Unit 3: What is HIV/AIDS?
Background
HIV/AIDS progresses in stages, and asymptomatic HIV can last for many years. However, antiretroviral (ARV) medicine must be taken to control the disease, regardless of the severity of symptoms. In addition, people living with HIV/AIDS may get opportunistic infections: infections that arise because HIV has weakened their immune systems. Accompagnateurs must recognize the stages of HIV/AIDS and the symptoms of various opportunistic infections. This unit starts their clinical training with basic information about HIV and AIDS.
Objectives
By the end of the unit, participants will be able to:
- Describe the concept of germ theory.
- Explain what the acronyms HIV and AIDS mean, what the diseases are and how they differ.
- Define the four different stages of HIV and AIDS.
- Recognize the major symptoms associated with HIV and AIDS.
- Explain that there are multiple opportunistic infections associated with AIDS.
Time Required
1 hour, 40 minutes
Unit Overview
Key Points
- HIV is a virus that multiplies in the body and destroys the immune system.
- When HIV multiplies in the body and destroys the immune system, people can get sick and die; this sickness is called AIDS.
- HIV has four stages: primary HIV infection, quiet HIV infection, active HIV infection, and AIDS.
- HIV often looks like a lot of other diseases.
- If someone has any AIDS-like symptoms, he or she should go to the clinic and get tested.
Download Files
To use this unit, you may download any or all of the four components:
- Facilitators' Manual (pdf) - English (4.2 MB) | Kinyarwanda (5.91 MB) | Kreyol (6.28 MB) | Sesotho (6.34 MB) | Chichewa (5.89 MB)
- Participants' Handbook (pdf) - English (10.7 MB) | Kinyarwanda (6.4 MB) | Kreyol (11.26 MB) | Sesotho (7 MB) | Chichewa (8.04 MB)
- Visual Aid (Powerpoint/pdf) - English [Flipcharts (3.1 MB) / Slides (2.4 MB)] | Kinyarwanda (6.34 MB) | Kreyol (8.47 MB) | Sesotho (6.53 MB)| Chichewa (7.26 MB)
- Visual Aid Notes (pdf) - Kinyarwanda (3.2 MB) | Kreyol (4.11 MB) | Sesotho (3.27 MB)