- Approximately 650,000 to 900,000 people in the US are living with HIV, many unaware of their infection status. HIV is most easily transmitted through exposure to contaminated blood, especially through needle sharing and unprotected sex while under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
- Substance use can interfere with HIV medication effectiveness and damage the immune system, worsening health outcomes. A multidisciplinary approach is needed to effectively address both substance abuse and HIV.
- HIV testing and counseling helps people understand their risks, make behavioral changes to reduce transmission, and seek medical care if infected. However, some myths persist about transmission and many people engage in high risk behaviors.
2. 650,000 to 900,000 people in the U.S. are
living with HIV
Many people who are infected don’t
know it
HIV is most easily transmitted by exposure
to contaminated blood
Drug use can result in poor
judgment, unprotected sex and to
sharing needles
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3. Alcohol and drug use can:
› interfere with HIV medications
› inhibit the body’s immune system
› lead to poor health behaviors further
compromising immunity
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4. Medical providers
Mental health
Substance abuse
Public health
Social support groups
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5. Myth: If you are HIV positive, it does not
matter what you do.
Myth: You can avoid HIV if you are careful
and avoid repeated risky behaviors.
Myth: You can tell whether your sex (or
injection) partners are infected.
Myth: As long as you get treated for any
sexually transmitted diseases, you won’t get
HIV.
Myth: Washing after sex will prevent HIV.
Myth: If you don’t share syringes, you can’t
catch HIV.
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6. Within the past 3 to 6 months, have you
had unprotected:
Vaginal sex?
›
Anal sex?
›
Oral sex?
›
Sex for money or drugs?
›
Sex with more than three people?
›
Sex with an injection drug user?
›
Sex with someone you think has HIV/AIDS?
›
When you have sex, do you sometimes
or never use condoms?
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7. Do you use drugs before or after sex?
When you use drugs, do you:
Use syringes?
›
Share syringes?
›
Clean your works?
›
Use crack or powder cocaine?
›
Use several drugs at the same time?
›
If your client answers positively for half or
more of these questions, then your client
has a high risk of having HIV or getting
HIV.
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8. Use condoms
Don’t share syringes
Use new syringes
Disinfect drug paraphernalia
Get proper medical care before, during
and after pregnancy
Elect to have cesarean delivery
Avoid reinfection
Observe universal precautions as directed
If exposed, begin postexposure prophylaxis
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9. In promoting risk reduction, the clinician’s
goals are to:
› Help and support the client in understanding
the need for behavior change
› Assist the client in addressing cultural
practices or beliefs that might contribute to
resisting change
› Assist the client in developing skills to sustain
behavior change
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11. Pre- and posttest counseling should be
performed by a trained HIV clinician
Counseling should:
› Explain the limitations of HIV tests
› Help clients assess their risks
› Encourage and reinforce behavior change
› Refer infected clients for medical care
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12. ELISA (enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay)
› typically used as a first test
Western blot
› typically a second test
Rapid HIV tests
Home sample collection tests
Positive result
› a second test is needed to confirm
Negative result
› a second test is needed in about 6 months to
make rule out a false-negative
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13. All States require AIDS cases to be
reported
Some States also require that new cases
of HIV infection be reported
Reports are forwarded to the CDC
State laws vary regarding whether
reports must include client-identifying
information
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14. Testing is needed to determine the
disease progression
› The CD4+ T cell count (More info)
› The viral load count
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16. First combination of medications
prescribed for the patient will be the
most effective
Adherence leads to:
› a healthier, longer life
› prevention of the development of drug-
resistant strain(s) of HIV
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17. Addiction or mental health relapse
Living in an institution
Side effects
Affordability
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18. Write down instructions
Use a timer to ensure proper dosing
Use a check-sheet to notate dosage
Provide positive feedback
Empathize and advocate regarding
medication side effects
Use visual cues for persons with impaired
language/cognitive abilities
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19. Take all medications as prescribed
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21. Socioeconomic status
› level
› whether it impacts client’s illness
Degree of acculturation
Heterogeneity of cultural, racial and
ethnic groups
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22. Role of the family in treatment
Importance of spirituality in treatment
Degree of trust in the health care system
Views toward injection drug use and
unprotected sex
Reliance on verbal communication in
medical treatment
Ways in which safer sex practices are
negotiated
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23. Identity as caregiver is a powerful factor
in her reluctance to seek testing
Reproductive decision making
Gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender
clients deal with the social stigma
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24. Listen with empathy and understanding
Elicit cultural information from the client
Acknowledge and discuss differences
and similarities between cultures
Recommend action, treatment and
intervention that incorporate cultural
knowledge
Negotiate agreements and differences
with the client
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26. Events which may initiate client relapse:
› Taking an HIV test
› Receiving HIV test results
› Experiencing the first symptoms of HIV
› Experiencing the first AIDS-related hospitalization
› Being diagnosed with AIDS
› A friend or significant other dying from AIDS
› Beginning the medication regimen for HIV
› Experiencing little or no response to various
medications
› Decreasing CD4+ T cell count or increasing viral
load
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27. Peer support
Medical intervention for pain
Relaxation and stress management
Recreation
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28. Consider organizing separate groups for:
› Clients who are newly aware of their positive
HIV status
› Clients who are asymptomatic or mildly
symptomatic
› Clients with more advanced disease
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29. Issues:
› Loss
› Unfinished business
› Pain management
› Religious and cultural traditions
Clients can be encouraged to:
› Make a will
› Arrange for child custody
› Decide about health care directives
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30. 5 stages when coping with death or loss
1. Denial
2. Anger
3. Bargaining
4. Depression
5. Acceptance
Normalize their reactions
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31. Acknowledge deaths
› attendance at memorial services, if appropriate
Encourage the expression of grief both
verbally and nonverbally
› art therapy
Provide grief group support
› for clients and significant others
Help clients leave a legacy of living
memories
› video or cassette recordings for others
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32. Medical
Dental
Hospice
HIV organizations and support groups
Local health departments
Legal assistance providers
Agencies providing housing, financial
assistance, medical care funding
Mental health providers
Members of the criminal justice community
Spiritual caregivers
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33. Equal access to health care and
substance abuse treatment is
guaranteed
State laws regulate the disclosure of
patient information related to HIV/AIDS
which differ from other health
information
If in doubt, always consult your legal
counsel
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34. HIV/AIDS as a second, third or fourth
diagnosis to be integrated into
comprehensive treatment
HIV/AIDS counseling and education
should be available at every treatment
facility or detoxification unit
Patients who receive adequate early
intervention can live longer, healthier
lives
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35. The Ryan White CARE Act
› HRSA Grant Application Center
(877) 477-2123
http://www.hrsa.gov
› Title I Information (301) 443-9086
› Title II Information (301) 443-6745
› Title III Information (301) 443-0735
› Title IV Information (301) 443-9051
› See TIP 37 Appendix F for further information
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CD4 (T-CELL) TESTSWHAT ARE CD4 CELLS?WHY ARE CD4 CELLS IMPORTANT IN HIV?WHAT FACTORS INFLUENCE A CD4 CELL COUNT?HOW ARE THE TEST RESULTS REPORTED?WHAT DO THE NUMBERS MEAN?WHAT ARE CD4 CELLS?CD4 cells are a type of lymphocyte (white blood cell). They are an important part of the immune system. CD4 cells are sometimes called T-cells. There are two main types of T-cells. T-4 cells, also called CD4+, are \"helper\" cells. They lead the attack against infections. T-8 cells, (CD8+), are \"suppressor\" cells that end the immune response. CD8+ cells can also be ?killer? cells that kill cancer cells and cells infected with a virus. Researchers can tell these cells apart by specific proteins on the cell surface. A T-4 cell is a T-cell with CD4 molecules on its surface. This type of T-cell is also called ?CD4 positive,? or CD4+. WHY ARE CD4 CELLS IMPORTANT IN HIV?When HIV infects humans, the cells it infects most often are CD4 cells. The virus becomes part of the cells, and when they multiply to fight an infection, they also make more copies of HIV.When someone is infected with HIV for a long time, the number of CD4 cells they have (their CD4 cell count) goes down. This is a sign that the immune system is being weakened. The lower the CD4 cell count, the more likely the person will get sick.There are millions of different families of CD4 cells. Each family is designed to fight a specific type of germ. When HIV reduces the number of CD4 cells, some of these families can be totally wiped out. You can lose the ability to fight off the particular germs those families were designed for. If this happens, you might develop an opportunistic infection (See Fact Sheet 500). WHAT FACTORS INFLUENCE A CD4 CELL COUNT?The CD4 cell value bounces around a lot. Time of day, fatigue, and stress can affect the test results. It's best to have blood drawn at the same time of day for each CD4 cell test, and to use the same laboratory.Infections can have a large impact on CD4 cell counts. When your body fights an infection, the number of white blood cells (lymphocytes) goes up. CD4 and CD8 counts go up, too. Vaccinations can cause the same effects. Don't check your CD4 cells until a couple of weeks after you recover from an infection or get a vaccination.HOW ARE THE TEST RESULTS REPORTED?CD4 cell tests are normally reported as the number of cells in a cubic millimeter of blood, or mm3. There is some disagreement about the normal range for CD4 cell counts, but normal CD4 counts are between 500 and 1600, and CD8 counts are between 375 and 1100. CD4 counts drop dramatically in people with HIV, in some cases down to zero.The ratio of CD4 cells to CD8 cells is often reported. This is calculated by dividing the CD4 value by the CD8 value. In healthy people, this ratio is between 0.9 and 1.9, meaning that there are about 1 to 2 CD4 cells for every CD8 cell. In people with HIV infection, this ratio drops dramatically, meaning that there are many times more CD8 cells than CD4 cells.Because the CD4 counts are so variable, some health care providers prefer to look at the CD4 percentages. These percentages refer to total lymphocytes. If your test reports CD4% = 34%, that means that 34% of your lymphocytes were CD4 cells. This percentage is more stable than the number of CD4 cells. The normal range is between 20% and 40%. A CD4 percentage below 14% indicates serious immune damage. It is a sign of AIDS in people with HIV infection. A recent study showed that the CD4% is a predictor of HIV disease progression. WHAT DO THE NUMBERS MEAN?The meaning of CD8 cell counts is not clear, but it is being studied.The CD4 cell count is a key measure of the health of the immune system. The lower the count, the greater damage HIV has done. Anyone who has less than 200 CD4 cells, or a CD4 percentage less than 14%, is considered to have AIDS according to the US Centers for Disease Control.CD4 counts are used together with the viral load to estimate how long someone will stay healthy. See Fact Sheet 125 for more information on the viral load test.CD4 counts are also used to indicate when to start certain types of drug therapy:When to start antiretroviral therapy (ART):When the CD4 count goes below 350, most health care providers begin ART (see Fact Sheet 403). Also, some health care providers use the CD4% going below 15% as a sign to start aggressive ART, even if the CD4 count is high. More conservative health care providers might wait until the CD4 count drops to near 200 before starting treatment. A recent study found that starting treatment with a CD4% below 5% was strongly linked to a poor outcome.When to start drugs to prevent opportunistic infections:Most health care providers prescribe drugs to prevent opportunistic infections at the following CD4 levels:Less than 200: pneumocystis pneumonia (PCP)Less than 100: toxoplasmosis and cryptococcosisLess than 75: mycobacterium avium complex (MAC). Because they are such an important indicator of the strength of the immune system, official treatment guideline in the US suggest that CD4 counts be monitored every 3 to 4 months. See Fact Sheet 404 for more information on the treatment guidelines.