Contents

Introduction

HIV

How is it spread

Prevention

Treatment

Symptoms

Advice for people infected

Conclusion

10

Bibliography

11

Introduction
The present work results of a research about HIV their origin,history,causes and other topics that
contain our work :
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.

History
Social Consequences
HIV and discrimination
HIV is NOT spread
HIV may be spread
HIV prevention methods
Preventing the sexual transmission of HIV
Preventing HIV transmission through blood
Treatment for HIV

HIV
2

HIV stands for human immunodeficiency virus the virus causes disease only in people,
immunodeficiency the immune system, which normally protects a person from disease,
become weak; HIV is a small organism that infects living things and uses them to make copies of
itself. HIV couses AIDS ( acquired immune deficiency syndrome).
HIV is a special kind of virus called a retrovirus, because of this its more difficult to treat. The
best way to stop the spread of viruses is to prevent people from getting infected in the first place.
You can stop the spread of viruses like measles by using vaccine.
History
There are two types of human immunodeficiency virus : HIV-1 and HIV-2, like sister and
brother, they have similarities and differences. HIV-1 is found in all parts of the woeds of the
world, HIV-2 is found mostly in West Africa. Since the spread of both viruses can be prevented
in the same ways, we will discuss HIV-1 and HIV-2 we will speak about tham together as HIV.
Scientists generally accept that the known strains (or groups) of HIV-1 are most closely related to
the simian immunodeficiency viruses (SIVs) endemic in wild ape populations of West Central
African forests. Particularly, each of the known HIV-1 strains is either closely related to the SIV
that infects the chimpanzee subspecies Pan troglodytes troglodytes (SIVcpz) or closely related to
the SIV that infects Western lowland gorillas (Gorilla gorilla gorilla), called SIVgor. scientists
calculate that the jump from chimpanzee to human probably happened during the late 19th or
early 20th century, a time of rapid urbanisation and colonisation in equatorial Africa. Exactly
when the zoonosis occurred is not known.

Social Consequences
3

The AIDS epidemic has often been associated with severe negative public reactions ranging from
banning entry of HIV infected individuals to isolating an individual in the family, deserting a
pregnant wife on knowing her HIV status in the hospital, or removing a person from his job, or
even denying a child admission in school. These negative reactions have shaped the behaviour of
infected
individuals and have limited the effectiveness of prevention efforts. AIDS also evokes anxiety
because of its association with death. People in AIDS group reported lower levels of social
support in response to bereavement, as compared to that in cancer group indicating the social
stigma attached.
HIV and discrimination
People who do not understand how HIV is spread may discriminate against people with HIV
that is, they may treat unfairly because they are afraid of getting the virus. Discrimination occurs
not only against people with HIV but also against groups of people that are more likely to have
HIV, such as sex workers, or are mistakenly thought to have HIV, such as foreigners. Teaching
people about the real ways that HIV is spread protects them from the virus and teaching people
about the ways that HIV is not spread protects everyone from unnecessary discrimination.
HIV is NOT spread by:

Air or water

Insects, including mosquitoes or ticks

Saliva, tears, or sweat

Casual contact, like shaking hands, hugging or sharing dishes/drinking glasses

Drinking fountains

Toilet seats
4

HIV may be spread by:

Being born to an infected mother. HIV can be passed from mother to child during
pregnancy, birth, or breastfeeding.

Being stuck with an HIV-contaminated needle or other sharp object. This is a risk mainly
for health care workers.

Receiving blood transfusions, blood products, or organ/tissue transplants that are

contaminated with HIV. This risk is extremely small because of rigorous testing of the US
blood supply and donated organs and tissues.

Eating food that has been pre-chewed by an HIV-infected person. The contamination
occurs when infected blood from a caregivers mouth mixes with food while chewing,
and is very rare.

Being bitten by a person with HIV. Each of the very small number of documented cases
has involved severe trauma with extensive tissue damage and the presence of blood.
There is no risk of transmission if the skin is not broken.

Oral sexusing the mouth to stimulate the penis, vagina, or anus (fellatio, cunnilingus,
and rimming). Giving fellatio (mouth to penis oral sex) and having the person ejaculate
(cum) in your mouth is riskier than other types of oral sex.

Contact between broken skin, wounds, or mucous membranes and HIV-infected blood or
blood-contaminated body fluids. These reports have also been extremely rare.

Deep, open-mouth kissing if the person with HIV has sores or bleeding gums and blood
is exchanged. HIV is not spread through saliva. Transmission through kissing alone is
extremely rare
5

HIV prevention methods

There are a number of ways to prevent and reduce the risk of HIV transmission.Knowing the
facts about HIV and being aware of your status (if you are HIV-positive or HIV-negative) makes
it easier to prevent HIV infection.

Preventing the sexual transmission of HIV

Condom use ( including female condoms)

Safer sex education

Treating sexually transmitted infections

Male circumcision.

Preventing HIV transmission through blood

Screening blood products

Reducing needle sharing

Stopping needlestick accidents.

Preventing mother-to-child transmission

There are a number of steps to preventing mother-to-child transmission of HIV:

Testing the mother for HIV at their first antenatal appointment, during their third
trimester and after delivery of their baby.

Treatment should be offered if the mother tests positive.

The baby should be tested when it is born and also offered treatment if positive.

Treatment for HIV

In 1987, a drug called AZT became the first approved treatment for HIV disease. Since then,
approximately 30 drugs have been approved to treat people living with HIV/AIDS, and more are
under development.
You may have heard these drugs called many different names, including:

"The Cocktail"

Antiretrovirals (ARVs)

Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy (HAART or ART)

There are currently five different "classes" of HIV drugs. Each class of drug attacks the virus at
different points in its life cycleso if you are taking HIV meds, you will generally take 3
different antiretroviral drugs from 2 different classes.
This regimen is standard for HIV careand its important. Thats because no drug can cure HIV,
and taking a single drug, by itself, wont stop HIV from harming you. Taking 3 different HIV
meds does the best job of controlling the amount of virus in your body and protecting your
immune system.
Taking more than one drug also protects you against HIV drug resistance. When HIV
reproduces, it can make copies of itself that are imperfectand these mutations may not respond
to the drugs you take to control your HIV. If you follow the 3-drug regimen, the HIV in your
body will be less likely to make new copies that dont respond to your HIV meds
The classes of anti-HIV drugs include:

Non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NNRTIs). NNRTIs disable a protein

needed by HIV to make copies of itself. Examples include efavirenz (Sustiva), etravirine
(Intelence) and nevirapine (Viramune).

Nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NRTIs). NRTIs are faulty versions of

building blocks that HIV needs to make copies of itself. Examples include Abacavir
(Ziagen), and the combination drugs emtricitabine and tenofovir (Truvada), and
lamivudine and zidovudine (Combivir).

Protease inhibitors (PIs). PIs disable protease, another protein that HIV needs to make
copies of itself. Examples include atazanavir (Reyataz), darunavir (Prezista),
fosamprenavir (Lexiva) and ritonavir (Norvir).

Entry or fusion inhibitors. These drugs block HIV's entry into CD4 cells. Examples
include enfuvirtide (Fuzeon) and maraviroc (Selzentry).

Integrase inhibitors. Raltegravir (Isentress) works by disabling integrase, a protein that

HIV uses to insert its genetic material into CD4 cells.

HIV/AIDS cure
AIDS is still a life-threatening disease for which there is no cure and no vaccine. New
medications are helping many people with HIV/AIDS live longer, healthier lives, but the
combination or cocktail treatments dont work for everyone. Theyre very expensive and often
cause serious side effects, including liver damage, increased risk of heart attack, a form of
osteoporosis, chronic diarrhea, rashes, fat redistribution, and high cholesterol. And because HIV
mutates constantly, the virus often develops resistance and the medications become ineffective.
The best defense is to use a condom.

HIV Symptoms
The symptoms of HIV vary, depending on the individual and what stage of the disease you are
in. For exemple :
Early Stage of HIV: Symptoms
Within 2-4 weeks after HIV infection, many, but not all, people experience flu-like symptoms,
often described as the worst flu ever. This is called acute retroviral syndrome (ARS) or
primary HIV infection, and its the bodys natural response to the HIV infection.
Symptoms can include:

Fever (this is the most common symptom)

Swollen glands

Sore throat

Rash

Fatigue

Muscle and joint aches and pains

Headache

These symptoms can last anywhere from a few days to several weeks. However, you should not
assume you have HIV if you have any of these symptoms. Each of these symptoms can be
caused by other illnesses. Conversely, not everyone who is infected with HIV develops ARS.
Many people who are infected with HIV do not have any symptoms at all for 10 years or more.
Advice for people infected
Being infected with HIV is no longer a death sentence. HIV is now looked on as a chronic
manageable condition. However, having HIV is no picnic, either. Like diabetes, it can cause
9

complications if not treated appropriately. The more you learn about HIV and how you can take
an active role in treating it, the more likely it is that you will remain healthy and free of
complications. To remain healthy will require your active participation.
It is important to see a doctor or a clinic that specializes in caring for persons with HIV. People
who are HIV positive can increase their chances of staying well if they have a healthy lifestyle eat nutritious foods, get plenty of sleep, exercise, reduce stress and avoid exposure to all
infectious

diseases.

Reduce the

amount

of alcohol,

tobacco or drugs

you

use.

The doctor can take regular blood tests to check your immune system so treatment can be started
as needed. There are various medications available that can keep you healthy longer. It is also
advised to have:

a tuberculosis (TB) test

a vaccine to prevent pneumonia (pneumovax)

a vaccine to prevent Hepatitis A and B

Conclusion
HIV is a special kind of virus called a retrovirus and it does not have cure. The easy way to get
infected is having sex without prevention and others, it can be prevented, there are a lot
prevention methods. You cannot rely on symptoms to know whether you have HIV. The only
way to know for sure if you are infected with HIV is to get tested. If you think you have recently
10

been exposed to HIVif you have had oral, vaginal or anal sex without a condom with a known
HIV positive person or a partner whose HIV status you do not know or shared needles to inject
drugsget an HIV test.

Bibliography
Cobb M. De Chabert JT. HIV/AIDS and care provider
attributions: AIDS Care 2002;
Bharat S, Aggleton P, Tyrer P. India: HIV and AIDS related
11

discrimination, stigmatization and denial, A report prepared

for UNAIDS, Geneva, Switzerland; 2001.

12