Mackenzie Perkins
4/28/15
HIV Fact Sheet
- The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says that HIV stands for human immunodeficiency virus. It can lead to acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) = most advanced stage of HIV infection.
- The CDC says that unlike other viruses, the human body can’t get rid of HIV. Once you have HIV you will have it for life. HIV weakens your immune system by destroying important cells that fight disease and infection. Since it is a virus it can only reproduce itself by taking over a cell in the body of host.
- According to the CDC, scientists identified the source of HIV as coming from a type of chimpanzee in West Africa as far back as the 1800s.
- gov explains that certain body fluids like: blood, semen, pre-seminal fluid, rectal fluids, vaginal fluids, and breast milk, from an HIV-infected person can transmit HIV. These body fluids have to come into contact with a mucous membrane or damaged tissue or are directly injected into the bloodstream for transmission to happen.
- gov estimates that approximately 50,000 new HIV infections occur in the US every year.
- gov says that gay and bisexual men and men who have sex with men (MSM) of all races are the most severely affected by HIV.
- According to aids.gov, about 1.2 million people are living with HIV in the U.S., but 1 in 7 living with HIV are unaware of their infection
- gov says that 1 in 4 HIV infections is among youth ages 13-24. Most not aware they have HIV and are not getting treated
- nih.gov explains that the use of HIV medicines to treat HIV infection is called antiretroviral therapy (ART) = involves taking medicines everyday. It does not cure HIV but it helps those infected with it live longer.
- nih.gov says that soon after infection with HIV, people experience flu like symptoms: fever, headache, or a rash.
- It can take 10 years or more for HIV to advance to AIDS (aidsinfo.nih.gov)
- CDC says that once it progresses to AIDS symptoms include: rapid weight loss, fever, extreme tiredness, swelling of lymph nodes, diarrhea, sores on mouth, anus or genitals, red/pink blotches under skin or inside mouth, memory loss, depression, neurologic disorders.
- gov says there are 35 million people worldwide living with HIV/AIDS in 2013, with the vast majority living in low and middle-income countries particularly in Sub-Saharan Africa (24.7 million with HIV).
- gov said that of those 35mil. people, about 12.9 are receiving ART.
- The CDC says that other regions sig. affected include Asian and the Pacific, Latin America and the Caribbean, and Eastern Europe and central Asia.
- HIV epidemic may deepen poverty of most affected countries by decreasing growth rate of per capita income and by selectively impoverishing the individuals and families directly affected (un.org)
Resources
http://www.un.org/esa/population/publications/AIDSimpact/91_CHAP_VIII.pdf
http://aidsinfo.nih.gov/education-materials/fact-sheets/19/45/hiv-aids–the-basics
http://www.cdc.gov/globalaids/Global-HIV-AIDS-at-CDC/default.html
https://www.aids.gov/hiv-aids-basics/hiv-aids-101/global-statistics/index.html