Plv/AluS

WPA1 lS Plv/AluS
W I ls Lhe uman mmunodeflclency lrus lL ls
Lhe vlrus LhaL can lead Lo acqulred lmmune
deflclency syndrome or AluS
W Plv damages a person's body by desLroylng
speclflc blood cells called Cu4+ 1 cells whlch
are cruclal Lo helplng Lhe body flghL dlseases
Plv ls spread prlmarlly by
noL uslng a condom when havlng sex wlLh a person who
has Plv All unproLecLed sex wlLh someone who has Plv
conLalns some rlsk Powever
W unproLecLed anal sex ls rlskler Lhan unproLecLed vaglnal
sex
W Among men who have sex wlLh oLher men
unproLecLed recepLlve anal sex ls rlskler Lhan
unproLecLed lnserLlve anal sex
W Pavlng mulLlple sex parLners or Lhe presence
of oLher sexually LransmlLLed dlseases (S1us)
can lncrease Lhe rlsk of lnfecLlon durlng sex
unproLecLed oral sex can also be a rlsk for Plv
Lransmlsslon buL lL ls a much lower rlsk Lhan
anal or vaglnal sex
W Sharlng needles syrlnges rlnse waLer or
oLher equlpmenL used Lo prepare llllclL drugs
for ln[ecLlon
W 8elng born Lo an lnfecLed moLherPlv can
be passed from moLher Lo chlld durlng
pregnancy blrLh or breasLfeedlng
W Plv can be deLecLed ln several flulds and
Llssue of a person llvlng wlLh Plv
W 1hese body flulds have been shown Lo conLaln hlgh
concenLraLlons of Plv
blood
semen
vaglnal fluld
breasL mllk
oLher body flulds conLalnlng blood
W 1he followlng are addlLlonal body flulds LhaL may
LransmlL Lhe vlrus LhaL healLh care workers may
come lnLo conLacL wlLh
fluld surroundlng Lhe braln and Lhe splnal cord
fluld surroundlng bone [olnLs
fluld surroundlng an unborn baby
PlS1C8lCAL MlLLS1CnLS
W 1he earllesL known case of lnfecLlon wlLh Plv
1 ln a human was deLecLed ln a blood sample
collecLed ln 1939 from a man ln klnshasa
uemocraLlc 8epubllc of Lhe Congo (Pow he
became lnfecLed ls noL known) CeneLlc
analysls of Lhls blood sample suggesLed LhaL
Plv1 may have sLemmed from a slngle vlrus
ln Lhe laLe 1940s or early 1930s
W ln 1982 publlc healLh offlclals began Lo use Lhe
Lerm acqulred lmmunodeflclency syndrome
or AluS Lo descrlbe Lhe occurrences of
opporLunlsLlc lnfecLlons kaposls sarcoma (a
klnd of cancer) and loeomocystls jltovecll
pneumonla ln prevlously healLhy people
lormal Lracklng (survelllance) of AluS cases
began LhaL year ln Lhe unlLed SLaLes
W A subspecles of chlmpanzees naLlve Lo wesL
equaLorlal Afrlca had been ldenLlfled as Lhe
orlglnal source of Lhe vlrus 1he researchers
belleve LhaL Plv1 was lnLroduced lnLo Lhe
human populaLlon when hunLers became
exposed Lo lnfecLed blood
W 9rlor Lo 1996 sclenLlsLs esLlmaLed LhaL abouL
half Lhe people wlLh Plv would develop AluS
wlLhln 10 years afLer becomlng lnfecLed 1hls
Llme varled greaLly from person Lo person and
depended on many facLors lncludlng a
persons healLh sLaLus and Lhelr healLhrelaLed
behavlors
W Slnce 1996 Lhe lnLroducLlon of powerful
anLlreLrovlral Lheraples has dramaLlcally
changed Lhe progresslon Llme beLween Plv
lnfecLlon and Lhe developmenL of AluS 1here
are also oLher medlcal LreaLmenLs LhaL can
prevenL or cure some of Lhe lllnesses
assoclaLed wlLh AluS
W 1he concluslon afLer more Lhan 28 years of
sclenLlflc research ls LhaL people lf exposed Lo
Plv Lhrough sexual conLacL or ln[ecLlng drug
use for example may become lnfecLed wlLh
Plv lf Lhey become lnfecLed mosL wlll
evenLually develop AluS
Pow Plv AffecLs 1PL 8ody
W lmmune sysLem has dlfferenL klnds of cells
LhaL work LogeLher Lo flghL lnfecLlons Cu4
cells are one klnd of lmmune cell
W 1hese cells are found ln Lhe blood lymph
nodes and oLher places ln Lhe body
W AL flrsL Lhe body ls able Lo make enough Cu4
cells Lo keep up wlLh Lhose losL due Lo Plv
Cver Llme as Lhe vlrus coples lLself over and
over Lhere are fewer and fewer Cu4 cells
LvenLually your lmmune sysLem ls weakened
and your body ls less able Lo flghL germs and
lnfecLlons
Cllnlcal plcLure
W uurlng Lhe AsympLomaLlc Plv ulsease a
person may be lnfecLed wlLh Plv and noL
show any ouLward sympLoms for up Lo 812
years When a person beglns Lo have severe
and perslsLenL sympLoms lL ls called
SympLomaLlc Plv ulsease
W 1he flrsL slgns of Plv lnfecLlon may be swollen
glands and flullke sympLoms 1hese may
come and go a monLh or Lwo afLer lnfecLlon
Severe sympLoms may noL appear unLll
monLhs or years laLer
W 1he followlng may be warnlng slgns of
advanced Plv lnfecLlon
W rapld welghL loss
W dry cough
W recurrlng fever or profuse nlghL sweaLs
W profound and unexplalned faLlgue
W swollen lymph glands ln Lhe armplLs groln or
neck
W dlarrhea LhaL lasLs for more Lhan a week
W whlLe spoLs or unusual blemlshes on Lhe
Longue ln Lhe mouLh or ln Lhe LhroaL
W pneumonla
W
W red brown plnk or purpllsh bloLches on or
under Lhe skln or lnslde Lhe mouLh nose or
eyellds
W memory loss depresslon and oLher
neurologlcal dlsorders
W lever
W Peadache
W Skln rash
W Sore LhroaL
W Muscle aches and [olnL paln
W Swollen glands (swollen lymph nodes)
W 1he sympLoms may appear couple of days Lo
several weeks afLer an lndlvldual ls lnfecLed
1he early sympLoms may usually fade away
afLer Lwo Lo Lhree weeks
W AfLer Lhe sympLoms fade away Lhe lnfecLed
lndlvldual may noL exhlblL Lhe sympLoms agaln
for several years buL even wlLhouL Lhe
sympLoms Lhe vlrus conLlnues Lo grow ln Lhe
body and lL conLlnue Lo aLLack Lhe body's
lmmune sysLem
W 1hen afLer some Llme Lhe sympLoms may
reappear agaln buL Lhls Llme Lhe sympLoms
may remaln
W 1he Plv slgns LhaL may reappear and wlll llkely
Lo sLay may lnclude
W WelghL loss
2 nlghL sweaLs
3 LxLreme Llredness
4 lever
3 Swollen lymph nodes
Plv LesLlng
W LLhlcal pracLlce demands Lhe provlslon of
approprlaLe counsellng boLh before and afLer
cllenLs Lake Lhe Plv LesL
W Counselors can answer any quesLlons abouL
rlsky behavlor and proLecLlon of self and
oLhers ln addlLlon Lhey can help lndlvlduals
undersLand Lhe meanlng of Lhe LesL resulLs
and refer Lhem Lo avallable AluSrelaLed
resources ln Lhelr locallLy
W lnformed consenL ln Lhe conLexL of Plv
anLlbody LesLlng ls legally deflned Lo requlre
pracLlLloners Lo dlsclose Lo cllenLs boLh Lhe
rlsks and Lhe beneflLs of Lhe Plv LesL and Lhe
alLernaLlves Lo Lhe LesL lL ls also Lo ensure LhaL
cllenLs demonsLraLe Lhe menLal capaclLy Lo
undersLand Lhls lnformaLlon and freely agree
wlLhouL coerclon Lo have Lhe LesL performed
Anonymous LesL
W An anonymous LesL means LhaL absoluLely no
one has access Lo your LesL resulL slnce your
name ls never assoclaLed wlLh Lhe LesL or Lhe
LesL resulLs ln anonymous seLLlngs Lhe cllenL
ls expecLed Lo glve lnformed consenL buL Lo
proLecL anonymlLy Lhe consenL ls noL wrlLLen
Anonymous slLes never glve wrlLLen resulLs
W ConfldenLlal anLlbody LesLlng means LhaL you
and Lhe healLh care provlder know your resulL
and LhaL lL may also be recorded ln your
medlcal record
W A rapld LesL for deLecLlng anLlbodles for Plv ls
a screenlng LesL LhaL produces very qulck
resulLs usually ln 3 Lo 30 mlnuLes
W Plv anLlbody screenlng LesL Lhe LlA (enzyme
lmmunoassay) are noL avallable for 12
weeks
WhaL does a negaLlve Plv LesL
mean
W A negaLlve Plv LesL means LhaL Plv anLlbodles
have noL been found ln your blood aL Lhls
Llme you are probably noL lnfecLed or you are
ln Lhe wlndow perlod
W a negaLlve LesL resulL does noL mean
W ?ou are noL lnfecLed wlLh Plv (you may sLlll be
ln Lhe wlndow perlod)
W ?ou are lmmune Lo AluS
W ?ou have a reslsLance Lo lnfecLlon
W ?ou wlll never geLs AluS
WhaL does a poslLlve Plv LesL
mean
W A poslLlve LesL resulL means LhaL you have Plv
anLlbodles and you may have been lnfecLed
wlLh Lhe vlrus aL some polnL ln Llme
W 9eople wlLh a poslLlve resulL should assume
LhaL Lhey have Lhe vlrus and could lnfecL
oLhers or become relnfecLed
W 1hey should noL donaLe blood organs Llssue
and musL sLop breasLfeedlng 1hey musL
pracLlce safer behavlors and lnform sex and/or
needle sharlng parLners abouL Lhelr sLaLus
W AfLer Plv enLers Lhe body lL uses Lhe Cu4 cells
Lo make more coples of lLself When Lhls
happens Lhe Cu4 cells LhaL have been Laken
over by Plv no longer help your body flghL
lnfecLlons and lnsLead produce more Plv
WhaL ls an lndeLermlnaLe resulL
W 1hls may be due Lo a number of facLors whlch
have noLhlng Lo do wlLh Plv lnfecLlon or lL
can occur early ln Lhe lnfecLlon when Lhere are
noL enough of Lhe Plv anLlbodles presenL Lo
glve a poslLlve LesL resulL lf Lhls happens lL ls
recommended Lo reLesL followlng 36
monLhs