Consider the Following: How much about HIV do I know, and how much do my clients know?
What is HIV?
The Human Immunodeficiency Virus, or HIV, is a type of virus that attacks the body’s immune system. If not treated, HIV can lead to Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome, or AIDS. While there is no cure for HIV, it can be controlled with proper medical care. Medications called antiretrovirals (ARVs, also know as antiretroviral therapy or ART) can decrease the amount of virus present in a person’s blood. Once the amount of virus is undetectable, a person is virally suppressed, and can no longer transmit HIV to other people.
How can HIV be transmitted?
HIV can be transmitted through the swapping of bodily fluids such as blood, semen, rectal fluids, vaginal fluids, and breastmilk. The three most common methods of transmission in the United States are male-to-male sexual contact, heterosexual sexual contact, and injection drug use.
Ways HIV CAN be transmitted
- Anal sex
- Being the receptive partner is riskier than the insertive partner.
- Vaginal sex
- Oral sex
- While less common, seminal fluid can enter sores in the mouth like ulcers or bleeding gums.
- Mother-to-baby
- HIV can be transmitted during pregnancy, birth, or breastfeeding. This method of transmission is the most common way children get HIV.
- Sharing injection drug use equipment
- Using the same needles or syringes as a person living with HIV can lead to transmission.
- Organ donation or blood transfusion
Ways HIV CANNOT be transmitted
- Saliva, tears, or sweat
- Mosquito or tick bites
- Sharing dishes
- When the HIV epidemic was beginning, many people living with HIV were made to eat from disposable plates.
- Hugging
- Kissing
- Sharing toilet seats
- Shaking hands
- Through the air
Where did HIV come from?
HIV originally existed in a type of Central African chimpanzee, and was transmitted to humans as early as the late 1800’s. Once it was transmitted to humans, HIV spread across Africa, later affecting other parts of the word. HIV has existed in the United States since at least the mid 1970’s, though it wasn’t recognized until the 1980’s. To learn more about the history of HIV in the US, read through the timeline below. It is important to recognize that although the history of HIV often focuses on male-to-male sexual contact, HIV has affected heterosexual individuals since the beginning as well. Stigma plays a large role in the way HIV has evolved in the United States, and recognizing that HIV affects many different groups of people is important in reducing that stigma.
- June 1981: The first appearance of HIV. Today, the CDC estimates that roughly 42,500 cases of HIV were present at this time. Media surrounding HIV and AIDS often made people feel isolated and hopeless.
- 1982: The term AIDS is coined. This new condition was thought to affect “The Four Hs:” homosexuals, Haitians, hemophiliacs, and heroin users.
- 1985: President Reagan publicly referred to AIDS. The first test was developed, and hysteria surrounding HIV was fueled by ongoing homophobia and racism. People begin talking about AIDS Survivor Syndrome, which describes a spectrum of trauma that resulted from living through the AIDS pandemic. Symptoms include depression, social withdrawal, nightmares, cognitive impairment, and survivor’s guilt.
- 1986: The CDC recognizes that Black and Hispanic communities were getting hit the hardest but did not respond. As a response, leaders from marginalized communities responded. Black Pride events were created, and POC actresses and activists were open about their status.
- Katrina Haslip was an actress and activist who influenced policy to expand the AIDS definition, ensuring more people would receive funding and treatment.
- Eliana Martinez, an 8-year-old child, was told she could only come to school if she stayed in a box.
- 1987: The AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power, ACT UP, is founded. ACT UP is a political action group centered around treatment and funding for people living with HIV and AIDS. They took the stance that a diagnosis necessitates activism– you cannot unlink an HIV-positive status from being an HIV activist.
- August 18, 1990: Ryan White Comprehensive AIDS Resources Emergency (CARE) Act is established. This is the largest federal program dedicated to HIV treatment, serving 575,661 clients in 2021.
- 1994: AIDS becomes the leading cause of death in people aged 25-44.
- 1996: AIDS is no longer the leading cause of death in people aged 25-44, except in African American populations.
- 1998: A State of Emergency is declared in African American communities.
- 1999: 1st National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day.
- 2000: New diagnoses in Black and Hispanic men outpaces White counterparts.
- 2004: HIV becomes the leading cause of death for Black women.
- 2008: 1 in 32 Black women will be diagnosed with HIV in their lifetime.
- 2014: Southeastern US is the new epicenter of the epidemic. 50% of all new diagnoses come from the Southeast.
- 2017: The CDC reports that 1 in 2 Black gay men, and 1 in 4 Latinx gay men, will be diagnosed with HIV. 67% of female diagnoses are Black women.
- 2019: Over the previous 8 years, there has been a 68% increase in Latinx men who have sex with men HIV diagnoses.
To read more about the topics described above, check out the “Further Readings” section below.
Ending the HIV Epidemic (EHE) is an initiative created by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services aimed at reducing new HIV infections and increasing HIV prevention and treatment options in the United States. There are four main pillars of EHE: Diagnose, Treat, Prevent, and Respond. The next sections will walk through each of these pillars.
Check your knowledge:
✓ What is HIV?
✓ How is HIV transmitted?
✓ What are some key points in the history of HIV in the US?