HIV/AIDS

Upon completion of the course you’ll be able to:

1. Describe how HIV is transmitted and dispel some of the common misconceptions about how one cannot get HIV.
2. Describe the presence and possibility of transmission of HIV in households, food- service establishments, through kissing, biting, saliva, tears, sweat and insects.
3. Distinguish HIV-from HIV-with respect to its infectiousness, prevalence, testing and clinical treatment.
4. Describe the natural history of HIV infection in adults and the progression of the disease to AIDS.
5. Discuss the CDC system for classifying HIV infection and AIDS in adults and adolescents in the U.S. and identify clinical conditions under each of the three categories.
6. Contrast the clinical HIV staging system used by the World Health Organization with the one used in the U.S. and identify the performance scale criteria that define the classical stages of the disease.
7. Define “viral set-point” and indicate its use in predicting the rate of future progression of the illness.
8. List various laboratory tests used as indicators of prognosis and/or stage of illness in HIV infection and weigh their advantages and disadvantages.
9. List host factors, viral factors, acquired factors and clinical indicators that influence the rate of HIV-disease progression.
10. Describe the measures that should be taken to control the HIV epidemic worldwide.
11. Identify the three primary routes of HIV transmission and indicate the relative risk of infection.
12. Discuss the three factors_infectiousness of the host, susceptibility of the recipient and the quantity and infectivity of the virus_that influence the transmission of HIV infection.
13. Identify the HIV/AIDS prevention needs of women.
14. Address the special challenges posed to the prevention of HIV epidemic in the African American community.
15. Describe the epidemiology of HIV/AIDS among Hispanics in the U.S. and compare HIV exposure risks for U.S.-born Hispanics and Hispanics born in their countries.
16. Describe the epidemiology of HIV/AIDS among America ‘s youth.
17. Indicate various categories of persons for whom counseling and early diagnosis of HIV infection are recommended.
18. List the categories of people for whom HIV-testing is indicated.
19. Describe the standard screening test for antibody to HIV and contrast it with the rapid HIV testing.
20. Discuss the various advantages and disadvantages of rapid HIV test as compared to an EIA.
21. Understand the importance of measuring HIV-RNA blood levels (viral load.)
22. Explain what “undetectable” level of HIV in the blood means.
23. List steps for the correct use of condoms.
24. List goals and objectives of HIV counseling, testing and referral services.
25. Describe necessary elements of HIV counseling, testing and referral services.
26. Develop and monitor standards and guidelines for HIV counseling, testing and referral program.
27. Formulate an HIV-prevention counseling program based on the standards and guidelines established by the CDC.
28. Design and set up a program for notification of HIV test results depending upon the results being positive, negative or indeterminate.
29. Describe what the counselor should do with respect to repeat testing if the previous HIV-test was positive or negative or indeterminate.
30. Provide counseling to clients who doubt previous seropositive test results.
31. Discuss the partner notification program as a means to identify and target risk-reduction seduction to individuals at high risk for contracting or transmitting HIV infection.
32. Identify and describe the two complementary notification processes used to identify partners: patient referral and provider referral.
33. Describe the five goals of HIV prevention case management (PCM).
34. Differentiate PCM from other HIV risk-reduction activities, such as street outreach and HIV counseling and testing.
35. Make the connection between sexually transmitted diseases and HIV and explain how other STDs facilitate HIV transmission.
36. Point to the new evidence of the effectiveness of STD treatment in HIV prevention.
37. Point to statistics showing the effectiveness of condoms in preventing HIV and STDs.
38. Discuss the study sponsored by the CDC that quantified the risk of HIV infection associated with oral transmission.
39. Describe the prevalence of HIV among men who have sex with men and outline the measures to combat the spread of STDs and HIV in this population group.
40. Describe the risk of HIV transmission among women who have sex with women and list specific measures that should be taken to reduce their risk of contracting HIV.
41. Discuss the injection drug use and the transmission of HIV and other blood-borne infections.
42. Make specific recommendations to drug users who continue to inject to reduce the public and individual health risks.
43. Describe the extent of the problem in curbing the transmission of HIV and other blood-borne diseases in the intravenous drug-using (IDU) population.
44. Enunciate the basic principles underlying the comprehensive approach to working with IDUs.
45. Outline various strategies to prevent blood-borne infections among IDUs that include substance abuse treatment, community outreach, access to sterile syringes, services in the criminal justice system, prevention through sexual transmission and counseling and testing services.
46. Define universal precautions and list body fluids to which universal precautions apply and those to which they do not apply.
47. Discuss precautions that a healthcare worker should take for other body fluids in special settings.
48. Describe general guidelines for healthcare workers in the use of protective barriers.
49. Discuss why the routine use of gloves for all phlebotomies is not necessary.
50. Identify general guidelines in the selection and use of gloves in healthcare settings.
51. Explain the existing recommendations for the use of antiretroviral drugs after occupational and nonoccupational exposures to HIV.
52. Articulate why antiretroviral drug therapy for sexual, drug use, or other nonoccupational exposures to HIV should not be used.
53. Discuss the risk of infection to HBV, HCV and HIV following occupational exposures to blood and explain the treatment measures that should be taken following the exposure.
54. Identify 1essential elements of comprehensive programs for the prevention of HIV Infection.
55. Discuss guiding principles that form the basis of comprehensive HIV prevention programs targeted toward specific population groups, such as high-risk individuals, partners of infected individuals, HIV-infected individuals engaging in sexual and drug-related behaviors that put them at risk, youth, inmates in correctional facilities and healthcare workers.
56. Provide comprehensive HIV prevention interventions for substance abusers.
57. Identify the prevention measures for the transmission of perinatal HIV.
58. Evaluate the risk healthcare workers face of getting HIV on the job.
59. Evaluate the risk of patients in a dentist’s or doctor’s office of getting HIV.
60. Review the effectiveness of HIV prevention programs targeted toward changing personal behaviors, sexual education, intravenous drug users, HIV-infected pregnant women, blood banks and healthcare workers.
61. Recount the dramatic success of protease inhibitors in the treatment of patients infected with HIV.
62. Answer specific questions of people living with HIV/AIDS, including progression to AIDS, opportunistic infections, antiretroviral drug therapy and safe sexual behavior.
63. Counsel an HIV-infected person with the precautions he or she should take with food and water to avoid illnesses.
64. Provide specific tips to HIV-infected individuals regarding safe drinking water, fruits, vegetables, meat, poultry and fish to remain healthy.