Back to STIs index

• What do the initials A.I.D.S stand for?
• Aquired Immunodefieciency Syndrome. What exactly is this condition?
• Why was it labeled aquired?
• Why has HIV/AIDS been called the 'silent' or 'first' epidemic
• When were the first cases identified in Africa?
• Why is AIDs now called a 'PANDEMIC' and not as earlier described, 'EPIDEMIC?'
• What are the new aspects of the disease that have since appeared?
• Is there a cure for the disease?
• How is AIDs transmitted form one person to the next
• What is the cause of the highest rate of HIV infections
• What is the best way of avoiding contracting AIDs?
• What are the other methods through which one can contract AIDS
• Can AIDS be transmitted by casual contact alone?
• In order to avoid contracting AIDS what are 'High Risk Behaviour' one should avoid?
• What are the symptoms when a person first becomes infected with HIV

What do the initials A.I.D.S stand for?
AIDs stands for acquired immunodefieciency syndrome. This term was used to describe a disease first recognised in 1981 as being something new.

Aquired Immunodefieciency Syndrome. What exactly is this condition?

AIDS is a condition whereby the human body lacks or has no defence against any form of infectious disease. A virus known as HIV, which stands for Human Immunodeficiency Virus causes AIDS. This virus attacks the immune system, which is the body's defence mechanism against illness.

Your immune system protects your body against foriegn germs and subsequent illnesses. It is made up of white blood cells. Some white blood cells are non-specific and can attack a range of diffferent germs. Other white blood cells recognise germs to which the body has been exposed in the past. These immune cells are called lymphocytes. Lymphocytes are devided into two different categories called B cells and T cells. HIV is able to affect some T cells because they have a protien called CD4 on their surface, which the virus uses to enter the cells and infect them. This is why these cells are referred to as CD4 lymphocytes. Once inside the CD4 lymphocytes, the HIV virus takes ove the cells and turns it into a virus factory. This process takes a couple of days and the end result is that the infected CD4 lymphocytes die. Even though the anitbodies are produced, they are not effective because the HIV viruses hide inside the CD4 cells.

A person inffected with HIV may look and feel well for many years and up to 90% of those infected are unaware of thier HIV status. As the persons immune system weakens, the become more vulnerable to diseases, which they would normally be able to fight off. It is important to note that once someone is infected, they can pass HIV on, even if they feel well.

Why was it labeled acquired?
The condition was called acquired because at that time it occurred in people who had not been born with immunodeficiency

Why has HIV/AIDs been called the 'silent' or 'first' epidemic?
Through the study of case history records and of stored frozen blood, it has been shown that the virus had been present earlier and was slowly spreading in various parts of the world in the late sixties and seventies.

When were the first cases identified in Africa?
After the recognition of the distinct cluster of the new disease in 1981, and its description in journals, cases were identified in Africa in 1982. The disease is now seen in almost all countries of the world and blood tests are showing the presence of the virus before clinical cases are diagnosed.

Why is AIDs now called a 'PANDEMIC' and not as earlier described, 'EPIDEMIC?'
The disease is now seen in almost all countries of the world and blood tests are showing the presence of the virus before clinical cases are diagnosed.

The epidemic of recognised disease, or the second epidemic, has been progressing relentlessly in the 1980s and for this reason a better word is pandemic (i.e. affecting the whole world.) Basic human behaviour does not change from country to country and the human immunodeficiency virus does not stop at borders.

What are the new aspects of the disease that have since appeared?
New aspects of the epidemic have been appearing since the mid-1980s and these are the social, economic and psychological effects of the disease.

Is there a cure for the disease?
NO! NO! NO! At present there is no cure for AIDs. Nor is there an effective vaccine for prevention.

How is AIDs transmitted form one person to the next The AIDs virus is present in the blood and body fluids of an infected individual whether he has symptoms or is a symptomless carrier. The virus can only be transmitted through the contact of these fluids with the bloodstream of another person. The body fluids with the highest concentration of virus are:

• blood
• semen
• vaginal secretions
• cervical secretions

Other conduits by which the virus is carried but which are not effective in transmission due to low concentration are:

• tears
• saliva
• urine
• breast milk
• sweat

What is the cause of the highest rate of HIV infections

Sexual relationships. Sexual contact is estimated to account for 95% of HIV infections. Increase in the number of partners increases the infection risk. The virus is passed when infected blood, semen or vaginal fluids from one partner enters the body of the other partner through the very thin skin of their sexual organs, mouth or anus, or through sores or cuts in their mouth, hands or body. Oral sex where one licks or sucks the sexual organs of another person is only minimuly less risky, as HIV can still pass into any sores or cuts on the lips or mouth.

What is the best way of avoiding contracting AIDs?
By understanding how the virus is transmitted from person to person it is possible to avoid contracting it and also to advise others how to avoid it

Which is the most common way through which people get AIDs
Through sexual relations with an infected person. This regardless of whether the sex is vaginal, oral or anal. This is by far the most common route of transmission and the cause of the rapid spread of AIDS in the world toady. Transmission also occurs more easily through broken skin - for example if genital ulcers or abrasions are present.

What are the other methods through which one can contract AIDS

• Exposure to infected blood or blood products. A person can be exposed to infected blood in the following ways:
  • Through transfusion of blood or blood products from an infected donor;
  • Through the use of needles, syringes, knives and surgical instruments that may have been used on an infected person and not properly sterilised thereafter. This includes instruments used for circumcision, ear piercing, traditional healing practices which involve skin piercing;
  • By exposure of cuts or wounds to infected blood or body fluids;
  • By sharing toothbrushes
• Infected mother to newborn child
  In 25 - 50% of cases the virus may be transmitted from an infected mother to her child in utero via the placenta or also during birth. A pregnant mother with HIV can also pass the virus on to her baby in the womb. Infected blood can pass through the wall of the placenta during birth, or from the breast milk. About 40% of babies born to infected mothers will themselves be infected. Some pregnant mothers who are HIV positive may choose to have cesarian section, so as to reduce the risk of transmission. he health and life expectancy of an HIV infected infant is very low. Using antiretriviral therapy for both mother and baby can now reduce mother to child risk of infection.

Can AIDS be transmitted by casual contact alone?
There is no evidence that the virus is transmitted through:

• casual contact with an infected person; by living in the same household, going to the same school, sharing food, drinks, clothing, toilet seats, baths, swimming pools, or by shaking hands. This is because the virus must gain access to the blood stream in order for infection to occur.
• biting insects: although some viruses, such as the yellow fever virus, are transmitted by insects, there is no evidence that the AIDS virus can be transmitted though the bites of mosquitoes, ticks, fleas or any other insect.

If mosquitoes did transmit AIDS then everyone sharing a house with an AIDS patient would become infected. All over Kenya even in Nyanza and Western Kenya where mosquitoes are prevalent only sexual partners become infected and not children who are bitten more than adults.

In order to avoid contracting AIDS what are 'High Risk Behaviour' one should avoid?
During the initial discovery of the AIDS pandemic there was talk of high risk groups But it is now clear that it is high-risk behaviour which is important and that everybody with high risk behaviour is at risk. This behavior is:

• having sex with prostitutes;
• Having multiple partners, which increases risks as many times as there are partners;
• Having genital ulcers which are not treated;
• Having sex with someone other than a regular partner and not using a condom; (rubber sheath) and contraceptive foam or jelly (which help to kill the virus);
• Having sex with someone outside of a stable relation ship such as marriage;
• Having injections or other skin-cutting activities done by unqualified, or qualified but incompetent people and those people who do not understand the sterilisation procedure;
• Not taking prevention precautions when working with potentially infected body fluids. Blood and all other body fluids should be regarded as potentially infected.

High-risk behaviour should be viewed from two angles:

• Avoiding high - risk behaviour in order not to become infected with HIV;
• Avoiding high risk behaviour in order not to transmit HIV to someone else (many people wo have been living a high- risk life in the last ten years might or might not be HIV positive.)

What are the symptoms when a person first becomes infected with HIV

When a person first becomes infected with HIV there are usually no symptoms and signs and the person feels well. It is in this stage that the disease can be transmitted without the person realising it.

This site is designed by David Ogot snr. And hosted by
Science & Engineering Research Center
©goinghomedotcom 2001 - 2006
Disclaimer   Privacy Policy