, but

ART can help people live long, healthy lives.
HIV Treatment
Antiretroviral therapy or “ART”
- extremely effective.
- can reduce damage caused by HIV to the
immune system.

• There is still no functional cure for HIV, but

ART can help people live long, healthy lives.
References
• San Francisco AIDS Foundation. HIV FAQS.
Retrieved from https://www.sfaf.org/resource-
library/hiv-faqs/
• Blower SM, Farmer P. Predicting the public
health impact of antiretrovirals: preventing HIV
in developing countries. AIDScience 2003
• Cohen MS, Kaleebu P, Coates T. Prevention of
the sexual transmission of HIV-1: preparing for
success Journal of the International AIDS
Society 2008, 11:4 doi:10.1186/1758-2652-11-4
References
• WHO; UNICEF; UNAIDS. Global update on HIV
treatment 2013: results, impact and
opportunities. Geneva: World Health
Organization;
2013. http://www.who.int/hiv/pub/progressrepo
rts/update2013/en/index.html.
• Global report: UNAIDS report on the global AIDS
epidemic 2013. Geneva: Joint United Nations
Programme on HIV/AIDS;
2013. http://www.unaids.org/en/media/unaids/
contentassets/documents/epidemiology/2013/
gr2013/UNAIDS_Global_Report_2013_en.pdf.
PublicHealth101: HIV and AIDS

“Education, awareness and prevention are

the key, but stigmatisation and exclusion
from family is what makes people suffer
most.”

PREPARED BY:
Jeth R. Gallenero, RPh
END