HIV/AIDS Flashcards
HIV/AIDS stands for
the Human Immunodeficiency Virus and Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome
HIV causes
AIDS
it lives in
the blood, semen (ik sammy is having a field day with all these topics), vaginal secretions and saliva of an infected person
what does it do
attacks the body’s immune system, it is easier to get really sick and even die from infections that your body could normally fight off (all of that just to say you can get sick and won’t get better?)
causes of HIV (shut up samantha)
- sexual intercourse (anal, vaginal or oral) with an infected person
- injection with an infected needle
- blood transfusion with contaminated blood
- breast feeding from mother to child (breast milk)
- during pregnancy from mother to child
Consequences
deaths resulting from HIV/AIDS represents a wastage of life and human potential
the social factor- children whose parents die from HIV/AIDS may become orphans raised by the extended family or forced to live on the streets creating other social problems
another social factor- HIV/AIDS patients may be ostracized by family, friends or society leading to social exclusion and creating mental issues for them
additional consequences
extraordinary burden on the public health care system to treat with patients, this represents money that could have been assigned to alternative uses- education, society
decrease in productivity as infected persons are incapable of performing efficiently at the workplace, may need frequent time off for medical care
affects economic growth of a country as patients may be unstable to work, reducing the taxable population
solutions
practise SAFE sex (you hear that)
fund regular educational media campaigns and school visits by health care professionals to heighten awareness of its threats
limit sexual activity to ONE AIDS-free partner
parents can use antiretroviral drugs(… really…drugs). this drug is called antiretroviral Therapy (ART)
what is ART
a collection of medicines and has to be take on schedule
can ART cure HIV
at this time it cannot, but it allows patients to live longer healthier lives
