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World AIDS Day

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Learning objectives

What is HIV?

What is AIDS?

How is HIV spread?

What is World AIDS day?

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HIV – what is it exactly?

HIV stands for Human Immunodeficiency Virus.

HIV eventually, inevitably, leads to AIDS.

HIV is a virus that attacks and weakens the body’s immune system. The immune system is a group of cells and organs that protect the body by fighting off illness and infection.

A person who has been tested and found to have HIV is called HIV+ or HIV positive.

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AIDS – what is it exactly?

‘AIDS’ stands for Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome.

AIDS occurs when HIV has severely damaged the immune system. When AIDS sets in, the body stops being able to fight off illnesses.

People with AIDS become very thin as they lose their appetites and their bodies have trouble processing food. They are prone to catching many minor and major illnesses, such as colds, flu, pneumonia and cancer.At this stage a person’s life expectancy is short.

Do you know what ‘AIDS’ stands for?

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How is HIV spread?

The HIV virus is present in:

HIV can be spread from one person to another through:

sexual fluids like semen breast milkblood

unprotected sexual or anal intercourseunprotected oral sexcontact with blood, e.g. when sharing needles in drug usebreastfeeding.

If sexual activity is ‘unprotected’, it means that no condom or any other barrier protection is used.

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How is HIV spread?

HIV/AIDS CANNOT be spread by:

kissingsharing food or drinkssharing a toothbrushhuggingsharing crockerysitting on a toilet seat that has been sat on by someone infected with the virusdonating bloodinsect bites.

The virus is also unable to pass through the latex or polypropylene material of a condom.

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How is HIV spread?

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World AIDS Day

The red ribbon is worn as a sign of support for people living with HIV and is designed to raise awareness of the problem.

The artists who designed the symbol knew that it was important to have a simple, distinctive and non-copyrighted image so that it would be as effective and easily recognizable as possible.

Although it was originally designed in 1991 in New York to show support for people living with HIV/AIDS in the USA, it has become an international symbol of AIDS awareness since then.