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 HIV and AIDS
HIV stands for Human Immunodeficiency Virus.
It affects us – HUMANS, meaning people, you and me.
It does not affect the blackbirds you see flying,
Or the monkeys (they have SIV – Simian Immunodeficiency Virus) wherever they
may be.
And certainly not the dogs (you get rabies from them instead) HIV causes a deficiency to our immune system. It makes our immune system weak in such a way that we can not fight off other diseases.
And it is a Virus – a kind of germ. You may have heard of bacteria, fungi, protozoa – these are all germs that may cause diseases. HIV is simply a Virus.
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How about AIDS?
AIDS means Acquired Immune Deficiency Virus.
When you say Acquired – you get it from somebody else, from another person.
AIDS is NOT hereditary – when people say you inherit AIDS – THAT is NOT true.
You inherit wealth or debts, but NOT AIDS.
With AIDS, you get it from another person.
Immune Deficiency. Again, a deficiency to our immune system. A person’s immune system
is destroyed such that when the people around you have illnesses (like flu, tuberculosis,
pneumonia, etc), a person with a deficient immune system can EASILY get these
other diseases.
Syndrome means a set of signs and symptoms.
HIV is the virus that causes AIDS. HIV destroys a person’s immune system such that he or she EASILY
gets other diseases, and with a destroyed immune system, that person will have a hard time getting over an illness.
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HIV Infection and AIDS
HIV Infection is when a person has HIV, and has no other disease (as a result of lowered immune system)
AIDS is when a person has HIV, and at the same time has other diseases because his/her immune system is low. Remember, HIV attacks the immune system such that when a person has a lowered immune system he can easily get other diseases.
There are several factors influencing the progress of HIV Infection to AIDS stage, namely: adequate nutrition and rest, lifestyle (stress, smoking, and drinking will further “lower” the immune system), and access to medicines which does not kill HIV but slows down the multiplication of the virus in the body.
Imagine Magic Johnson who has come out in the open that he is HIV positive during a test in 1991. Up to now, he is on the HIV infection stage. His condition has not progressed to AIDS stage. Why? Because he takes good care of himself, and he takes medication that does not kill the virus but slows down its reproduction in the body.
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The Immune System
Let me give you an example of how the immune system works.
Have you had colds before? Aaaaahhhhhh….chuuuuuu……… You keep on sneezing. Your
eyes become red. Your nose runs (oooppppssss… better catch it…smile).
Now, colds is caused by the “colds virus”. When the colds virus enters your body, you get colds,
and exhibit the signs and symptoms of colds.
Your body will produce colds virus ANTIBODIES to fight the colds virus. Antibodies are like
soldiers that fight the enemy – in this case the colds virus
How about sore eyes? Have you had sore eyes before? Your eyes get red, itchy, and
produce a lot of secretions, and these secretions dry up and become mote (gross!).
It’s a tropical disease, but I think (and hope) you get the picture.
Sore eyes can be caused by bacteria, or a virus. Let us say that I got sore eyes caused by a virus. The sore eyes virus entered my body, and now I have sore eyes.
My body will produce sore eyes virus ANTIBODIES to fight the sore eyes virus. Again,
Antibodies are like soldiers that fight the enemy – in this case the sore eyes virus.
Now, we go to HIV. HIV is a virus (just like colds virus and sore eyes virus). When it enters the
body, it causes HIV Infection. HIV destroys the immune system. It makes the immune
system weak (nothing else!) – immune deficiency - such that, when there are people
around with other diseases, a person with HIV infection easily gets these other diseases.
Does the body produce HIV antibodies? ……….YES………….
HIV destroys the immune system such that the body produces HIV antibodies but these
antibodies are useless – these antibodies can NOT fight off HIV.
The body produces HIV antibodies. These HIV antibodies are found in the blood. These HIV
antibodies are the ones detected during an “HIV antibody test”.
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HIV Antibody Test
When HIV enters the body, the body produces HIV antibodies. The body produces HIV
antibodies as early as three weeks after HIV has entered the body. Some people
produce HIV antibodies early, some people produce HIV antibodies late (like after two
months).
To standardize the time frame on HIV antibody tests, it is recommended that a person undergo
an HIV antibody test THREE months (or more) after a suspicion of getting HIV.
For example, if a person suspects to have gotten HIV on Valentine’s Day February 14, 2005,
he/she needs to count THREE months after Valentine’s Day to undergo an HIV antibody
test – which is on May 14, 2005 (or after).
The result of the test will reflect only what happened on February 14, 2005, or what happened
before February 14, 2005.
If a person gets a positive result during an HIV antibody test, it means that HIV has entered the
body (that is why the body is producing HIV antibodies).
If a person gets a negative result during an HIV antibody test, it means that no HIV antibodies
were detected.
It is important that the THREE MONTH RULE is followed to ensure a TRUE positive or a
TRUE negative result.
In UNMIK, we have HIV antibody tests available and conducted by trained personnel. We call this VCCT – or Voluntary and Confidential Counseling and Testing. The whole process takes about 20 to 30 minutes. A person undergoes pre-test counseling (meaning before the test, to prepare the person for the test), the test itself, and post test counseling (meaning after the test, to inform the person of the test result, and counsel as necessary). Just a prick on the finger, and that’s it. No big syringes or big needles to scare you.
Remember that the whole process is kept confidential. We do not get your name. We list for statistical purposes your country of origin and if you are civilian or in the uniformed service.
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HIV Transmission and Prevention
For HIV to be successfully transmitted from one person to another, it (HIV) has to exit from the person with HIV (source person), be in body fluids with a high amount of HIV (medium for transfer) - blood, semen, vaginal secretions, breastmilk -, and it has to enter the bloodstream of another person. HIV can enter the body through open wounds on the skin and mucous membranes (inside/lining of mouth, inside/lining of vagina, inside/lining the “hole” at the tip of the penis, inside/lining of the anus, and eyes).
Below is a table showing the different ways that HIV is transmitted, and corresponding prevention of transmission
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| Story of the red ribbon |
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“The Ribbon Project was created in 1991 by the Visual AIDS Artists Caucus, a group of artists who wished to create a visual symbol to demonstrate compassion for people living with AIDS and their caregivers. Inspired by the yellow ribbons honoring American soldiers serving in the Gulf war, the color red was chosen for its, ‘connection to blood and the idea of passion — not only anger, but love, like a valentine.’ First worn publicly by Jeremy Irons at the 1991 Tony Awards, the ribbon soon became renowned as an international symbol of AIDS awareness, becoming a politically correct fashion accessory on the lapels of celebrities. While this has caused concern to many activists, who worry that its meaning has become trivialized, as well as denigrated by the proliferation of ‘kitsch’ ribbon objects, the Red Ribbon continues to be a powerful force in the fight to increase public awareness of HIV/AIDS and in the lobbying efforts to increase funding for AIDS services and research.”
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