Definition of HIV/AIDS
Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is a type of virus that attacks individual body cells that are responsible for fighting infections. The majority of individuals with the virus become highly susceptible to other infections. Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome is a life-threatening condition that is caused by HIV. HIV functions through destroying an individual immune system increasing the susceptibility of an individual to other health conditions. Thus controlling HIV controls the development of AIDS as well (Volberding, 2017). HIV is spread in a number of ways, with the common methods being through contact of bodily fluids with an infected person with unprotected sex being the most common way of spread. This condition is also transmitted from mother to child.
What are the symptoms and general characteristics of HIV/AIDS?
The symptoms and characteristics of HIV/AIDs are spread along a different stage where the symptoms changes according to the stage of the condition. It is essential to understand these stages to have a chance of understanding a better intervention that can be utilized to control the effects of the disease. The HIV virus enters the body and targets the CD4 white blood cells. White blood cells have a fundamental role in the development of a strong immune system, which helps in fighting any infection or disease that the body encounters (Eisinger & Fauci, 2018). Patients with HIV have a corrupt immune system because the virus attacks the cells, which are expected to offer protection. The decrease of the CD4 cells to the lowest level results in AIDS.
It is difficult to detect the characteristics of HIV in its initial phase because, during this time, the body functions normally as the body tries to control the effect of the virus. Many people tend to ignore presenting symptoms at this point because they are mild and moderate in some contexts. An HIV test must be administered to confirm the presence or absence of the virus from the body through laboratory blood examination (Rueda et al., 2016).
Fever is a major presenting symptom among HIV/AIDS patients. The initial reaction of the body when the virus enters is sustained fever and flu-like symptoms, considering that body is trying to control the negative implications of the condition. These symptoms normally occur during the first four weeks of infections, although it might vary from different individuals (Volberding, 2017). The high temperatures are accompanied by fatigue, sore throat, swollen lymph nodes, as well as feeling nausea. The persistent fever allows the virus to move into the bloodstream and begin to replicate.
A patient suffering from HIV also has extreme headaches and muscle and joint pains. These symptoms can indicate a wide array of conditions, although they are also common for HIV. Rapid weight loss and diarrhea are symptoms that have majorly provided an individual understanding of the presence of the virus in the body. Most times, these conditions present together, making it easier to determine whether an individual should get tested for HIV. The weakened immune system allows for an attack of other infections, especially fungal infections, which are common among patients with HIV.
In adults, the common characteristics that present include loss of body weight with approximately 10% of weight within a month, frequent diarrhea, and recurring fever that lasts for more than one month. In children, the common traits include weight loss, diarrhea for 14 days or more, and high fever for more than a month.
What is the best way to bring awareness to AIDS in the school system?
HIV/AIDS affects almost everyone, and thus if an individual is not infected, they are affected in one way or another. It is essential to ensure that every individual is protected for transmitting as well as infecting others knowingly or unknowingly. Integration of HIV/AIDS as part of the curriculum will be an effective way in helping improve the level of awareness among students and understand the prevalence of this condition as well as the need to understand the spread patterns and controlling stigma to those who are infected (Mykhalovskiy & Namaste, 2019). Stigma in school against HIV positive students has been strong, which presents the need to maintain an understanding of better processes that help promote change and adoption of better approaches within the learning context.
A detailed explanation of a classroom activity, instructional technique, or program that can be utilized at a school to help a student with HIV/AIDS.
Including HIV/AIDS as part of the curriculum will ensure that there is the participation of everyone within the school context. This means that instructors must be trained on how to teach HIV/AIDS and allow students to interact and share their experiences. The instructional technique that should be considered in an interactive learning context where students will have equal participation and focus on controlling common myths that have been developed in relation to HIV/AIDS (Borre et al., 2017). These measures are crucial in helping maintain a stronger approach that can be evaluated and defined to present a well-organized system that helps improve commitment to change within the school setting as well as society at large.
References
Eisinger, R. W., & Fauci, A. S. (2018). Ending the HIV/AIDS pandemic. Emerging infectious diseases, 24(3), 413.
Borre, E. D., Hyle, E. P., Paltiel, A. D., Neilan, A. M., Sax, P. E., Freedberg, K. A., … & Walensky, R. P. (2017). The clinical and economic impact of attaining national HIV/AIDS strategy treatment targets in the United States. The Journal of infectious diseases, 216(7), 798-807.
Rueda, S., Mitra, S., Chen, S., Gogolishvili, D., Globerman, J., Chambers, L., … & Rourke, S. B. (2016). Examining the associations between HIV-related stigma and health outcomes in people living with HIV/AIDS: a series of meta-analyses. BMJ Open, 6(7), e011453.
Mykhalovskiy, E., & Namaste, V. (Eds.). (2019). Thinking Differently about HIV/AIDS: Contributions from Critical Social Science. UBC Press.
Volberding, P. A. (2017). How to Survive a Plague: The Next Great HIV/AIDS History. Jama, 317(13), 1298-1299.