Acquired immune deficiency syndrome or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) is a disease of the human immune system caused by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). This condition progressively reduces the effectiveness of the immune system and leaves individuals susceptible to opportunistic infections.
AIDS is caused by Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV). According to HIV/AIDS in Rural America: Challenges and Promising Strategies, the CDC reports that by the end of 2007, 56,209 rural people had been diagnosed with AIDS. This number does not include those whose HIV infection has not progressed to AIDS, those who don’t know they are infected with HIV, those who have migrated to rural areas after diagnosis, or those who are diagnosed in urban areas and do not provide their rural home address to avoid hometown stigma.
The CDC collects statistics and data regarding HIV surveillance in both urban and rural areas.
Living with AIDS/HIV in rural areas creates challenges. These may include having to travel long distances for HIV/AIDS care, close-knit social networks that make it hard to get tested, and having fewer local resources for health care.
HIV in the United States, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, reports that more than 18,000 people with AIDS die each year in the United States. It is important to note that not everyone with the HIV or AIDS virus dies of AIDS. Many die of AIDS-related complications, not AIDS itself. The number of deaths of persons with an AIDS diagnosis has stabilized in recent years at around 16,500-18,000 per year. Deaths of persons with an AIDS diagnosis may be due to any cause.
While treatment of the disease is possible to varying degrees of success, prevention is the key, mainly through education as well as other strategies. Through early intervention and education, city officials, teachers, community activists, and health care providers can work together to mitigate this devastating disease.
Sources
HIV/AIDS in Rural America: Challenges and Promising Strategies, Rural Center for AIDS/STD Prevention; HIV in the United States, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; HIV Surveillance in Urban and Nonurban Areas, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Frequently Asked Questions
Tools
2008 State Profiles: Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program
Web site
Interactive profiles include information on funding, services provided, and people served through the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program.
Act Against AIDS
Web site
Provides basic education about HIV/AIDS as well as referrals to HIV prevention and testing services, and organizations throughout the nation.
AIDS Education and Training Centers (AETC) National Resource Center
Web site
Provides training materials, clinical information resources, news, and a directory of AETC regional training centers for healthcare providers treating patients with HIV/AIDS.
AIDSinfo
Hotline/Toll Free Telephone
Provides information in Spanish and English on HIV/AIDS treatment, prevention, and research. Includes a glossary of HIV/AIDS terms designed to help health professionals, researchers, and people living with HIV/AIDS and their families and friends. Offers confidential Live Help from 12:00-4:00 EST, Monday - Friday, 1-800-448-0440.
CDC - HIV/AIDS
Web site
Provides information and resources including fact sheets, Question and Answers section, journal articles, reports, prevention and testing documents.
CDC - HIV/AIDS - Contact Us
Hotline/Toll Free Telephone
1-800-CDC-INFO (232-4636)
An AIDS hotline with Spanish Service and TTY Service that takes calls from people with questions about prevention, risk, testing, treatment and other HIV/AIDS- related concerns. Information Specialists are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and can answer questions, provide referrals, and send free publications through email and postal mail. Formerly called the CDC National AIDS Hotline.
CDC HIV/AIDS Statistics and Surveillance
Web site
Presents basic statistics, fact sheets, and guidelines on HIV and AIDS in the United States. Tracks HIV and AIDS trends.
CDC National Prevention Information Network (NPIN)
Web site
A service of the CDC National Center for HIV, STD, TB Prevention. Provides an extensive collection of information and resources on HIV, STD and TB prevention.
CDC-INFO
Web site
Single source for accurate, timely, consistent, and science-based information on a variety of disease prevention and health promotion topics. Representatives are available to answer questions in English and Spanish.
Greater Than Aids
Web site
An interactive website with the purpose to elevate the public’s knowledge and understanding of HIV/AIDS and confront the stigma surrounding the disease. Although national in scope, the effort is targeting communities most heavily affected, based on HIV/AIDS incidence and prevalence data.
HIV and AIDS: Medicines to Help You
Web site
A guide to help HIV/AIDs patients talk to their doctor about the HIV medicines they are taking. Provides basic facts about the HIV medicines that have been approved by the FDA.
HIV Prevention Toolkit
Web site
A collection of tools related to the Diffusion of Effective Behavioral Interventions (DEBIs), cultural competence, needs assessments, facilitation techniques and other content areas that could benefit an organization in implementing and improving HIV prevention services. Available in Spanish.
HIV/AIDS
Web site
Provides data and information on the HIV/AIDS epidemic, including policy reports, fact sheets, and survey data, and HIV/AIDS initiatives.
HIV/AIDS Awareness Days
Web site
Provides information to educate, motivate, and mobilize local communities in their fight against HIV/AIDS.
HIV/AIDS Bureau (HAB)
Web site
Formed to consolidate all programs funded under the Ryan White Comprehensive AIDS Resources Emergency (CARE) Act. The CARE Act was signed into law on August 15, 1990 to improve the quality and availability of care for people with HIV/AIDS and their families.
HIV/AIDS in the U.S.: The Basics
Web site
Contains links to key research, policy analysis, fact sheets, and data and statistics on HIV/AIDS policy.
HIV/AIDS Information
Web site
Provides news, data and statistics, prevention and treatment information, funding, and publications.
HRSA Information Center
Web site
Provides publications, information, resources, and referrals about health care services for medically underserved individuals and populations.
National HIV and STD Testing Resources
Web site
Provides facts, free materials and a search tool for finding local testing sites for HIV/AIDS via the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
National HIV/AIDS Clinicians' Consultation Center
Hotline/Toll Free Telephone
Expert advice for health care providers caring for persons with HIV/AIDS or managing occupational exposures. Provides consultation that is:
current in the latest developments, customized, comprehensive (utilizing multi-disciplined team of healthcare providers), confidential, cost free, and toll free hotline available 24 hours.
National Native American AIDS Prevention Center (NNAAPC)
Web site
Offers a variety of programs to help promote education about HIV/AIDS, support prevention efforts, and help foster healthy attitudes about sexuality and sexual health in the Native community.
New Mexico AIDS InfoNet
Web site
An international resource for information on HIV/AIDS services and treatments easily accessible in both Spanish and English. Contains an index of fact sheets.
Rural Health Research: AIDS and HIV
Web site
Provides summaries of current and completed rural health research projects and related publications addressing the topic of AIDS and HIV, produced by the Office of Rural Health Policy's funded rural health research centers.
Rural HIV/AIDS Resource Center
Web site
Provides information, resources, statistics and best practices regarding HIV/AIDS in rural America.
Supporting Networks of HIV Care (SNHC)
Web site
Provides free assistance to non-profit, community and faith-based organizations with the development or improvement of their ability to provide primary health care and support services to people of color living with or affected by HIV/AIDS.
Technical Assistance Resources, Guidance, Education, and Training (TARGET) Center
Web site
A central source of technical assistance information for the Ryan White Community, focused on the health needs of people living with HIV/AIDS.
Regulations, Forms & Other Useful Documents
2009 Survey of Americans on HIV/AIDS: Summary of Findings on the Domestic Epidemic
Sponsoring organization: Kaiser Family Foundation
Contains the key findings and charts from the 2009 survey, including reports that visibility of and sense of urgency about HIV/AIDS has fallen considerably from recent years and personal concern about becoming infected has declined steadily.
Date: 04 / 2009
Addressing HIV/AIDS: Latino Perspectives & Policy Recommendations
Sponsoring organization: National Alliance of State and Territorial AIDS Directors
This policy document contains recommendations that can be used by governors, legislators, national partners, health departments and AIDS directors to address the challenges associated with HIV/AIDS in Latino communities. Discusses how the HIV/AIDS epidemic among Latinos is
shaped by ethnic/cultural differences, migration, socioeconomic status, regional differences (Border States, Puerto Rico) and geography (rural vs. urban), as well as behavioral risk.
Adelante! A Call to Action: Strengthening the Response to HIV/AIDS and Viral Hepatitis in Latino Communities
Sponsoring organization: National Alliance of State and Territorial AIDS Directors
Increases the awareness of the current state of HIV/AIDS and viral hepatitis in Latino communities
and urges stakeholders to scale up their efforts to address these epidemics.
Date: 10 / 2008
Around the Country: The Struggle to Provide HIV/AIDS Prevention and Treatment in Rural Areas
Author(s): Candi Helseth
Sponsoring organization: Rural Assistance Center
As AIDS cases continue to rise in the rural United States, organizations reach out to patients and those at-risk. Highlights the Northern Colorado AIDS project.
Journal citation: Rural Monitor
Date: 05 / 2011
Clinical Manual for Management of the HIV-Infected Adult
Sponsoring organization: AIDS Education and Training Centers National Resource Center
This manual is intended for use by HIV primary care providers in collaborative practice models, for example, those involving medical, nursing, physician assistant, dental and pharmacy staff.
Date: 2006
Disparities in Care for HIV Patients: Results of the HCSUS Study
Sponsoring organization: RAND Corporation
Discusses the results of the HIV Costs and Services Utilization Study (HCSUS). This is the first comprehensive U.S. survey of health care
use among a nationally representative sample of HIV positive persons who were in care for their HIV.
Date: 2006
Fact Sheet: Behavioral Interventions for Reducing Sexual Risk Behavior
Sponsoring organization: Rural Center for AIDS/STD Prevention
Identifies prevention activities developed or implemented to promote positive changes in behaviors to reduce HIV transmission and infection.
Date: 2007
Fact Sheet: Black Americans and HIV/AIDS
Sponsoring organization: Kaiser Family Foundation
Highlights the epidemic's impact on African Americans, providing current data and trends over time.
Date: 08 / 2011
Fact Sheet: Computer Technology-Based HIV Prevention Interventions
Sponsoring organization: Rural Center for AIDS/STD Prevention
A fact sheet discussing the advantages of computer-based interventions to promote positive changes in behaviors to reduce HIV transmission and infection.
Date: 2008
Fact Sheet: HIV Testing in the United States
Sponsoring organization: Kaiser Family Foundation
Provides information on key testing statistics, testing recommendations as advised by the CDC, testing sites and policies, including state specific information, and a summary of the types of tests available.
Date: 06 / 2011
Fact Sheet: HIV/AIDS Epidemic in the United States
Sponsoring organization: Kaiser Family Foundation
Provides data on the U.S. epidemic, including key trends over time, and impact by region and population. Updated quarterly.
Date: 12 / 2011
Fact Sheet: HIV/AIDS in Rural America: Challenges and Promising Strategies
Author(s): Susan Dreisbach,
Sponsoring organization: Rural Center for AIDS/STD Prevention
An overview of the challenges and characteristic in rural America that make HIV/AIDS prevention and care difficult.
Date: 2009
Fact Sheet: Latinos and HIV/AIDS
Sponsoring organization: Kaiser Family Foundation
Fact sheet with the latest data on the impact of the epidemic on Latinos in the United States.
Date: 08 / 2011
Fact Sheet: Medicaid and HIV/AIDS
Sponsoring organization: Kaiser Family Foundation
A fact sheet providing data and information on HIV/AIDS and Medicaid eligibility, benefits, spending, caseload and future outlook.
Date: 02 / 2009
Fact Sheet: Medicare and HIV/AIDS
Sponsoring organization: Kaiser Family Foundation
A fact sheet providing data and information on HIV/AIDS and Medicare eligibility, benefits, spending, caseload and future outlook.
Date: 02 / 2009
Fact Sheet: Older Adults and HIV/AIDS
Author(s): April Winningham
Sponsoring organization: Rural Center for AIDS/STD Prevention
Discusses the characteristics and statistics of the older adult population that is infected with HIV/AIDS.
Date: 2006
Fact Sheet: Rural Methamphetamine Use and HIV/STD Risk
Author(s): Susan Dreisbach
Sponsoring organization: Rural Center for AIDS/STD Prevention
Discusses issues related to methamphetamine use in rural communities, including how it increases the risk of HIV/AIDs.
Date: 2006
Fact Sheet: Ryan White Program
Sponsoring organization: Kaiser Family Foundation
A fact sheet providing an overview of the Ryan White program, the largest HIV-specific federal grant program in the United States.
Date: 11 / 2011
Fact Sheet: Stigma as a Barrier to HIV Prevention in the Rural Deep South
Sponsoring organization: Rural Center for AIDS/STD Prevention
Discusses how the stigma of HIV can be a barrier to prevention methods in the Deep South.
Date: 2005
Fact Sheet: Women and HIV/AIDS in the United States
Sponsoring organization: Kaiser Family Foundation
Highlights the impact of HIV/AIDS on women in the United States, providing current data and trends over time.
Date: 08 / 2011
Fact Sheets About Farmworkers: HIV/AIDS
Sponsoring organization: National Center for Farmworker Health
Brief information and statistics about HIV/AIDS and the migrant farmworker population.
Date: 2009
Guide for HIV/AIDS Clinical Care
Sponsoring organization: Health Resources and Services Administration
Presents best practices in the clinical management of HIV/AIDS disease for health care providers.
Date: 01 / 2011
HIV and AIDs
A unit (Unit 6) specifically on HIV and AIDs from the Rediscovering Biology Web site. Provides an overview of the human immune system and the viral life cycle; explores recent developments in the study of HIV/AIDs, the future global impact of current infection levels, and ethical issues surrounding current research and treatment.
HIV Surveillance - United States, 1981-2008
Author(s): Lucia Toria, Mi Chen, Irene Hall
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Summarizes data from the National HIV Surveillance System, regarding HIV infection and AIDS diagnoses and deaths among persons aged >13 years from the past 30 years.
Journal citation: MMWR (Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report) Volume 60 Issue 21 Pages: 689-693
Date: 06 / 2011
HIV Surveillance in Urban and Nonurban Areas
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
Presentation, along with presenter's notes, regarding HIV diagnoses and infections statistics in urban and rural areas.
Date: 07 / 2011
HIV/AIDS in Rural America
Sponsoring organization: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Of the estimated 860,037 Americans diagnosed with AIDS through 2003, 52,375 live in rural areas with fewer than 50,000 people. About 7.6 percent of AIDS cases reported in 2003 were in rural areas, up from 5 percent in 1995.
HIV/AIDS Prevention and Treatment Services for American Indians and Alaska Natives
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
Discusses HIV/AIDS prevention services and education that was provided in all areas in a variety of settings, such as IHS-funded facilities, schools, and health fairs. Discusses rural populations as well.
Date: 12 / 2007
How Caring for Persons with HIV/AIDS Affects Rural Nurses
Author(s): Il Mullins
Discusses a qualitative study of rural registered nurses' experiences of caring for persons with HIV/AIDS and how caregiving affects registered nurses in rural areas.
Journal citation: Issues in Mental Health Nursing Volume 30 Issue 5 Pages: 311-319
Date: 05 / 2009
Improving U.S. Global AIDS Policy for Young People: Assessing PEPFAR
Author(s): Naina Dhingra
Discusses the major shortcomings of the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) and Office of the Global AIDS Coordinator (OGAC) in addressing HIV/AIDS and young people.
Date: 05 / 2007
Key Health and Health Care Indicators by Race/Ethnicity and State
Sponsoring organization: Kaiser Family Foundation
Shows variations across states and racial and ethnic groups for six key health and health care indicators including rates of infant mortality and diabetes-related mortality and AIDS cases.
Journal citation: Academic Medicine
Date: 04 / 2009
Medicaid and HIV: A National Analysis
Sponsoring organization: Kaiser Family Foundation
Analyzes national enrollment and spending patterns for Medicaid enrollees with HIV. Looks at demographics, Medicaid eligibility pathways, services, and geographic distribution.
Date: 09 / 2011
National ADAP Monitoring Project: Annual Report
Author(s): Alicia L. Carbaugh, Jennifer Kates, Beth Crutsinger-Perry, Britten Ginsburg, Murral C. Penner
Sponsoring organization: National Alliance of State and Territorial AIDS Directors
Detailed data on the state AIDS Drug Assistance Programs (ADAPs), a part of the Ryan White Program, that provides HIV medications to low-income people with HIV/AIDS who have limited or no prescription drug coverage.
Date: 05 / 2010
New Strategies for Rural Care
Sponsoring organization: Health Resources and Services Administration
This entire issue addresses rural challenges to caring for people living with HIV/AIDS. Discusses lack of public transportation, long travel times, health care facilities, and the stigma of living in a community with negative attitudes towards HIV. Discusses health care delivery systems, such as internet-based interventions, telemedicine, and webcasts, and social, cultural, and educational interventions.
Date: 04 / 2009
Passing the Test: The Challenges and Opportunities of HIV Testing in Black America
Explores the range of challenges that go hand-in-hand with testing, prevention and treatment and the ways in which individuals, community leaders and policymakers can help take on those challenges.
Date: 06 / 2009
Revised Recommendations for HIV Testing of Adults, Adolescents, and Pregnant Women in Health-Care Settings
Author(s): Bernard M. Branson, H. Hunter Handsfield, Margaret A. Lampe, Robert S. Janssen, Allan W. Taylor, Sheryl B. Lyss, Jill E. Clark
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
These revised recommendations for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) testing are intended for all health-care providers in the public and private sectors, including those working in hospital emergency departments, urgent care clinics, inpatient services, substance abuse treatment clinics, public health clinics, community clinics, correctional health-care facilities, and primary care settings.
Date: 09 / 2006
Rural HIV and STD Prevention in Challenging Economic Times
Author(s): Susan Dreisbach
Sponsoring organization: Rural Center for AIDS/STD Prevention
One of seven papers and four brief program reports in The Eighth Special Issue on AIDS/STD Education and Prevention in Rural Communities. Describes the report of 230 respondents from 44 states concerning rural HIV/STD prevention needs, barriers and programs.
Journal citation: Health Education Monograph Series Volume 28 Issue 2 Pages: 1-9
Date: 05 / 2011
Rural Residence and HIV Outcomes
Author(s): Michael Ohl, Janet Tate, Mona Duggal, et al.
Sponsoring organization: Veterans Health Administration's Office of Rural Health
Describes a study that explored how barriers to care facing rural persons with HIV may affect both entry into care and the intensity and quality of therapy once in care. Suggests that the Veterans Affairs (VA) health system can help in exploring these rural-urban variations in HIV outcomes.
Date: 12 / 2010
Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program: Oral Health and HIV
Sponsoring organization: Health Resources and Services Administration
Discusses oral health problems people living with HIV/AIDS experience. Includes barriers to oral health care, oral health services available, and special projects, including providing oral health care to those with HIV/AIDS in rural settings.
Date: 01 / 2012
Sexual and Reproductive Health Behaviors Among Teen and Young Adult Men: A Descriptive Portrait
Author(s): Jennifer Manlove, Elizabeth Terry-Humen, Erum Ikramullah, Emily Holcombe
Sponsoring organization: Child Trends
Presents a descriptive portrait of reproductive health behavior among U.S. teen and young adult men by age and by race/ethnicity.
Date: 10 / 2008
State HIV Testing Laws; 2011 Compendium of State HIV Testing Laws
A compendium of State HIV laws that describes the policies, rules and regulations for standard and rapid HIV testing.
Date: 04 / 2011
Tearing Down Fences: HIV/STD Prevention in Rural America
Sponsoring organization: Rural Center for AIDS/STD Prevention
A guide HIV/STD prevention guide that focuses on rural communities. Provides live links to resources and is updated bi-annually.
Date: 04 / 2010
Women and HIV/AIDS
Sponsoring organization: American Foundation for AIDS Research
Provides an overview of current facts and statistics on women with HIV/AIDS in the United States and around the world.
Date: 11 / 2009
Journals
Rap* Time
Monthly bulletin that summarizes current research
concerning HIV/STD prevention, particularly in rural settings.
Organizations
AIDS Education and Training Center National Multicultural Center (AETC-NMC)
National organization
Represents a national network of clinicians, educators and trainers with expertise in Cultural Competency and the management of HIV/AIDS.
AIDS Education and Training Centers National Resource Center (AETC)
National organization
The AIDS Education and Training Centers (AETC) Program of the Ryan White CARE Act currently supports a network of 11 regional centers that conduct targeted, multi-disciplinary education and training programs for health care providers treating persons with HIV/AIDS.
American Foundation for AIDS Research (amfAR)
National organization
A nonprofit organization dedicated to the support of AIDS research, HIV prevention, treatment education, and the advocacy of AIDS-related public policy.
Mountain Plains AIDS Education and Training Center (MPAETC)
State/regional organization
Educates health care providers about HIV infection, including prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and psychosocial issues. Serves Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska, New Mexico, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah, and Wyoming.
National Alliance of State and Territorial AIDS Directors (NASTAD)
National organization
Represents the nation's chief state health agency staff who have responsibility for administering AIDS health care, prevention, education and supportive service programs funded by state and federal governments. State AIDS Directors in all 50 U.S. states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the U.S. Pacific Islands are represented by NASTAD with an office in Washington, DC. Programs administered by NASTAD members serve every population affected by and infected with HIV. NASTAD has expertise in identifying community needs and responding to the challenges of the HIV epidemic nationwide.
National Association of People With AIDS (NAPWA)
National organization
A non-profit membership organization that advocates on behalf of all people living with HIV and AIDS.
National Minority AIDS Council (NMAC)
National organization
Works to develop leadership within communities of color to address the challenges of HIV/AIDS.
National Native American AIDS Prevention Center (NNAAPC)
Tribal organization
A network of concerned Native people promoting HIV Prevention education by and for Native Americans. Mission is to stop the spread of HIV and related diseases among American Indians, Alaskan Natives, Native Hawaiians, and to improve the quality of life for those infected and affected by HIV/AIDS. Provides current information on HIV/AIDS, statistics, events, resources, and links to other sites.
National Network of STD/HIV Prevention Training Centers (NNPTC)
National organization
A CDC-funded group of regional training centers created in partnership with health departments and universities dedicated to increasing the knowledge and skills of health professionals in the areas of sexual and reproductive health. Provides health professionals a spectrum of educational opportunities, including experiential learning with an emphasis on prevention.
National Pediatric AIDS Network (NPAN)
National organization
A nonprofit organization that supports the work for children and adolescents with HIV/AIDS around the world. Topics include: treatment; clinical trials;
services for children and adolescents with HIV/AIDS; conferences; publications and other information resources; educational resources.
New Mexico AIDS InfoNet
State/regional organization
A project of the New Mexico AIDS Education and Training Center in the Infectious Diseases Division of the University of New Mexico School of Medicine. The InfoNet was originally designed to make information on HIV/AIDS services and treatments easily accessible in both English and Spanish for residents of New Mexico. It has become an international resource for information on HIV/AIDS.
Proyecto/Project IDEAS
State/regional organization
Strives to improve HIV prevention services for Latino/Hispanic populations living in Colorado, Iowa, Kansas, North Dakota, South Dakota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Utah and Wyoming. Focuses on adapting and tailoring CDC-approved interventions that are culturally, linguistically and educationally appropriate. This is a capacity building assistance program for community-based organizations and state and local health departments.
Rural Center for AIDS/STD Prevention (RCAP)
National organization
Focuses on the promotion of HIV/STD prevention in rural America, with the goal of reducing HIV/STD incidence.
Supporting Networks of HIV Care by Enhancing Primary Medical Care (SNHC)
National organization
A national technical assistance and capacity building project designed to develop, improve, and expand comprehensive HIV primary medical care and treatment service delivery in racial/ethnic minority communities severely impacted by HIV/AIDS through providing technical assistance, intensive capacity building, and regional meetings to primary medical care sites.
World Education
International organization
Works internationally in environmental education, community development, maternal and child health, school governance, integrated literacy, small enterprise development, HIV/AIDS education and prevention and care, and refugee training. Also works to strengthen literacy and adult basic education programs in the United States.
Terms & Acronyms
Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS) "Acquired" means it is infectious, "immune deficiency" means the body has a weakness in its system to fight diseases, and "syndrome" means a group of health problems make up the AIDS disease. Technically, AIDS is the severe manifestation of the Human Immunodeficiency Virus or HIV. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) lists numerous infections and cancers that, in the presence of HIV infection, comprise an AIDS diagnosis. In 1993, CDC expanded the criteria for an AIDS diagnosis
in adults and adolescents to include CD4+ T cell count at or below 200 cells per microliter in the presence of HIV infection. In persons
(age five and older) with normally functioning immune systems, CD4+ T cell counts usually range from 500 - 1, 500 cells per microliter.
Persons living with AIDS often have infections of the lungs, brain, eyes, and other organs, and frequently suffer debilitating weight loss,
diarrhea, and a type of cancer called Kaposi's Sarcoma.
CD4 (T4) or CD4+ Cells A type of T cell involved in protecting
against viral, fungal, and protozoal infections. These cells normally direct the immune response, signaling other cells in the immune
system to perform their special functions. Also known as T helper
cells.
Clinical Trial A scientifically designed and executed
investigation of the effects of an intervention (drug, vaccine, biologic
or behavioral) administered to human subjects. The goal is to define
the safety, clinical efficacy, and pharmacological effects (including
toxicity, side effects, incompatibilities, or interactions) of the drug.
The U.S. government, through the FDA, requires strict testing of all
new drugs and vaccines prior to their approval for use as therapeutic
agents.
Co-receptors A group of proteins that have been found to
block the entry of HIV into immune cells.
Complete Blood Count (CBC) A frequently ordered
blood test that provides the white count, red blood cell count, red
cell indices, hematocrit, and hemoglobulin in a microliter of whole
blood.
End-stage Disease Final period or phase in the course of a
disease leading to a person's death.
Epidemic A disease that spreads rapidly through a demographic
segment of the human population, such as everyone in a given
geographic area; a military base, or similar population unit; or
everyone of a certain age or sex, such as the children or women of a
region. Epidemic diseases can be spread from person to person or
from a contaminated source such as food or water.
Epidemiology The branch of medical science that deals with
the study of incidence and distribution and control of a disease in a
population.
Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) The virus that causes AIDS. This virus attacks and breaks down the body's immune system that fights off infections and disease. During the initial infection with HIV, the virus comes in contact with lymphoid tissue and finds susceptible T cells (see T cells.) This is the site where there is massive production and wide spread of the virus to lymphoid organs. The resulting immune response to suppress the virus is only partially successful and some virus thrive. Eventually, this results in high
viral turnover that leads to destruction of the immune system. HIV
disease is characterized by a gradual deterioration of immune functions. During the course of infection, crucial immune cells, called CD4+ T cells, are disabled and killed, and their numbers
progressively decline.
Immune System The body's complicated natural defense
against disruption caused by invading foreign agents (e.g., microbes,
viruses).
Latency The period when an infecting organism is in the body
but is not producing any clinically noticeable ill effects or symptoms.
In HIV disease, clinical latency is an asymptomatic period in the
early years of HIV infection. The period of latency is characterized
in the peripheral blood by near-normal CD4+ T cell counts. Recent
research indicates that HIV remains quite active in the lymph nodes
during this period. Cellular latency is the period after HIV has
integrated its genome into a cell's DNA but has not yet begun to
replicate.
Lymphoid Organ Includes tonsils, adenoids, lymph nodes,
spleen, thymus, and other tissues. These organs act as the body's filtering system, trapping invaders (foreign particles, e.g., bacteria
and viruses) and presenting them to squadrons of immune cells that congregate there. Within these lymphoid tissues, immune activity is
concentrated in regions called germinal centers, where the thread-like tentacles of follicular dendritic cells (FDCs) form networks that trap
invaders.
Ryan White C.A.R.E. Act Through the Ryan White
Comprehensive AIDS Resources Emergency (C.A.R.E.) Act, health
care and support services are provided for persons living with HIV/
AIDS. Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA)
administers this Act. The metropolitan areas most affected by the
HIV epidemic are awarded Title I grants to improve and expand health care. Title II grants to states and territories support health care and support services for persons living with HIV/AIDS. Title III(b) supports early intervention in clinical settings. Title IV supports services for women, children, adolescents, and families affected by
the HIV epidemic. Part F of the Act supports Special Projects of National Significance (SPNS) and AIDS Education and Training
Centers (AETCs).
T Lymphocytes (T Cells) T Lymphocytes (T cells) are white blood cells derived from the thymus gland that participate in a variety of cell-mediated immune reactions. Three fundamentally different types of T cells
are recognized: helper, killer, and suppressor. They are the immune
system's "border police," responsible for finding infected or cancerous cells. The killer T cell receptors (TCR) bind to an infected
cell's distress signal - a combination of one of the cell's own proteins
and a tiny fragment of the invader's protein. The bits of foreign protein are made with the help of enzymes inside the infected cell that break down the pathogens into protein fragments, which are then picked up and carried through the cell membrane.
Window Period (for HIV) The time after a person first becomes infected with HIV and when the HIV test can detect that infection. 90% of HIV cases test positive within three months of exposure and remaining 10% test positive within three - six months of exposure.
Article Searches & Bibliographies
RAC Document Search: HIV/AIDS
An annotated list of all documents in the RAC database on the topic of AIDS/HIV.
PubMed Database Search: Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome, HIV and Rural Health
Searches PubMed’s collection of journal article citations with abstracts for items related to this topic and published in the United States within the last five years. Some citations are linked to the full-text of articles accessed through PubMed Central, through your library’s electronic and print holdings, or through the journal’s publisher (the latter may require a subscription or a pay-per-view charge). Check with your local library for details about full text links or call your Regional Medical Library at 1.800.338.7657.
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