Over 34 million cases reported in 2010

- Over 1 million people infected
- Over 20 % of them don’t know it

Human Immunodeficiency Virus

It kills the human body cells that help fight off infection & disease

- No cure
- With proper medical care, people with HIV can live long, healthy lives

- Meaning: Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome
- Course of action: When body’s immune system is destroyed by HIV infection, patient develops AIDS, becomes very sick & dies
- Number of Americans who die with AIDS each year: 16,000
- HIV infections each year in the US: > 50% among men who have sex with men
- People at risk: anyone, especially African Americans

- Having unprotected sex with someone with HIV
• virus present in
• blood
• semen
• vaginal secretions
• → virus can enter body through tiny cuts & sores in skin, lining of vagina, penis, rectum, mouth
- Sharing needles & drug equipment
- Babies born to women with HIV can be infected during pregnancy, birth or breast-feeding

- Being around someone with HIV
- Saliva, sweat, tears, clothes, drinking fountains, phones, toilet seats
- Sharing a meal, insect bites & stings, donating blood, a casual closed-mouth kiss. Rare from French kissing, only in case mouth or gums are bleeding so there’s contact with blood

- Doctor
- Local public health office or health care clinic

- All Americans 13-64 yrs old at least once to know their HIV status to help prevent spread
- Annual HIV testing for persons with ongoing risk for HIV (injection drug users, people with multiple sex partners)
- More often for high-risk men who have sex with men
- Pregnant women, to lower chance of giving HIV to baby before, during & after birth

- slow the disease
- support immune system
- help live a longer, healthier life
- prevent giving the virus to others

- Health care professional takes a blood, urine or oral sample
- You can even wait for your confidential results

- Abstinence ( no sex)
- Having sex with only one partner who’s not having sex with others, has been tested & you know for sure is not infected
- Consistent & correct use of a condom every time you have sex
- Never sharing needles or drug equipment

Infection from HIV is totally preventable if everyone gets the facts & gets tested, it would be a good start to preventing the spread of HIV. Ask your doctor for an HIV test.

Remember to adopt a top-down approach.