Facts
HIV – Human Immunodeficiency Virus
AIDS – Auto Immune Deficiency Syndrome
• HIV is the name given to a virus
• HIV affects your immune system (the way your body fights illness and infection)
• HIV stops your immune system from working properly so that your body can no longer
defend itself. This is AIDS.
What is a Virus?
• Viruses are microbes
• They consist of -
• DNA or RNA (which hold the information about the virus, like
your DNA)
• A protein coat (to protect the DNA/RNA)
•Influenza (flu), Polio, Smallpox
How a virus ‘works’
A virus is a parasite which cannot reproduce on its own,
it needs another living thing to survive
It infects the cells of your body and ‘hijacks’ them
(Adsorption & Entry)
Your cells stop doing what they’re supposed to and
instead make copies of the virus
(Replication & Assembly)
The new viruses are released and go
on to infect other cells
(Release)
Is It Alive?
• Viruses have characteristics of living things but, in some ways,
could be said to be non-living – what do you think?
Remember – Living things
- Move
- Reproduce
- Sense
- Grow
- Respire
- Get rid of waste
- Need energy
How does it spread?
• A virus needs to make its way from one ‘host’ to another
• This can happen in different ways
– Airborne
– Transfer of body fluid
– Through a ‘carrier’ (malaria)
• HIV is transferred ONLY through transfer of body fluid
• Can you think of any examples of body fluids that could spread HIV?
• How much of each body fluid do you think needs to be transferred for
someone to become infected with HIV?
How does AIDS affect you?
• HIV stops your immune system from working properly
• This means an illness that is not very serious for you and me
can become life threatening to someone with HIV
• People do not die from AIDS, they die because their bodies
cannot fight off infections from other disease-causing
organisms
-pnuemonia
-tuberculosis
HIV in South Africa
• South Africa has an estimated five million people living with HIV - more
than any other nation.
• Activists say some 600 South Africans die from Aids-related diseases each
day.
Aids is predicted to cause a huge rise in the country's death rate over
the next two decades.
• Researchers say that people who use and abuse alcohol are at both
greater risk of contracting Aids, and infecting others.
• A survey conducted in Carltonville in South Africa revealed that men
who drink are four times more likely to be HIV positive.
Unsafe Sex in South Africa
•Why do you think that
unsafe sex is so
prevalent in South
Africa?
•Why do you think
women in South Africa
feel they must have sex
when asked?
•What could the
government do to
change these statistics?
HIV prevalence rates in women under 20 have fallen since 1998,
suggesting that Aids awareness campaigns are having an impact
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