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What is HIV and AIDS? HIV stands for human immunodeficiency virus. It is the virus that can lead to acquired immunodeficiency syndrome or AIDS if not treated. HIV attacks the body's immune system, specifically the CD4 cells, otherwise known as T cells, which help the immune system fight off infections. Unlike some other viruses, the human body can't get rid of HIV completely, even with treatment. So once you get HIV, you have it for life. Untreated, HIV reduces the number of CD4 cells in the body, making the person more likely to get other infections or infection-related cancers. Over time, HIV can destroy so many of these cells that the body can't fight off infections and disease. These opportunistic infections or cancers take advantage of a very weak immune system and signal that the person has AIDS, the last stage of HIV infection. The most advanced stage of HIV infection is Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome, which can take from two to 15 years to develop depending on the individual. AIDS is defined by the development of certain cancers, infections, or other severe clinical manifestations. Scientists identified a type of chimpanzee in Central Africa as the source of HIV infection in humans. So who's at risk? Behaviors and conditions that put individuals at greater risk of contracting HIV include having unprotected anal or vaginal sex, having another sexually transmitted infection such as syphilis, herpes, chlamydia, gonorrhea and bacterial vaginosis, sharing contaminated needles, syringes and other injecting equipment and drug solutions when injecting drugs, receiving unsafe injections, blood transfusions, tissue transplantation, medical procedures that involve unsterile cutting or piercing, and experiencing accidental needle-stick injuries, including among health workers. At the end of 2015, an estimated 1.1 million persons aged 13 and older were living with HIV infection in the United States, including an estimated 162,500 persons whose infections had not been diagnosed. In 2016, the number of new HIV diagnoses in the United States was 39,782. And there were 32,131 diagnoses among adult and adolescent males 13 years and older, roughly 7,500 among adult and adolescent females, and 122 among children younger than 13. In 2016, 1.8 million new cases of HIV were discovered worldwide. 36.7 million people were living with HIV. 19.5 million of them were receiving medicines to treat HIV called antiretroviral therapy, and one million people died from AIDS related to this illness. Sub-Saharan Africa bears the heaviest burden of HIV and AIDS worldwide, for a total of 64% of all new HIV infections. Other regions significantly affected by HIV and AIDS include Asia and the Pacific, Latin America and the Caribbean, including Eastern Europe and Central Asia. So how is HIV and AIDS transmitted? Let's take a look at sexual behaviors. Sexual behaviors including anal or vaginal sex with someone who has HIV without using a condom or taking medicines to prevent or treat HIV is a very high risk. For the HIV-negative partner, receptive anal sex is the highest-risk sexual behavior, but you can also get HIV from insertive anal sex. Either partner can get HIV through vaginal sex, though it is less risky for getting HIV than receptive anal sex. Needle or syringe use, which is sharing needles or syringes, rinse water, or other equipment used to prepare drugs for injection with someone who has HIV, is also a very high risk. HIV can live in a used needle up to 42 days depending on temperature and other factors. The following body fluids from a person who has HIV can only transmit HIV: blood, semen, pre-seminal fluid, rectal fluids, vaginal fluids, or breast milk. These fluids must come in contact with a mucous membrane or damaged tissue, or be directly injected into the bloodstream from a needle or syringe for transmission to occur. Mucous membranes are found inside the rectum, vagina, penis and mouth. These mucous membranes also offer routes for transmission. Less common ways that HIV may be spread include from mother to child during pregnancy, birth or breastfeeding, and some needle-stick injuries. In extremely rare cases, HIV has been transmitted by oral sex, receiving blood transfusions, blood products, organ/tissue transplants that are contaminated with HIV, eating food that has been pre-chewed by an HIV-infected person. Known cases usually were among infants. Being bitten by a person with HIV, contact between broken skin, wounds or mucous membranes and HIV-infected blood or blood-contaminated body fluids, and deep open-mouth kissing if both partners have sores or bleeding gums and blood from the HIV-positive partner gets into the bloodstream of the HIV-negative partner. Now let's take a look at HIV/AIDS incubation periods. The approximate average is 10 years. About 40% to 90% of people have flu-like symptoms within two to four weeks after HIV infection. Other people do not feel sick at all during this stage, which is also known as acute HIV infection. Early infection is defined as HIV infection in the past six months, and includes acute infections. Flu-like symptoms can include fever, chills, rash, night sweats, muscle aches, sore throat, fatigue, swollen lymph nodes and mouth ulcers. These symptoms can last anywhere from a few days to several weeks, and during this time HIV infection may not show up on some types of HIV tests. But people who have it are highly infectious and can spread the infection to others. Period of communicability. All antibody-positive people carry the HIV virus. Infectiousness is presumed to be lifelong, although successful therapy with combination antiretroviral therapy can lower the viral load in blood and semen to undetectable levels. Treatment can slow or prevent progression from one stage to the next. And it can also dramatically reduce the chance of transmitting HIV to someone else.
In this lesson, we're going to look at more details and facts about HIV and AIDS than you may have thought even existed. We'll look more closely at what these acronyms actually refer to, who is most at risk, some HIV and AIDS statistics, how the disease is transmitted, signs and symptoms, and the period of communicability.
What is HIV and AIDS?
HIV stands for human immunodeficiency virus. The virus can lead to acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) if not properly treated.
HIV attacks the body's immune system, specifically the CD4 cells (also known as T cells) which help the immune system fight off the infection.
Warning: Unlike other viruses, the human body cannot completely rid itself of HIV, even with treatment. Once you get it, you have it for life.
When untreated, HIV reduces the number of T cells in the body, making it more likely that the person infected will get other infections or infection-related cancers. Over time, HIV can destroy so many cells that the body cannot fight off future infections and diseases.
Opportunistic infections or cancers then take advantage of a very weakened immune system and signal that the person has AIDS – the last and most advanced stage of HIV infection. It can take from two to 15 years to develop depending on the individual.
AIDS is actually defined by the development of certain cancers or infections or other severe clinical manifestations.
Who is Most at Risk of Contracting HIV or AIDS?
There are a number of behaviors and conditions that put an individual at a greater risk of contracting HIV and these include:
- Unprotected anal and vaginal sex
- Having another sexually transmitted infection such as syphilis, herpes, chlamydia, gonorrhea, and bacterial vaginosis
- Sharing contaminated needles, syringes, and other injecting equipment and drug solutions when injecting drugs
- Receiving unsafe injections, blood transfusions, tissue transplantation, and medical procedures that involve unsterile cutting or piercing
HIV and AIDS Statistics
At the end of 2015, it's estimated that 1.1 million people aged 13 or older were living with HIV infection in the U.S., including an estimated 162,500 people (around 15 percent) whose infection had not been diagnosed. See stats from 2018.
Some statistics for 2016 include:
- The number of new HIV diagnoses in the U.S. was 39,782
• 32,131 diagnoses among adult and adolescent males aged 13 or older
• 7529 diagnoses among adult and adolescent females
• 122 diagnoses among children younger than 13 years old - There were 1.8 million new cases of HIV discovered worldwide
- There were 36.7 million people living with HIV worldwide
- There were 19.5 million people receiving medications to treat HIV, known as antiretroviral therapy (ART)
- There were one million deaths from AIDS-related illnesses
Sub-Saharan Africa bears the heaviest burden of HIV and AIDS cases worldwide, with around 64 percent of all new HIV infections. Other regions significantly affected include:
- Asia and the Pacific
- Latin America and the Caribbean
- Eastern Europe and Central Asia
How is HIV Transmitted?
HIV is mostly transmitted through sexual behaviors and needle or syringe use, though as you'll soon see, there are a few other less common modes of transmission.
Transmission via Sexual Behaviors
Transmission through sexual activities includes:
- Having anal or vaginal sex with someone who has HIV without using a condom or taking medications to prevent HIV
- For the HIV negative partner, receptive anal sex (bottoming) is the highest risk behavior, but you can also get HIV from insertive anal sex (topping)
Pro Tip #1: Either partner can get HIV through vaginal sex, though it's less risky than receptive anal sex.
Transmission via Needle or Syringe Use
Transmission through needle or syringe use is most commonly seen with people sharing needles/syringes, rinse water, or other equipment used to prepare drugs for injection with someone who has HIV.
Pro Tip #2: HIV can live in a used needle or syringe for up to 42 days depending on the temperature and other factors.
Transmission via Bodily Fluids
Only certain body fluids from an infected person can transmit HIV, such as:
- Blood
- Semen
- Pre-seminal fluid
- Rectal fluids
- Vaginal fluids
- Breast milk
These fluids must come in contact with mucous membranes or damaged tissue or be directly injected into the bloodstream from a needle or syringe for transmission to occur.
Mucous membranes can be found, as you already have learned, in the mouth, ears, nose, and eyes, but also inside the rectum, vagina, and penis. These various mucous membranes also offer routes of transmission.
Transmission via Less Common Modes
HIV can be spread less commonly from mother to child during pregnancy, birth, or breastfeeding, and also through needle stick injuries.
In extremely rare cases, HIV has been transmitted by:
- Oral sex
- Receiving blood transfusion, blood products, or organ or tissue transplants that have been contaminated with HIV
- Eating food that has been pre-chewed by an HIV infected person, usually among infants
- Being bitten by a person with HIV
- Contact between broken skin, wounds, or mucous membranes and HIV infected blood or body fluids contaminated with blood
- Deep open mouth kissing if both people have sores or bleeding gums and blood from the HIV-positive partner gets into the bloodstream of the HIV-negative partner
Pro Tip #3: The average HIV/AIDS incubation period is 10 years!
Signs and Symptoms of HIV and AIDS
About 40 to 90 percent of those infected have flu-like symptoms within two to four weeks after becoming infected. While other people don't feel sick at all during this stage, which is also known as acute HIV infection.
These flu-like symptoms can include:
- Fever
- Chills
- Rash
- Night sweats
- Muscle aches
- Sore throat
- Fatigue
- Swollen lymph nodes
- Mouth ulcers
These symptoms can last anywhere from a few days to several weeks.
Warning: During this time, HIV infection may not show up on some types of HIV tests, but people who have it are highly infectious and can spread the infection to others.
The Period of Communicability
Some things to keep in mind as it relates to communicability are:
- All antibody positive people carry the HIV virus
- Infectiousness is presumed to be lifelong, although successful treatment with combination antiretroviral therapy (cART) can lower the viral load in the blood and semen to undetectable levels
- Treatment can slow the progression from one stage to the next
- Treatment can also dramatically reduce the chance of transmitting HIV to someone else