HIV belongs to a class of retroviruses that causes AIDS by crippling the immune system. This leaves the body vulnerable to infections and cancers. HIV does not directly kill, but makes the body defenseless against other pathogens. The virus attacks and enters CD4 cells of the immune system, using them to replicate without detection. This damages the immune system over time, progressing from an initial infection stage through asymptomatic and symptomatic periods, until AIDS develops and illness becomes severe. There is a window period where infection is not detectable by blood tests, requiring waiting several months for accurate results.

1. HIV/AIDS
Presentation

2. Concepts of HIV/AIDS
• HIV belongs to a special class of viruses called retroviruses.
• AIDS (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome) is a deadly disease caused by
disease caused by a virus. The AIDS virus cripples the immune system. A
person with AIDS is vulnerable to infections and certain kinds of cancer that
take advantage of the body’s lowered ability to fight back. AIDS does not kill
directly. Rather, the AIDS virus makes its victims defenceless against other
infections that kill them.

3. Antibodies in the immune
• Inside our bodies there is an amazing protection mechanism called the
immune system. It is designed to defend us against millions of bacteria,
microbes, viruses, toxins and parasites that try to invade our bodies. To
understand the power of the immune system, all that we have to do is look at
what happens to anything once it dies. That sounds unpleasant, but it does
illustrate something very important about our immune system.

4. How the Hiv Virus attacks the immune system
• It attacks the CD4 cells or generals of the immune system directly,
Which means the immune system is defenceless.
• The antibodies that are formed during this process to try and fight off
the enemy are completely powerless against HIV because the HI
viruses hide in the CD4 cells relatively undetectable.
• The HI viruses now use the mechanism of the CD4 cell to
manufacture copies of themselves,or replicate them.

5. The Stages of HIV/AIDS
• Stage1 Primary HIV infection- After infection you usually experience a short
flu-like illness also called seroconversion. The first stage usually last up to a
few weeks.
• Stage2 Asymptomic stage- During this stage you are infected,but still
healthy and relatively free of symptoms.
• Stage3 Symptomatic stage- in this stage you are considered with cronic
illness, You experice weight loss(less the 10% body weight),Unexplained
prolonged fever, drenching night sweats and many more.
• Stage4 Progression Of HIV to AIDS- During this stage your immune system
gets more and more damaged and illness became more severe.

6. The concept of the Window Period/Elisa test
• This period of time during which the paitient is infected with the HI
virus,but blood test (Elisa test) show the patient as seronegative or
not infected with the virus. This is know as a false negative.
• One may have to wait for 6months or longer before one can feel
certain that the HIV/AIDS test results are absolutely accurate.
• The Window period ELISA tests are very rarely false negative.
• This window period has serious implications for treatment and spread
of HIV/AIDS.

7. Babies born to HIV/AIDS mothers
• Babies whose mothers have HIV but who are not HIV-infected
themselves, are born with lower levels of specific proteins in
their blood called antibodies, which fight infection, compared
with babies not exposed to HIV.
• HIV-uninfected infants born to HIV-infected mothers in Africa are
more prone to infections such as pneumonia and meningitis,
and up to four times more likely to die before their first birthday,
compared with babies born to HIV-negative women.
• It's likely that lower antibody levels in these babies contributes
to lower protection against infection before the babies have
received their vaccines.

8. The effects Of HIV infection
• The proportion of time off work increased soon after seroconversion and
reached very high levels in the year before death.
• This paper quantifies the timing and effect of HIV/AIDS on labour supply
increased time off work and demand for health services increased medical
absence.
• The impact of the HIV/AIDS epidemic on workers, industry, economies and
society is substantial, since HIV affects individuals in their productive
working years of life.
• People who get tested for HIV and learn that they are infected can
make significant behavior changes to improve their health and
reduce the risk of transmitting HIV to their sex or drug-using
partners.

9. Surviving With Aids and Cost of Drugs (ARV)
• South Africa is providing antiretroviral (ARV) drugs for HIV/AIDS
free of charge in order to increase access for poorer patients
and promote adherence.
• Non-drug costs of obtaining treatment may limit access.
• Ninety-one per cent of subjects paid for transport to attend the
clinic. The median cost was modest (R10 - R28), but patients in
the top decile at sites 1 and 3 paid R50 or more.
• Patients must visit a treatment clinic at least 6 times in the year
in which they start ART. The average cost per visit is R120, plus
travel and waiting time.

10. Implication of HIV Teasting for an individual
• Pre-test counselling must be given before HIV testing, to enable
people to make an informed choice about whether to take the test.
• Post-test counselling should be provided after the test result is
known, whether the result is positive or negative.
• Informed consent means that a person agrees to be tested and has
a clear understanding of what the test involves, the advantages and
disadvantages of testing, and the implications of a positive or a
negative result.
• Confidentiality means that information about a person is not passed
on to anyone else without that person's permission. Counselling,
testing and test results must be confidential.