HIV/AIDS Statistics
As of December 2000

Statistics Include:

Cumulative data of people who tested positive for HIV
People who have been diagnosed with an AIDS-related infection
People living with HIV or AIDS

Region	HIV Cases (Reported)	AIDS Cases (Reported)	AIDS Related Deaths
Nipissing, Timiskaming & Muskoka	79	NA	NA
Northern Ontario	371	NA	NA
Ontario (Dec, 98)	19,459	6,502	6,270
Canada	48,014	16,913	11,000
World (as of June 2000)	34,3 Million	5.3 Million	2,83 million

Fact:

15,000 new infections a day worldwide
5.3 million people newly infected with HIV in 2000
9 out of 10 infected persons are not aware of their HIV status

Predictions in 1997 were that by the year 2000, 40 million people would be HIV positive.

*HIV data cumulative since 1985. World data cumulative since the beginning of the pandemic. All Ontario data is specific to the region where individuals were tested or diagnosed. It does not show the number of people who traveled out of their region to get tested.

Image of the deadly HIV virus (indicated by the color blue) emerging from a helper T-cell (white blood cell- considered to be a major component of the human immune system).

Q & A

1. What is HIV?

HUMAN IMMUNO-DEFICIENCY VIRUS. HIV is a virus that attacks the immune system. A healthy immune system usually has to constantly fight off numerous infections, viruses, cancers, etc. throughout the life of an individual.

2. What is AIDS?

Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome. A person gets AIDS when the HIV virus has weakened the immune system to the point where opportunistic infections are affecting the body.

3. When is the best time to get tested for HIV?

3 - 6 months after:

a person's last unprotected sexual encounter
sharing needles
direct contact with contaminated fluids

4. A person can be HIV+ and not know that they are positive because there is no signs or symptoms of the virus. This isthe asymptomatic stage. How many years can someone be asypmtomatic?

Up to 10 years or more depending on how healthy the individual was at the time of contracting the virus and how soon he/she finds out they are HIV+. The sooner one knows they are infected, the more precautions they can take and try to lead a healthier lifestyle to slow down the virus. This involves such things as stress reduction, healthy sleeping habits, taking medications and better nutrition.

5. Once the immune system becomes depleted, the body becomes more susceptible to rare infections and cancers. The body starts developing signs and symptoms. This is called the symptomatic stage. How long can someone be symptomatic?

Up to five years or more depending on how healthy they are and how soon they started taking HIV medications (if they choose to do so).

6. What are the symptoms of HIV infection?

Diarrhea, dry cough, chronic fatigue, persistent fever without signs of a flu, swollen glands, night sweats, skin rashes that often spread, weight loss of 10 pounds or more without dieting, oral problems such as white patches (thrush) on the gums, tongue or palate.

7. When is a person considered to have AIDS?

Their white blood cells (CD4) count goes below 200
They develop life threatening infections (Opportunistic infection) related to a depleted immune system.

8. How does the HIV virus attack the immune system?

It first enters the body and attaches itself to specific white blood cells called CD4.

Consider these white blood cells as Generals (or radars) in an army. They are the cells that recognize any virus and sends its soldiers (other white blood cells) to destroy it. The problem is, as the CD4 cells have the job of reproducing itself , the virus takes advantage of this and starts to massively reproduce itself within the CD4 cell. The cell reproduces so much of the HIV material that it explodes and the whole cycle starts over again. At the same time as this is happening, the other soldier cells produce antibodies that surround the infected white blood cell and try to neutralize it and eventually destroy it (the CD4 infected cell) and flush it out of the body.

In other words, the CD4 cell actually reproduces the virus and, by killing off all the generals (or radars), there is no one to direct the soldiers. From there, opportunistic infections are free to attack the body.

9. How many (CD4) white blood cells does a person generally have within their body?

1200 - 1500 cells (per drop of blood). These fluctuate in a healthy individual when colds, flues, etc. occur.

10. What is the normal life expectancy of a CD4cell?

35 years. CD4 cells have the added job of reproducing themselves to replace aging ones.

11. Name the four body fluids that have the most concentration of HIV?

Blood
Seminal Fluid
Vaginal Secretions
Breast milk

Testing

12. When should a person consider taking the test?

If they had unprotected sex or shared needles.
If they are feeling sick and they are worried that it might be because of HIV.
If they have been raped (male or female)
If they are considering having children or find out they are pregnant.

13. Where can someone get tested for HIV/AIDS?

Testing can be done either by a doctor or by a local health unit. It is recommended that people visit the Health Unit because they operate on a non-nominal (confidential) basis. That is, only the individual and the health unit knows the test results. They provide pre and post test counselling no matter if the individual is positive or negative.

14. Should a person get tested through their doctor?

If a person goes through their doctor and the test is positive, all information is recorded in their health record, and many people can have access to it. (i.e. insurance companies, loan agencies). If a person does not have a health unit in their area or does not have proper transportation to get to one, it is recommended that they go through their doctor. The important factor is to find out if they are infected so that they can take proper measures.

15. For testing, do we just go to the Health Unit or do we need to make an appointment for testing?

The North Bay and District Health Unit prefers that people call first and book an appointment. They do have drop-ins during their clinical hours. Please call the North Bay and District Health Unit for dates and times. (705) 474-1400.

16. Does an HIV+ result mean that a person can never have sex again?

No, it does mean that the individual should practice safer sex.

17. How accurate are HIV tests - Can they produce false negatives?

If a person gets tested between 3 to 6 months since their LAST risk behaviour, it would be extremely rare for the test to produce a false negative. The tests are very accurate. Tests are usually done at 3 months and then at 6 months to positively identify a negative or positive result. This is because at the time of infection there is a window period of 3 to 6 months where the virus may not appear on any HIV test.

18. Is there a vaccine for HIV/AIDS?

No. Currently there are health professionals who are working on a vaccine, with a few who are already in Phase III trials (testing on a human population), but we will not know the results for a few years still.

19. What is Post-Exposure Prophylaxis?

PEP is given to extreme cases of potential contact with HIV/AIDS. It is a drug regiment given within 72 hours of contact with a potential HIV/AIDS infected body fluid, to help stop the body from becoming HIV positive.

True or False

There is a cure for HIV/AIDS.	FALSE
A person can be HIV+ and not know it for many years.	TRUE
During the time that someone is asymptomatic, they cannot pass the virus on to others.	FALSE As soon as a person becomes infected, they are at risk of passing on the virus.
I can get HIV from a wet kiss (French kiss).	FALSE Blood, seminal fluid, vaginal secretions and breast milk are the only 4 body fluids for which HIV can be transmitted. There is a low risk of HIV transmission of the HIV virus in saliva. It is too minimal for someone to get infected by it. Also, scientists have recently discovered that saliva has an enzyme that inhibits HIV. If however, blood is present in the mouth of the infected individual (due to brushing teeth, etc.) and there are soars/cuts/abrasions in the mouth of the other individual, there is a low risk of HIV transmission.
In a situation where an individual is HIV+ and their partner is as well, they don't need to practice safer sex.	FALSE A popular belief that is being studied by scientists is that a partner may be in a later stage of the disease or have a different strain of the virus. If the two people do not practice safer sex, they are increasing their chances of reinfecting themselves with different strains of the virus. They also risk transmitting different Sexually Transmitted Diseases like Hepatitis, etc.
The HIV virus can become resistant to HIV medication.	TRUE There are experimental drugs that can slow down the spread of HIV within the body but do not eliminate it. The most popular and oldest of these drugs is AZT. After many years of clinical trials with AZT, researchers have become aware that the virus can become resistant to most HIV drugs, if the individual is not consistent in taking their medication. We now know that one individual drug isn't working and there is now combination therapies (3 to 4 anti-HIV drugs) which have shown that it can almost eliminate the virus from the body, but not totally. Recent studies have shown that the virus can also become resistant to combination therapy.

Risks

anal or vaginal sex - without a condom
sharing sex toys (dildos, vibrators, etc.)
sharing of used needles
infected pregnant mother to her baby
occupational exposure - e.g. health care workers with accidental needle stick injuries
blood transfusion
organ donations
oral sex - without a barrier (condom or dental dam)
tattoos / body piercing
rimming (anal licking)
mutual masturbation without finger condoms or gloves

Transmission

HIV is transmitted through:

1. Unprotected Sex

anal
vaginal
oral (includes rimming)

2. Blood

Receiving a tainted organ.
Receiving a tainted blood transfusions.
Sharing needles
Tattooing/Body Piercing
Accidental needle stick injuries

3. Mother to Child

in utero (HIV virus transmitted to baby through the placenta and the umbilical cord)
at birth (during delivery)
breast feeding

Prevention

How can I protect myself against HIV/AIDS?

1. Sex

abstinence (not having sex)
condoms (for oral sex, vaginal/anal intercourse)
dental dams (for oral sex [includes rimming])
behaviours that pose no risk (eg. Hugging, self masturbation, etc..)

2. Sharing needles

Abstinence (not using injection drugs)
Clean your needles with bleach (fill syringe with water and rinse, fill with bleach [this process must be done twice, hold for 30 seconds each time], rinse with water)
Use only new needles (available at the AIDS Committee of North Bay and Area, Health Unit, and the Nipissing Detox Centre)
Bring your used needles to ACNBA's needle exchange office.

3. Blood to blood

In Canada, (since 1985) blood supplies and organs are extensively tested for HIV and other viruses such as Hepatitis B and C.
When planning a trip out of the country, check medical authorities to make sure that those countries screen for HIV and other viruses to the same standard as Canada/USA.

4. Tattooing/Body Piercing

Odds of being infected with HIV are extremely low when receiving a tattoo from a professional, for they must use a new needle, new ink and be certified by the government in order to practice.

5. Mother to Child

Through education - before pregnancy (i.e. testing)
Assisting HIV+ mother with decisions (e.g. risks and side effects of taking medications)
New medications can help reduce the risk during pregnancy, at time of birth and after birth.

Information pertaining to HIV prevention does not necessarily apply to other Sexually Transmitted Diseases like chlamydia, hepatitis A-B-C, herpes, gonorrhea, syphilis, etc. For example, rimming (anal licking) is a theoretical/negligible transmission risk for HIV but is very risky for Hepatitis A. For more information on Sexually Transmitted Diseases, please contact the North Bay and District Health Unit at (705) 474-1400.

HIV/AIDS Statistics As of December 2000