高二Unit 7 教案（旧教材供参考）
WHAT DO "AIDS" MEAN?
AIDS stands for Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome:
• Acquired means you can get infected with it;
• Immune Deficiency means a weakness in the body's system that fights diseases.
• Syndrome means a group of health problems that make up a disease.
AIDS is caused by a virus called HIV, the Human Immunodeficiency Virus. If you get infected with HIV, your body will try to fight the infection. It will make "antibodies", special molecules that are supposed to fight HIV.
When you get a blood test for HIV, the test looks for these antibodies. If you have them in your blood, it means that you have HIV infection. People who have the HIV antibodies are called "HIV-Positive". Fact Sheet 102 has more information on HIV testing. Being HIV-positive, or having HIV disease, is not the same as having AIDS. Many people are HIV-positive but don't get sick for many years. As HIV disease continues, it slowly wears down the immune system. Viruses, parasites, fungi and bacteria that usually don't cause any problems can make you very sick if your immune system is damaged. These are called "opportunistic infections" (see Fact Sheet 500).
HOW DO YOU GET AIDS?
You don't actually "get" AIDS. You might get infected with HIV, and later you might develop AIDS.
You can get infected with HIV from anyone who's infected, even if they don't look sick, and even if they haven't tested HIV-positive yet. The blood, vaginal fluid, semen, and breast milk of people infected with HIV has enough of the virus in it to infect other people. Most people get the HIV virus by:
• Having sex with an infected person.
• Sharing a needle (shooting drugs) with someone who's infected
• Being born when the mother is infected, or drinking the breast milk of an infected woman.
Getting a transfusion of infected blood used to be a way people got AIDS, but now the blood supply is screened very carefully and the risk is extremely low.
There are no documented cases of HIV being transmitted by tears or saliva, but it is possible to be infected with HIV through oral sex or in rare cases through deep kissing, especially if you have open sores in your mouth or bleeding gums.
In the United States, there are about 800,000 to 900,000 people who are HIV-positive. Over 300,000 people are living with AIDS. Each year, there are about 40,000 new infections. In the mid-1990s, AIDS was a leading cause of death. However, newer treatments have cut the AIDS death rate significantly.
IS THERE A CURE FOR AIDS?
There is no cure for AIDS. There are drugs that can slow down the HIV virus, and slow down the damage to your immune system. But there is no way to get all the HIV out of your body.
There are other drugs that you can take to prevent or to treat opportunistic infections (OIs). In most cases, these drugs work very well. The newer, stronger anti-HIV drugs have also helped reduce the rates of most OIs. A few OIs, however, are still very difficult to treat.
HOW CAN YOU PROTECT YOURSELF AND OTHERS?
Unless you are 100% sure that you and the people you are with do not have HIV infection, you should take steps to prevent getting infected. This fact sheet provides an overview of HIV prevention, and refers you to other fact sheets for more details on specific topics.
Sexual Activity
You can avoid any risk of HIV if you practice abstinence (not having sex). You also won't get infected if your penis, mouth, vagina or rectum doesn't touch anyone else's penis, mouth, vagina, or rectum. Safe activities include kissing, erotic massage, masturbation or hand jobs (mutual masturbation).
Drug Use
If you're high on drugs, you might forget to use protection during sex. If you use someone else's equipment (needles, syringes, cookers, cotton or rinse water) you can get infected by tiny amounts of blood. The best way to avoid infection is to not use drugs.
Vertical Transmission
With no treatment, about 25% of the babies of HIV-infected women would be born infected. The risk drops to about 4% if a woman takes AZT during pregnancy and delivery, and her newborn is given AZT. The risk is 2% or less if the mother is taking combination antiviral therapy. Caesarean section deliveries probably don't reduce transmission risk if the mother's viral load is below 1000.
Contact with Blood
HIV is one of many diseases that can be transmitted by blood. Be careful if you are helping someone who is bleeding. If your work exposes you to blood, be sure to protect any cuts or open sores on your skin, as well as your eyes and mouth. Your employer should provide gloves, facemasks and other protective equipment, plus training about how to avoid diseases that are spread by blood.
THE BOTTOM LINE
HIV does not spread easily from person to person. To get infected with HIV, infected blood, sexual fluid, or mother's milk has to get into your body. HIV-infected pregnant women can pass the infection to their new babies.
To decrease the risk of spreading HIV:
• Use condoms during sexual activity
• Do not share drug injection equipment
• If you are HIV-infected and pregnant, talk with your doctor about taking anti-HIV drugs
• If you are an HIV-infected woman, don't breast feed any baby
• Protect cuts, open sores, and your eyes and mouth from contact with blood.
If you think you've been exposed to HIV, get tested and ask your doctor about taking anti-HIV medications.
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