1. Introduction
HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) is the virus that causes AIDS. This virus is
passed from one person to another through blood-to-blood and sexual contact. In
addition, infected pregnant women can pass HIV to their baby during pregnancy or
delivery, as well as through breast-feeding. People with HIV have what is called HIV
infection. Most of these people will develop AIDS as a result of their HIV infection.
An INFECTION with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) that ultimately results
in the illness acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). Though new HIV/AIDS
infections are on the decline in the United States and other industrialized nations,
HIV/AIDS remains endemic on the African continent.HIV/AIDS spreads through
contact with body fluids such as occurs with sexual contact (vaginal intercourse, anal
intercourse, and oral sex) or through shared needles among intravenous DRUG
users. Though previously infection through transfused BLOOD or blood products
was a key means of infection, screening for HIV antibodies in donated blood supplies
has significantly reduced this risk and infection through blood products is now
uncommon.Though there are numerous treatments for HIV/AIDS, there is no cure.
HIV, the infection, nearly always progresses to AIDS, the illness, over the course of 5
to 20 years. Aggressive treatment can further manage the symptoms and
complications of AIDS for years to sometimes decades. However, AIDS is ultimately
fatal. AIDS does not itself cause death but instead so extensively damages the
IMMUNE SYSTEM, the infection’s target, that the body cannot protect itself from
infections or conditions such as cancer, which become the causes of death.
Causes of HIV and AIDS
The virus can be found in the blood, semen, vaginal fluid, and breast milk of infected
people. HIV is also found in saliva, sweat, and tears, though not in high enough
amounts to transmit the virus to another person. There are no known cases of

2. anyone catching HIV through sneezing, shaking hands, or from toilet seats or
mosquito bites. The two most common ways to be infected with HIV in North
America are through unprotected sex and sharing needles. HIV may be transmitted
through unprotected heterosexual or homosexual, vaginal, anal, or oral sex.
Although the risk of infection is lower with oral sex, it is still important to use
protection during oral sex, such as a dental dam (a piece of latex to cover the vagina
during oral sex) or a condom. HIV can also be passed on through perinatal infection,
where mothers who have HIV are at risk of giving the disease to the baby during
birth. The risk of perinatal infection is declining with new treatments. Breast-feeding
by an infected mother can also transmit HIV. Once HIV enters the bloodstream, it
takes over cells vital to the immune response, known as CD4+ lymphocytes. The
virus then inserts its own genes into the cell, turning it into a miniature factory that
produces more copies of the virus. Slowly, the amount of virus in the blood goes up
and the number of healthy CD4+ cells goes down. The destruction of CD4+ cells
interferes with the body's ability to fight off infections and other diseases.
Symptoms of HIV and AIDS
Symptoms of HIV infection appear 2 to 12 weeks after exposure. At this point the
virus begins rapidly taking over immune cells in the blood. The symptoms of this
phase are flu-like and include:
•diarrhea
•fatigue or weakness
•fever
•headache
•joint pain
•night sweats
•rash
•swollen glands
•weight loss

3. •yeast infections (of the mouth or vagina) that last a long time or occur frequently.
When the symptoms begin to appear, the person with HIV is very infectious. The
symptoms usually go away within a week to a month, and the person will feel fine
again. However, the symptoms may return from time to time. The symptoms of HIV
are similar to symptoms of other diseases. The only way to know for sure whether
you are HIV-positive is to be tested. After infection with HIV, it can take 3 months for
antibodies to the virus to be detectable in the blood. On average, it takes about 22
days to develop antibodies. This is called seroconversion. After seroconversion
occurs, the virus can be detected using a blood test. After the initial symptoms go
away, the body's immune system tries to control the virus. The immune system can
keep the virus at bay for a while, but it can't completely get rid of it. Many people will
feel fine for years before their immune system weakens and they develop AIDS.
Without treatment, about half of HIV-positive people develop AIDS within 10 years of
infection. Some people develop AIDS within a few years of infection. A few, called
long-term non-progresses, do not develop AIDS until much later. Many factors affect
the timeframe to develop AIDS, including medications and the person's general
health and lifestyle.
AIDS is a term applied to advanced HIV disease. AIDS is defined as having HIV and
an opportunistic infection (an infection by a microorganism that ordinarily does not
cause disease unless the immune system is weakened) normally associated with
AIDS. These infections can be bacterial, fungal, viral, or parasitic. Examples of
opportunistic infections include toxoplasmosis, pneumocystis pneumonia,
Cryptococci meningitis, progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML),
cryptosporidium, cytomegalovirus, and Mycobacterium valium complex (MAC). With
the use of better medications to treat HIV, the risk of opportunistic infections has
dropped over the years; however, people with AIDS will usually need to take
medications (such as antibiotics) to prevent opportunistic infections. People who
have AIDS are also more likely to develop cancer, especially cancers of the immune
system (lymphomas). Another cancer common for people with AIDS is Kaposi's
sarcoma, a type of cancer that causes bluish red nodules on the legs and that
spreads to the lymph system. Women with AIDS are prone to developing cancers of
the cervix. Gay men with HIV have higher rates of infection by HPV, a virus linked to
anal cancer, and precancerous HPV strains. Children with AIDS tend to get common

4. childhood infections like conjunctivitis, otitis media, and tonsillitis, but they
experience symptoms much worse than the infection usually causes. Excessive
weight loss or "wasting syndrome" is a problem for approximately 20% of people
who have HIV infection. It is associated with an unexplained loss of 10% or more of
normal body weight, plus chronic diarrhea (30 days or more) or chronic weakness
with fever (30 days or more). Most people with AIDS die from the diseases that AIDS
makes them more susceptible to. The virus occasionally infects the brain, causing
dementia that gets worse over time.
Diagnosing HIV/AIDS
If you think you may be infected with HIV, the only way to know for sure is to be
tested. Testing is voluntary and can be anonymous. Your results will remain
confidential. You can be tested at your physician's office or at a sexual health clinic,
many of which are run by local public health units. HIV testing can involve two types
of tests: a preliminary test that detects HIV antibodies and a final confirmatory test. If
the rapid test, which requires a finger prick of blood, is reactive to HIV, a second
laboratory-based test is required to determine whether someone is HIV positive.
However, if the rapid test is negative, then no further testing is required. If HIV
infection is confirmed, your doctor will discuss treatment options as well as support
groups and other services to help you cope. You should inform your sexual partners
(past, current, and future) to protect them from developing HIV or help them get
treatment if they have been infected. The laws about whether partners must be
informed vary from province to province, but most provinces have developed
services for notifying partners. Your doctor or provincial ministry of health may be
able to help your partners get testing and treatment if needed.
Treating and Preventing HIV/AIDS
HIV is usually treated with HAART (highly active antiretroviral therapy), a potent
combination of anti-HIV medications. HAART will not cure HIV, but it can reduce the
amount of virus in the blood, improve the immune system, and slow the progression
of the disease. At least three medications are used together. Using multiple
medications that work in different ways helps prevent the virus from becoming
resistant to the treatment. The risk of resistance increases when fewer medications
are used, when too low a dose is taken, or when a medication is stopped, even if this

5. only happens for a short period of time. It is very important to take HIV medications
exactly as prescribed. If you miss a dose, take less medication than you need, or
take doses at the wrong time, the medication will not work as well. Timing the
medications around your meals and daily routine can be difficult. Your doctor or
pharmacist can help you fit the medications into your day. They may also
recommend that you use a beeper or a special medication container to keep track of
doses. Once people develop AIDS, they usually take a range of antibiotic, antiviral,
and antifungal medications that other people only take for a short time while they are
sick. These medications help fight off opportunistic infections. People with "wasting
syndrome" may be offered various treatments according to the cause of significant
weight loss. Agents such as growth hormone, anabolic steroids, and appetite
stimulants are examples of medications that have been used to treat this condition.
There is a great deal of research on new treatments for HIV. Treatment information
changes quickly. To keep up-to-date, talk to your doctor or pharmacist. You can also
contact CATIE (the Canadian AIDS Treatment Information Exchange) for free,
current, and confidential treatment information. You can reach CATIE by phone (1-
800-263-1638) or on the Internet (www.catie.ca). You can also check with your
provincial Ministry of Health for information on provincial and local programs. Anyone
can become infected with HIV. Fortunately, it can be prevented. The main ways to
prevent HIV infection are:
•using condoms during sex (including vaginal, oral, and anal sex)
•having fewer sexual partners
•not sharing needles or other equipment to take illicit drugs
Unless you are in a mutually monogamous relationship (neither of you is having sex
with anyone else), and you are sure neither of you is HIV-positive, make sure to use
a condom every time you have sex. In some cases, couples where one partner is
infected may decide to risk infection of the other partner, especially if they are trying
to get pregnant. If this is the case, talk to your doctor. Your choice of sexual partner
is also important, since condoms do sometimes break or leak. You may know that
you practice safe sex and that you haven't used dirty needles, but you must also
know that your sexual partners and all their other partners do the same. Sharing
needles is very dangerous - it carries a high risk of getting HIV. People with other

6. sexually transmitted infections (STIs) such as herpes are much more likely to
contract HIV during sex, probably because of tiny breaks in their skin or vaginal
lining. Keeping free of other STIs will help reduce your risk of HIV infection, but this
alone will not protect you from infection. That's why it is important to use condoms. If
you have HIV and become pregnant, tell your doctor. The risk of infecting an infant
during birth has been reduced dramatically through the use of medication and
caesarean section when appropriate.

7. SURVIVORS
Bradford McIntyre - HIV/AIDS Survivor
- Living with HIV since 1984.
"Today AIDS kills millions of people around the world but medical science has
HIV_Survivor_1.wmv learned how to keep the disease at bay and is getting closer to a cure. 20
(~17.8MB) years ago, however, an HIV diagnosis was like a death sentence!"
Colleen Walsh, :Host/ Interviewer: Body and Health
"I don't need to show up for my fear. I need to Show Up for LIFE!" Bradford
McIntyre
Body + Health - canada.com network Global TV-Canada Broadcast Date:
First Aired - November 22, 2004

8. Positively Positive
Designed to create Awareness around the many HIV
and AIDS issues and promotes messages of positive
living with HIV.
"A Celebration of Life"
"Everything you teach you are learning. Teach only love,
and learn that love is yours and you are love."
- A Course in Miracles
Positively_Positive_Video.wmv
"I would like to thank everyone who has contributed to
my Wellness, and what is NOW my life!"
Bradford McIntyre
Dedicated to all those we love that have died of AIDS.
Positively_Positive_Video.wmv Love is the Way!