AIDS/HIV AWARENESS 8 TH GRADE

1. AIDS/HIV AWARENESS8TH GRADE Germantown Municipal School District Jason Manuel, Superintendent

2. Notice • This curriculum will be taught on the dates determined by the Department of Curriculum & Accountability. These dates will be determined annually. • Only teachers who have attended Family Life Workshops or training conducted or sponsored by the Shelby County Department of Curriculum & Accountability may teach this curriculum.

3. AIDS/HIV AWARENESS AIDS HIV • Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome • Human Immunodeficiency Virus • HIV budding from cell

4. TESTING • The only way to determine whether someone is infected with HIV is through a blood test. • A series of tests are used to determine whether someone is HIV positive. • All testing should be done in laboratories. • In all cases it takes about two weeks to obtain results of such a test.

5. WHO IS TESTED Today the blood anyone donates at a blood bank is tested for the presence of HIV. Many hospitals also test incoming patients for HIV. Prisoners and persons joining the military are automatically tested for HIV. All infants born in hospitals and most pregnant women under a doctor’s care are tested for HIV.

6. TESTING • The most commonly used test for HIV is the ELISA (enzyme linked immunosorbent assay test) Test. • Like the other major test (the Western Blot), it does not check for the presence of the HIV virus but for the presence in the blood of antibodies to the HIV virus which have been produced by an individual’s immune system.

7. TESTING • If this test is positive, it means that antibodies for HIV are present in the blood. • If it is negative, it means that the test has not picked up any antibodies for HIV in the blood. • It does not mean that an individual does not have AIDS.

8. TESTING • The ELISA is 99.8% specific. It only very rarely shows a false positive, i.e. shows that an individual is HIV positive when that individual is really not infected with HIV. • In 1991, a few persons who received flu shots and donated blood soon thereafter tested HIV positive when they really were not HIV infected. This is an example of a false positive. Apparently some chemical reaction to the flu vaccine in the body of these people caused the false positive.

9. TESTING • Because of even this small chance for a false positive, if an individual tests positive on a first ELISA, a second ELISA test is then administered. • If this second test comes back positive, then a third test, a Western Blot is done. Wesr Western Blot Bands

10. If all three come back positive, it is assumed that an individual is infected with HIV and is HIV positive. It is estimated that less than 1 individual in 100,000 would test positive on all three of these tests and still not be HIV infected. TESTING

11. TESTING - RESULTS • Testing positive for HIV does not mean that an individual has AIDS. • It only means that the individual is infected with the HIV virus and that the individual may live 12 or more years before developing AIDS. • A few may never develop AIDS, but rather, be a carrier.

12. TESTING - RESULTS • A negative test at 6 weeks will not assure that HIV infection has not taken place, but it will be one sign in that direction. • Another test at 3 months and again at 6 months from the time of the risk behavior are recommended. • If all are negative, it is reasonably certain that the individual is not infected with HIV, though the possibility remains that the individual could still be HIV infected.

13. HIV The period between the time an individual is infected with HIV and the time a test picks up the presence of HIV in the system is referred to as the “window” period. This is the period when it is impossible to verify that an individual is infected even though that individual is infected with the virus. This is one of the serious drawbacks of the current commonly used tests.

14. HIV From the instant that an individual is infected with HIV, that individual is an HIV “carrier”. As a “carrier” the infected individual can transmit the HIV virus to another individual and infect the second individual even though the “carrier” still tests negative for HIV. There is no way to tell from looking at an individual or listening to an individual that the individual is infected with HIV, and until a certain lapse of time after infection, there is not even a guaranteed sure method of determining infection using one of the more commonly used tests for HIV

15. HIV It should be remembered that being HIV infected, being a “carrier”, or testing HIV positive does not mean the individual has AIDS. It only means he/she is infected with the HIV virus. A few persons who are infected may never develop full-blown AIDS. With proper health care and treatment, persons who will develop AIDS may not do so for 10 or 20 years or longer. With the pace of new treatment and research on AIDS, it may be possible that many persons who are HIV infected will be able to live with this infection as with a chronic disease as persons now do who have high blood pressure, chronic hepatitis, diabetes, etc.

16. TRANSMISSION TO OTHERS • For adults and adolescents in the United States, the HIV virus is transmitted almost exclusively by only two high risk behaviors: intravenous drug use and sexual intercourse with an individual who is infected with HIV. • IV drug use permits exchange of blood between persons. • Sexual intercourse permits the exchange of semen and/or vaginal fluid between persons.

17. TRANSMISSION TO OTHERS • Most teens are aware that engaging in one or both high-risk behaviors is the only way in which they might become infected with HIV. • Unfortunately, knowing something and acting accordingly are two different things.

18. TEEN CHOICES Some of the reasons that teens, especially, disregard, ignore, or “forget” about the dangers of engaging in high risk behaviors are: 1. Peer pressure to engage in sex or use IV drugs to be a part of the “group.” 2. Feelings of invincibility-teens don’t feel that anything can happen to them. 3. Illness and death are phenomena that occur to others, usually “old” or “older”others. 4. Belief that persons they know and are close to could not possibly be HIVpositive. 5. Normal for this age, experimentation with “adult” behaviors, even riskybehaviors.

19. TEEN CHOICES • Saying “No” to drugs and, especially, to sex are often not easy for a teen and some advance thought/discussion of how to say “No” can go a long way toward making it much easier to say “No” when that is necessary. • The wisest decision a teen can make regarding sex is to say “No” to sexual intercourse until he/she marries. • To assure no risk of HIV transmission, teens should certainly say “No” to IV drug use. • They should also say “No” to any type of drug use because persons under the influence of any type of drug may engage in behavior that is risky and persons under the influence of drugs are often incapable of decision-making and do not make wise decisions.

20. TEEN CHOICES • Persons can avoid HIV infection simply by not engaging in unprotected sexual intercourse and not using IV drugs. • Remember, there is no way of being sure that another individual is HIV positive by looking at or talking to that individual.

21. TEEN CHOICES • The best advice a teen can take is to say “No” to sexual intercourse and IV drug use. • If that advice is not adhered to, the teen should make careful and informed decisions about any risky behaviors, their possible consequences, and the responsibilities the teen might need to assume to deal with such consequences.

22. WISE DECISION: • The wisest choices for teens and adults to guard against HIV transmission are: 1. Never use IV drugs. 2. Say “No” to sexual intercourse except with a mutually faithful, HIV free spouse after marriage.