AIDS Flashcards

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1
Q

HIV

A

Human immunodeficiency virus.

A virus that destroys human immune cells, thus bringing about a severe weakening of the immune system.

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2
Q

AIDS

A

Acquired immune deficiency syndrome.
A collection of illnesses that occur in the late stages of HIV infection, when the patient’s immune system has been severely weakened by the virus.

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3
Q

3 Classes of factors that affect the individual’s risk of HIV infection:

A
  • Biological
  • Sexual Behaviour
  • Socio-economic
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4
Q

4 Biological factors affecting HIV infection risk

A
  • Infection with other STDs
  • Women are at higher risk of HIV transmission
  • Circumcised men are at lower risk
  • Genetic factors can influence susceptibility
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5
Q

3 Reasons for gender inequality being a significant driving factor in HIV spread. (Gender inequality falls within the Sexual behaviour class)

A
  • Limited employment opportunities for women, means that many women are forced to rely on transactional sex as basic survival strategy.
  • Many women are financially dependent of their male partners.
  • Gender power imbalances make it difficult for women to confront partners.
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6
Q

Why is high levels of partner concurrency a promoting factor in HIV spreading.

A
  • Individuals infected with HIV are most infectious during the first few weeks of infection.
  • A person who acquires HIV from one partner is likely to transmit the virus to another partner quickly.
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7
Q

How did HIV prevalence compare between level of education in the early stages of the epidemic?

A

HIV prevalence levels were higher in more educated individuals than in less educated individuals, explained by people with higher socio-economic status finding it easier to attract partners.

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8
Q

How does HIV prevalence compare between level of education in recent studies?

A

They find that the risk of HIV is higher in less educated individuals. This could be due to relatively more HIV/AIDS awareness programmes in recent years.

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9
Q

How does HIV prevalence compare between urban and rural areas?

A

HIV prevalence tends to be higher in urban areas than in rural areas:

  • partly due to greater opportunities for sexual networking in urban areas.
  • the epidemic has typically started in urban areas and gradually filtered through to rural areas.
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10
Q

Symptoms following initial HIV infection

A
  • glandular fever-like symptoms that last for a few weeks.
  • This is the ‘window period’, in which an individual will test negative for HIV on antibody tests.
  • Following initial symptoms, the individual enters a prolonged asymptomatic phase, typically lasting 4 to 6 years.
  • Intermittent symptoms follow - such as weight loss, diarrhoea and oral infections.
  • Finally, when the immune system has been severely weakened by the HIV infection, individuals experience a variety of opportunistic infections.
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11
Q

When does an individual start testing positive for HIV on antibody tests?

A

Typically 3 to 4 weeks after infection, after the individual has seroconverted.

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12
Q

Seroconversion

A

Development of antibodies in blood serum as a result of infection or immunisation.

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13
Q

Median time from infection to death from HIV/AIDS

A

between 9 and 11 years, in the absence of antiretroviral treatment.

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14
Q

Stages 1 and 2 of the WHO clinical stages.

A

Defined in terms of minor symptoms, such as swollen glands and skin rashes.

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15
Q

Stage 3 of the WHO clinical stages

A

Defined in terms of symptoms such as weight loss, oral infections and diarrhoea.

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16
Q

Stage 4 of the WHO clinical stages

A

Equivalent to AIDS.

17
Q

How are individuals classified by the WHO clinical stages

A

In terms of the most severe symptoms they have experienced up to the current time. (An individual cannot go from stage 3 back to stage 1)

18
Q

Survival rate differences concerning ages.

A
  • Individuals at young ages tend to survive for longer than individuals infected at older ages.
  • Yet, children who are infected at or before birth experience very high AIDS mortality during the first year of life, as their immune systems don’t have a chance to establish.
19
Q

How effective is treatment for HIV?

A
  • Antiretroviral drugs can limit the replication of the virus and thus bring about a reduction in the HIV viral load and a restoration of the immune system.
  • HAART regimens have been shown to reduce mortality rates by between 70% and 90%.
  • Individuals who start treatment earlier are more likely to benefit
20
Q

3 regimens of HIV treatment

A
  • monotherapy
  • dual therapy
  • highly active antiretroviral treatment (HAART)
21
Q

Strategies for preventing HIV

A
  • HIV prevention programmes need to begin with information and education campaigns to build awareness around HIV and its consequences
  • Voluntary counselling and testing to inform individuals of their HIV status
  • Improved treatment of STDs.
  • Prevention of mother-to-child transmission
  • Use of HAART by HIV-positive individuals
  • Use of antiretroviral drugs by HIV-negative individuals.
22
Q

How is the risk of mother-to-child HIV transmission reduced?

A
  • Provision of antiretroviral drugs to the mother and infant before and after birth, and through counselling on infant feeding options.
23
Q

How does the use of HAART aid prevention?

A

HAART reduces the concentration of HIV in the body to very low levels, thereby reducing the infectiousness of HIV-positive individuals.
- Recent studies showed that HIV-positive individuals receiving HAART were 96% less likely to transmit HIV to their sexual partners.