FACTS

HIV is a virus. Viruses infect the cells of living organisms and replicate (make new copies of themselves) within those cells. A virus can damage the cells it replicates in, which is one of the things that can make an infected creature become ill.

People can become infected with HIV from other people who already have it, and when they are infected they can then go on to infect other people. Basically, this is how HIV is spread.

HIV stands for the 'Human Immunodeficiency Virus'. Someone who is infected with HIV is said to be 'HIV+' or 'HIV positive'.

A damaged immune system is not only more vulnerable to HIV, but also to the attacks of other infections. It won't always have the strength to fight off things that wouldn't have bothered it before.

As time goes by, a person who has been infected with HIV is likely to become ill more and more often until, usually several years after infection, they become ill with one of a number of particularly severe illnesses. It is at this point that they are said to have AIDS - when they first become seriously ill, or when the number of immune system cells left in their body drops below a particular point. Different countries have slightly different ways of defining the point at which a person is said to have AIDS rather than HIV.

AIDS (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome) is an extremely serious condition, and at this stage the body has very little defense against any sort of infection.

HIV is spread from person to person in the following body fluids:

blood
semen
vaginal secretions
(infected) breast milk

Common modes of transmission of HIV:

Oral sex
Anal sex
Vaginal sex Blood products
Injecting drugs
Blood transfusions
Tattoos / piercing's
Mother to child transmission
Infection in the health-care setting
By coming in contact with HIV-infected blood through an open wound

HIV is NOT spread through the environment; it is a very fragile blood-borne virus. HIV-infected persons do not pose a threat to coworkers or clients during casual, day-to-day activities and contacts.

Kissing
Insects
Toilet seats
Protected sex
Injecting with sterile needles
Eating food prepared by someone with HIV
Sneezing, coughing, sharing glasses/cups, etc

Everyone! If you practice unsafe sex, you are at risk. If you share needles, you are at risk. Getting a Tattoo or piercing can also increase the risk for you to get infected.

Certain jobs may also increase the risk for an HIV infection. Workers who may be at an increased risk because of their work include:

Dental personnel
Laboratory workers
Mortuary attendants
Tattoo and piercing artists
Mental health institution workers
Police, firefighters, rescue workers
Hospital, health care and paramedical personnel
Custodians, correctional officers, ground-keepers

The only way that most people in the average workplace could be exposed to HIV would be if they had an open wound and someone else's infected blood entered their body through that broken skin.

The most difficult thing you may ever have to do is tell a loved one you have HIV. Disclosing your HIV status is difficult but sometimes necessary. This "how-to" will help you disclose your HIV status with the least amount of stress.

Take as much time as you need.

Know why you want to tell the people you are telling. What do you want from them?

Anticipate their reaction. What's the best you can hope for? What's the worst you will have to deal with?

Learn as much as you can about HIV.

Have articles or printed material to give to the person to help them understand.

Get support. Talk it over with someone you trust and come up with a plan.

Accept the reaction. You can't control the fears and feelings of others.

Be patient. It may take some time for those you tell to process the information.

Tips: Past sexual partners should be told you are HIV positive so they can be tested. Local health departments or your health care provider can assist with partner notification and can do it anonymously. Health care providers can give you more appropriate medical care if they know you complete medical history. Disclosing your status to your health care team is important. Be sure you are ready to tell and are able to handle the reactions you may receive.

More on this topic: www.aidsinfonet.org

It is easy to avoid being exposed to HIV and other blood-borne diseases by using good personal hygiene and common sense at all times:

Avoid direct contact with blood spills
Keep broken skin covered with a clean, dry bandage
Wear gloves to clean spills that contain visible blood
Clean blood spills with an appropriate disinfectant or 1:10 solution of freshly mixed household bleach and water. After cleanup, wash hands thoroughly with soap and running water.

Because it is impossible to know who is infected with HIV, it is recommended that all blood be treated as if it were infected — this means that all blood should be treated as if it were a toxic substance. Workers exposed to blood should follow the guidelines recommended by the World Health Organization.

The workplace is an important environment for promoting the health of all workers as well as for disseminating information and education about the transmission and prevention of HIV/AIDS. Education in the workplace is particularly important since many people express fear about having contact with people who have HIV infection and AIDS. At work, these fears can affect workers' attitudes towards co-workers with AIDS or even towards workers suspected of being in “high-risk groups”.

(NOTE: Health care workers should consult the recommendations for precautions during specific medical procedures.)

A written policy stating what to do and whom to contact in case of exposure should be developed in all workplaces where workers may be exposed to blood or other body fluids. Workers should be familiar with the policy, and it should be posted where everyone can see it.

If a worker is exposed to blood or other potentially infectious fluids:

Wash the wound immediately with clean water and soap
If splashed in the eyes, wash the eyes with a sterile eye wash solution (or clean water).
If splashed in the mouth, rinse the mouth immediately with a large volume of clean water.
Fill out an accident report. The report should include the date, time, place of the incident and a detailed description of circumstances.
Get referrals for proper medical assessment and/or treatment and/or counseling.

Note: All procedures must protect the confidentiality of the exposed worker. If workers suspect that the process is not completely confidential, they may be reluctant to report the injury, or to seek needed treatment and counseling.
If you have a cold, flu or other virus, remember that people with HIV or AIDS do not have a healthy immune system. They are more likely to become ill from a virus that a healthy person’s body could easily fight. Remember, too, that people with HIV or AIDS are just like anyone else living with a disease: they need caring, support, and understanding.

He/she must use new needles must be used at all times and the tattoo artist must be disposing of used needles in a responsible way after autoclaving them.
New needles come in sterile sealed packages and it is your right to insist seeing the sealed package before he/she starts with creating body art.
The working area must be neat and clean and must be sterilized after each customer to minimize the risk of any bacterial infection.
New unused razors must be used when shaving hair from areas to be tattooed. - Use new ink must be used for each customer.
A health board license (if applicable in your country, state, province) to attest that the premises and practice have passed health standards.
Also check your local city ordinances to see what applies in your area.

There are 14,000 new infections every day (95 percent in developing countries). HIV/AIDS is a "disease of young people" with half of the 5 million new infections each year occurring among people ages 15 to 24.

Source: www.until.org

Source: www.aids.org

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