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HIV & AIDS

HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus) affects the immune system. The immune system is important because it helps the body to fight off diseases. Once the immune system has broken down to a certain point due to HIV, a person is no longer able to fight off diseases. This is when life-threatening diseases such as pneumonia and cancer can occur.

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HIV & AIDS

HIV

HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus)

The immune system is important because it helps the body to fight off diseases. HIV can be transmitted through blood-to-blood contact and sexual activity (including the exchange of sexual fluids) as well as through breast milk or during childbirth.

At risk bodily fluids include:

  • Semen
  • Vaginal fluids
  • Menstrual fluids
  • Blood
  • Breast milk

AIDS (Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome)

Once the immune system has broken down to a certain point due to HIV a person is no longer able to fight off diseases. This is when life-threatening diseases such as pneumonia and cancer can occur. At this point a person is considered to have developed AIDS (Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome). AIDS is not a disease or transmissible to others.


HIV infection - risk related behaviours

Higher risk behaviours

  • Sexual intercourse without a condom, including anal and vaginal intercourse
  • Incorrect use of a condom during sexual intercourse
  • Sharing drug injecting equipment, such as needles, syringes, spoons

Lower risk behaviours

  • Unprotected oral sexual intercourse
  • Receiving a blood transfusion
  • Needlestick injury 
  • Using a condom properly during sexual intercourse so that no blood, semen or vaginal fluid is passed between partners
  • Sharing razors or toothbrushes
  • Tattooing and body piercing with unsterile equipment and/or poor infection control procedures
  • Rituals such as blood brothers 

No risk behaviours

  • Abstaining from sexual intercourse
  • Donating blood
  • Having a mutual monogamous relationship with an uninfected partner
  • Kissing
  • Mosquito or insect bites
  • A person who has HIV coughing or sneezing near you
  • Acupuncture with sterilised equipment
  • Living with a person who has HIV
  • Masturbation (not using a partner’s sexual fluid)
  • Hugging
  • French kissing/tongue kissing
  • Sharing eating and drinking implements
  • Love bites
  • Using the same toilet seats
  • Swimming in public swimming pools or spas
  • Going to school with a person who has HIV
  • Working with a person who has HIV


HIV effects on the immune system

(The following images are used in lesson plan 2.6 Avoiding BBV role play)

The body’s immune system is the main defence against invaders such as bacteria and viruses.

White blood cell

Fighter cells – patrolling germ-killing police (white blood cells)

  • Lymphocytes are white blood cells. The body produces many different types of white blood cells called T and B cells. T and B cells work together to combat bacteria and viruses.

 

Helper T-cell

Helper T-cell – the judge that identifies germs and orders their destruction

  • One type of T cell, known as a helper T-cell (or CD4), helps B cells make antibodies. Antibodies move freely in the blood, ready to combat invading organisms. These T cells produce chemicals which help other cells involved in the immune response.

 

Fighter T-cell

Killer T-cell – kills germs

  • Another type of T cell is known as a suppressor cell. Once the infection is under control, suppressor cells cause helper T cells to stop making their chemicals. A healthy person has twice as many helper T cells as suppressor cells.
  • People with AIDS have many more suppressor cells than helper T cells, thereby weakening their whole immune system and making them vulnerable to common everyday infections. A normal immune system (or CD4) count is approximately 1200, a person who has AIDS has a CD4 count of 200 or less. This is an indicator of how well their immune system is doing and how capable it is of fighting off infection.

Treatment for HIV

There are a range of treatments available to minimise the impact of HIV on someone who is HIV positive. More information can be found at the WA Health - Public Health website.

What are anti-retrovirals?

When HIV infects a cell in a person's body, it copies its own genetic code into the cell's DNA. In this way, the cell is then 'programmed' to create new copies of HIV.

The purpose of anti-retroviral treatment is to slow down or stop the HIV reproducing. The ultimate goal is to make a person's viral load as low as possible, even undetectable, so that the immune system has a chance to recover. Anti-retroviral treatments interfere with the ability for HIV to replicate (or reproduce) itself.

There are different classes of HIV anti-retroviral drugs, and each work in a different way. Currently there are 6 classes of drugs available, which target each stage of the HIV replication process.

The best way to fight HIV is a combination of drugs that attack the virus at each point of its replication cycle. Anti-retrovirals and the way they are used have become much more effective over time. While there are guidelines which recommend when to commence treatment, the decision to begin treatment is very personal. Most HIV positive people will go on treatment at some stage, usually before significant damage is done to their immune system, however, not all HIV positive people may be able to use these treatments as they can have severe side effects.

Side effects

Individuals experience side effects from HIV treatments in different ways, and these should be monitored in conjunction with a health professional.

Not all people who go on treatments will experience side effects, and for others the effects may only be mild. Some common side effects include:

  • Diarrhoea
  • Nausea
  • Vomiting
  • Dizziness and headaches
  • Increased blood sugar levels, which can cause a type of diabetes
  • Nerve damage to fingers and toes, known as 'peripheral neuropathy'

These treatments, which have a large number of short and long-term side effects, have to be taken as part of a strict regime of sometimes up to 15 or more tablets a day, and do not work for everyone. There is a lot of research into the development of a vaccine for HIV; however, this is many years away, if at all. There have been hopeful signs, but no successful trials to date.

Source: 

US Health Department information on HIV

Relevant GDHR learning activities

Early Childhood (years K-3)

Middle Childhood (years 4-7)

Early Adolescence (years 8-10)

Resources

Illustrations

Video

Links for more information on HIV

Frequently asked questions