Health Services
Self Care

HIV/AIDS

Description
AIDS is a late stage of HIV disease which is caused by a virus called the human immunodeficiency virus or HIV. An individual may experience a large range of symptoms from none at all to severe symptoms which may constitute a diagnosis of AIDS. On average, an individual may be infected with HIV for 10 years or more before receiving an AIDS diagnosis. It is estimated that 1 in every 500 U.S. college students, and 1 in every 330 UCLA students may be HIV positive

Transmission
HIV is a relatively difficult virus to "catch." It is transmitted through blood, semen, vaginal secretions and breast milk. HIV is not transmitted through saliva, sweat or tears unless blood is present. The following activities are considered risky:

• Any sexual contact that includes the exchange of infected blood, semen, or vaginal secretions. This includes unprotected vaginal or anal intercourse. The risk of giving oral sex is uncertain but it appears to be lower than unprotected vaginal or anal intercourse. The risk from receiving oral sex seems extremely low.
• Any type of needle sharing, whether for drug use, steroids, tattooing or piercing.
• Transfusions of blood or blood products infected with HIV. Since the testing of blood began in 1985, the risk of transmission has been greatly reduced.

Prevention
Individuals can greatly reduce their risk of HIV infection in the following ways:

• Sexual abstinence is the only 100% effective way to prevent sexual transmission. Abstinence does not mean no intimacy. Activities such as hugging or massage are considered safe.
• If you are sexually active, use a condom for vaginal or anal intercourse. Also use a condom for oral sex on a man or a latex barrier for oral sex on a woman.
• Don't share needles for any reason.
• Don't mix alcohol and other drugs with sex. They can cloud your judgement and increase the likelihood of unsafe sex.

Testing
There is no specific test to diagnose AIDS. The current test, the HIV Antibody test, indicates whether or not an individual has produced antibodies (infection-fighting cells) in response to the presence of HIV.

A positive test result means that antibodies were found in the blood upon testing. Whether an individual who tests positive will go on to develop AIDS cannot presently be predicted.

A negative result indicates that no antibodies to the virus were found in the blood at the time of testing. The reasons for this may be that the person (1) has not been infected with the virus, or (2) has been infected but was tested before the development of antibodies. Antibodies can develop anywhere from 2 weeks to 6 months after infection. This time range is called the "window period." A person could test negative during the window period when they are actually positive because their body has not yet begun to produce HIV antibodies. Because of this, individuals should consider being retested in 6 months. If the individual has not engaged in any new risk-taking activities within that period, s/he can consider the test result to be accurate.

Testing can be done on either an anonymous or confidential basis. With anonymous testing, there is no record connecting the identity of the person with the test results, thereby insuring privacy. In confidential testing, a record indicates that an individual has taken the HIV antibody test and the results, but the records should not be released without patient authorization.

More Information/Questions
Messiah College students may call Student Health Service at (717) 691-6035 for more information.