IMPORTANT! This program
is meant to provide information of a general nature to employees who are
at little risk of being exposed to AIDS in the workplace.
IF YOU ARE EMPLOYED
IN A HIGH-RISK AREA OR OCCUPATION, SUCH AS THOSE INVOLVING LABORATORY WORK,
HEALTH OR PATIENT CARE, or PUBLIC SAFETY work, your agency is required to
provide you with more extensive training on AIDS. **Please
contact your supervisor or agency training coordinator for this additional
training.
** Agencies
required by OSHA regulations or internal policies to provide more extensive
training on AIDS/HIV/Bloodborne Pathogens, etc., ARE
NOT AUTHORIZED to substitute this program for that required
training.
Think you know all about
AIDS?
Take this quick quiz
HIV and AIDS in the United States:
Question 1: Which group has the highest rate of new HIV
infections? (Click on your answer)
A. Women
B. Homosexual men
C. African-American men
Question 2: Among people
under the age of 25, the rate of new HIV infections is highest among:
A. Homosexual males
B. Heterosexual males
C. Teenage girls
Question
3. For all
racial, ethnic and native groups in the U.S., the rate of new HIV infection is highest
among:
A. Whites
B. African-Americans
C. Latinos
Answer: WOMEN now have the
highest rate of new HIV infections
Women of color are especially affected:
AIDS-related illness is now the
LEADING CAUSE OF DEATH
for African-American women in the U.S.
Answer: TEENAGE GIRLS have
the fastest-growing rate of new HIV infections among people under 25 years old
Answer: African-Americans
In the U.S, African-Americans have the highest case rates of any native, ethnic
group, followed by Latinos, American Indian/Alaska natives, whites, and
Asian/Pacific Islanders.
AIDS results when the
immune system is destroyed by a virus called Human Immunodeficiency Virus
In the United States alone more than a million cases of
AIDS have been reported.
As many as 1/3 of the people carrying the
HIV virus do not know they are infected
There is no vaccine.
There is no cure.
SOME SCIENCE
HIV is the virus that CAUSES AIDS
Testing positive for HIV does NOT mean that a person has
active AIDS
T-cells help provide
immunity to disease
HIV cells invade the
T-Cells…
…and the virus begins to
replicate itself…
Though a
person infected with the HIV virus may be symptom-free for 8 to 10 years…In
many cases, the body will eventually no longer be able to fight off infections.
This will mark the onset of
active AIDS
HIV disease occurs on a continuum from initial exposure to
the production of antibodies to,finally,
full-blown active AIDS
Not everyone infected with
HIV will develop active AIDS,
but they may be able to transmit the virus.
How is HIV transmitted?
HIV is BLOOD-BORNE:
It is transmitted through
blood and body fluids
Specifically, HIV is transmitted through
Blood
Semen
Vaginal fluids
Breast milk
How is HIV transmitted?
Common methods of
transmission:
o Unprotected sex with an infected
partner
o Sharing a contaminated needle (drug,
but also tattoo and body piercing needles)
o Birth to or breastfeeding from an
infected mother
o Receiving a contaminated blood
product
HIV is NOT transmitted
Through casual contact, such as sharing office space, or by
sharing eating utensils or dishes used by someone with HIV disease or AIDS.
Though mosquitoes can
transmit saliva-borne diseases such as West Nile virus and malaria, they CANNOT
transmit the blood-borne HIV virus.
U.S. TRENDS: Race
Minority groups are
disproportionately
affected by AIDS
African-Americans have the highest case
rates of any native, ethnic group, followed by Latinos, American Indian/Alaska
natives, whites, and Asian/Pacific Islanders.
U.S. TRENDS: Race
In 2001, AIDS was the 3rd leading
cause of death among African-American men between the ages of 25 and 34…
U.S. Trends: Women
Women now account for about
a quarter of new AIDS cases, up from 7% in 1986.
U.S. Trends: Age
One-half of new HIV infections are estimated to occur among
those under the age of 25.
Teenage girls represent more than half of these new cases.
Most young people are infected through sex. 1
Some GOOD news:
Thanks to improved education and testing efforts…
…it is now very rare for
HIV
to be transmitted through blood
transfusions or between health care workers and their patients.
Thanks to improved
treatments:
Ø There are drugs to prevent transmission of HIV
from a pregnant woman to her unborn child
Ø Those who are HIV positive are staying
symptom-free for longer periods of time
Ø Those with active AIDS are living longer and
are better able to manage AIDS-related symptoms
Then why are we still so concerned?
Because more people are becoming infected
Now, in the United States,
40,000 people become
infected with HIV each year
• Locally, the reported number of AIDS cases have begun to rise again:
AIDS Cases Reported in
North Carolina 1998-2002
AIDS Cases Reported in
North Carolina 2000-2002
And remember:
• There is no cure
• There is no vaccine
Preventing the spread of
AIDS
• Use condoms
• Do not share needles
• Wear disposable gloves when in
contact with blood or body fluids
• Get tested if you may have been
exposed to HIV
Preventing the spread of
HIV requires behavior change:
HIV is rarely transmitted
‘accidentally’: you have to do something to get it.
SO:
• Use condoms
• Avoid risky sexual behaviors
• Don’t share ANY needles
TESTING
• There is a test that will detect the
presence of HIV antibodies.
• In North Carolina this test is confidential but not
anonymous: positive test results will be reported to the Board of Health.
TREATMENT
While a cure has not been
found, some drugs have been effective in slowing the progress of the disease
and in treating the infections that come with active AIDS
Why is AIDS a workplace
issue?
• Discrimination against people with
HIV threatens fundamental principles and rights at work
• Misinformation and discrimination
against people with HIV undermine efforts for prevention and care
• The disease cuts the supply of labor
and reduces income for many workers
• Valuable skills and experience are
lost
•
Human lives are
lost 2
•
It is the State’s policy not to discriminate against
any applicant or employee who has or is suspected of having AIDS or HIV
infection. The State recognizes that an employee with AIDS or HIV
infection may wish to continue working. As long as the employee is able
to satisfactorily perform the duties of the job [G.S. 168A-3(9), 130A-148C(i)] and there is no medical
evidence indicating that employee’s condition is a health threat to employees,
co-workers or the public, an employee shall not be denied continued employment
nor shall an applicant be denied employment solely because of a medical
condition.
•
The employee is also entitled to a work environment
free of other discrimination or harassment.
What if I am exposed at
work?
If you come in contact with
blood or other body fluids:
Wash the area with soap and water
If splashed in eyes, rinse
eyes with
sterile solution or
clean water
If splashed in mouth,
rinse immediately
with lots of water
Fill out an accident report
Get referrals for medical
assessment, testing and counseling
•
An employee who has had a nonsexual blood or
body fluid exposure to the HIV virus while on the job may voluntarily elect to
be tested for the HIV infection.
•
The cost of tests for the exposed employee shall
be borne by the employer, if requested by the employee. Some employees
may prefer to pay for their own test through a personal or family physician, or
use the free testing of a Public Health Department.
Credits
1 "The HIV/AIDS Epidemic in the United States," (#3029-03), The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation, March 2004. This
information was reprinted with permission from the Henry J. Kaiser Family
Foundation. The Kaiser Family Foundation, based in Menlo Park, California, is a nonprofit, independent
national health care philanthropy and is not associated with Kaiser Permanente
or Kaiser Industries.
• Comments on impact of AIDS on the
workforce courtesy of ILO/AIDS. Used
with permission.
• Image of HIV antibody cell courtesy
of University of Pennsylvania Office of Health Education. Used with permission.
• Image of T-cells courtesy of
University of Pittsburgh Center for Biologic Imaging. Used with permission.
• Special thanks to narrator Michael Telesca.
Copyright ©2004 NC Office
of State Personnel/Jane Bozarth