What is HIV and AIDS?

Learning to know – cognitive skills
• Decision making/problem solving skills
• Critical thinking skills
Learning to be – personal skills
• Skills for increasing internal locus of control
• Skills for managing feelings
• Skills for managing stress
Learning to live together – communication and interpersonal
skills
• Interpersonal communication skills
• Negotiation/refusal skills
• Empathy
• Cooperation and teamwork
• Advocacy skills
Morbidity rates The percentage of those who are ill during a particular span of
time
Mortality rates The percentage who die during a particular span of time
Opportunistic infections Infections caused by organisms that do not normally cause
disease in people whose immune systems are intact. Some of
the most common opportunistic infections indicating that
someone has AIDS are: PCP (pneumocystic carinii pneumonia),
oesophageal candidiasis, toxoplasmosis etc.
Pandemic A disease prevalent throughout an entire country, continent or
Post-exposure prophylaxis
(PEP)
the whole world
Post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) is an emergency medical
response that can be used to protect individuals exposed to
HIV. PEP consists of HIV antiretroviral medication,
laboratory tests and counselling. Ideally PEP should be
initiated within 2 to 24 hours (and no later than 48 to 72
hours) of possible exposure to HIV, and must continue for
approximately four weeks.
Although PEP has not been conclusively proven to prevent
the transmission of HIV infection, research studies suggest
that if medication is initiated quickly after the possible
exposure (ideally within 2 to 24 hours and no later than 48
to 72 hours) it may be beneficial. The efficacy of PEP is
probably higher if treatment is started within the first few
hours of exposure and is probably progressively reduced if
started later. After 48 to 72 hours, the benefits are probably
minimal (or non-existent) and the risk of intolerance and
side-effects associated with antiretroviral treatments will
outweigh any potential preventive benefit.
Prevalence A measure of the proportion of people in a population affected
with a particular disease at a given time.
NOTE: the terms prevalence and incidence should not be
confused. Incidence only applies to the number of new cases,
while the term prevalence applies to all cases old and new.
Retrovirus A type of virus that is able to insert its genetic material into a
host cell’s DNA. Retrovirus infections had not been found in
human beings until recently. HIV is a retrovirus.
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