Post-text assignments

1 Explain with your own words why myths about hiv are dangerous.

2 Say what group of myths is spoken about:

1. Casual contact is not considered risky because it does not include contact with blood or other infectious body fluids.

2. HIV medications, known as antiretrovirals, don't cure HIV, but they can help keep people healthy for many years

3. The HIV antibody test (called ELISA or EIA) is one of the most reliable medical tests.

3 Look at the statements and say whether they are true or false. But don’t answer only «It’s true», or «It’s false», try to give your own explanation to the given statement.

1 AIDS stands for Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome. T/F

2 Infection with Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) can T/F

lead to AIDS.

3 Blood, semen, and vaginal secretions from persons with T/F

HIV infection contain the virus.

4 People most often become infected with HIV by having T/F

sexual intercourse or sharing hypodermic needles with a

person who already has the virus.

5 You can’t get HIV from shaking hands, hugging, eating T/F

in restaurants, sharing dishes, or going swimming with

someone who has AIDS.

6 A few people have gotten HIV from touching T/F

the tears or saliva of a person with AIDS.

7 You can tell someone has HIV by how they look. T/F

8 Someone can be infected with HIV and not T/F

know it.

9 The HIV antibody test tells you whether or not T/F

you have AIDS.

10 Everyone who has HIV will get AIDS T/F

within two years.

11 Only IV drug users and gay men get AIDS. T/F

12 Women can become infected with HIV if T/F

they have vaginal intercourse with a man who

has HIV.

13 A woman with HIV can pass the virus to T/F

her baby before it is born.

14 Many children and teenagers could get HIV T/F

because they have sexual intercourse or shoot drugs.

15 Young people share needles for other purposes T/F

than shooting IV drugs, and this may be risky.

16 People can learn to keep from getting HIV. T/F

Unit 5

Pre-text assignment

Learn the key words and phrases:

current guidelines, confirm, prompt, extra precautions, tailor treatment, viral load.

Hiv Treatment

HIV is most commonly diagnosed by testing your blood or saliva for the presence of antibodies to the virus. Unfortunately, these types of HIV tests aren't accurate immediately after infection because it takes time for your body to develop these antibodies — usually up to 12 weeks. In rare cases, it can take up to six months for an HIV antibody test to become positive.

A newer type of test checks for HIV antigen, a protein produced by the virus immediately after infection. This test can confirm a diagnosis within days of infection. An earlier diagnosis may prompt people to take extra precautions to prevent transmission of the virus to others.

Tests to tailor treatment

If you receive a diagnosis of HIV/AIDS, several types of tests can help your doctor determine what stage of the disease you have. These tests include:

CD4 count. CD4 cells are a type of white blood cell that's specifically targeted and destroyed by HIV. A healthy person's CD4 count can vary from 500 to more than 1,000. Even if a person has no symptoms, HIV infection progresses to AIDS when his or her CD4 count becomes less than 200.

Viral load. This test measures the amount of virus in your blood. Studies have shown that people with higher viral loads generally fare more poorly than do those with a lower viral load.

Drug resistance. This type of test determines if your strain of HIV is resistant to any anti-HIV medications.

Tests for complications Your doctor might also order lab tests to check for other infections or complications, including:

• tuberculosis;

• hepatitis;

• toxoplasmosis;

• sexually transmitted diseases;

• liver or kidney damage;

• urinary tract infections.

There is no cure for HIV/AIDS, but a variety of drugs can be used in combination to control the virus. Each of the classes of anti-HIV drugs blocks the virus in different ways. It's best to combine at least three drugs from two different classes to avoid creating strains of HIV that are immune to single drugs. The classes of anti-HIV drugs include:

Non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NNRTIs). NNRTIs disable a protein needed by HIV to make copies of itself.

Nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NRTIs). NRTIs are faulty versions of building blocks that HIV needs to make copies of itself.

Protease inhibitors (PIs). PIs disable protease, another protein that HIV needs to make copies of itself.

Entry or fusion inhibitors. These drugs block HIV's entry into CD4 cells.

Integrate inhibitors. These drugs work by disabling integrate, a protein that HIV uses to insert its genetic material into CD4 cells.

When to start treatment

Current guidelines indicate that treatment should begin if:

• you have severe symptoms;

• your CD4 count is under 500;

• you're pregnant;

• you have HIV-related kidney disease;

• you're being treated for hepatitis B.

Treatment can be difficult

HIV treatment regimens may involve taking multiple pills at specific times every day for the rest of your life. Side effects can include:

• nausea, vomiting or diarrhea;

• abnormal heartbeats;

• shortness of breath;

• skin rash;

• weakened bones;

• bone death, particularly in the hip joints.

Treatment response

Your response to any treatment is measured by your viral load and CD4 counts. Viral load should be tested at the start of treatment and then every three to four months while you're undergoing therapy. CD4 counts should be checked every three to six months.

HIV treatment should reduce your viral load to the point that it's undetectable. That doesn't mean your HIV is gone. It just means that the test is not sensitive enough to detect it. You can still transmit HIV to others when your viral load is undetectable.