Unit III Revision

1. HIV or Human Immunodeficiency Virus is a virus that attacks cells that help the body fight
infection, making a person more vulnerable to other infections and diseases. It is spread by
contact with certain bodily fluids of a person with HIV, most commonly during unprotected
sex or sharing injection drug equipment.

Once HIV is contracted and left untreated, it can lead to AIDS or Acquired Immunodeficiency
Syndrome. There is no way of getting HIV out of the human body and there are no effective
cures. However, by consuming ART or Antiretroviral Therapy, people with HIV can live long
and healthy lives and can prevent transmitting HIV to their sexual partners. Another way to
avoid transmission of HIV is through pre-exposure prophylaxis and post-exposure
prophylaxis.

The four stages of an HIV infection are:

i. HIV infection- Mostly flu-like symptoms

ii. Asymptomatic- No outward symptoms
iii. Symptomatic- Opportunistic illnesses
iv. AIDS- Terminal stage, likelihood of getting an opportunistic illness is higher

Symptoms include

 Fever
 Chills
 Rash
 Night sweats
 Muscle aches
 Swollen lymph nodes
 Sore throat
 Fatigue
 Mouth ulcers
2. The key to catching the disease fast is to get tested as soon as the patient thinks they
have been exposed to the virus. Early diagnosis allows them a better chance of getting their
viral load down to an undetectable level, meaning they have a very low risk of transmitting
the virus to their partners.

Other than that, preventive measures against HIV/AIDS include:

 Avoid sexually risky behavior with people you don’t know the sexual history of.
 Use condoms during sexual intercourse.
 Get tested and treated for any STDs.
 Pre-exposure prophylaxis and post-exposure prophylaxis
 Don’t do drug injection.
 Don’t share needles, make sure the needles at the hospital are also sterile.

3. Group counselling is the best way for a health psychologist to help someone who is
terminally ill. It would allow the patients to interact with other terminally ill patients, and be
assured that they are not alone. While the remaining family members might still be
processing their grief, group counselling and support groups would allow terminal patients
to view things from the point of view that others in their situation are facing. This could
include working through death anxiety and the prospect of leaving their loved ones behind,
making sense of their lives and enjoying their last days, and engaging in spiritual or religious
discussion about the topic of death.

5. Communicable diseases, also known as infectious or transmissible diseases, are illnesses

that result from the infection, presence, presence and growth of pathogenic (capable of
causing disease) biological agents in an individual human or other animal host.
Communicable diseases can be transmitted through:

i. Direct contact with the person carrying the pathogen.

ii. Contact with contaminated fluids, such as blood, mucus, or saliva.
iii. Inhaling contaminated droplets from another person’s cough or sneeze.
iv. Receiving a bite from an animal or insect carrying the pathogen.
v. Consuming contaminated water or foods.

Non-communicable diseases, also known as chronic diseases, tend to be of long duration

and are the result of a combination of genetic, physiological, environmental and behavioural
factors. The main types of NCD are cardiovascular diseases (such as heart attacks and
stroke), cancers, chronic respiratory diseases (such as chronic obstructive pulmonary
disease and asthma) and diabetes.

6. Acute diseases have symptoms that develop quickly, and are expected to be brief;
typically resolve in less than six months. These conditions are caused by a virus or infection,
an injury resulting from some sort of accident, or the misuse of drugs/medications. These
conditions are severe and sudden in onset, but don't last very long. They require urgent or
short-term care and become better once treated. Some acute illnesses go away with time
and people soon recover. Examples include:

 Broken bones
 Bronchitis
 Burns
 Common cold and flu
 Heart attacks
 Respiratory infection

Chronic diseases have symptoms that have a slower onset and can worsen over time; they
persist over 6 months. These conditions are a result of social, emotional, environmental, and
genetic factors, as well as unhealthy behaviors like poor nutrition, inadequate physical
activity, or smoking. As people age, they become more susceptible to chronic conditions.
These conditions develop over time and cannot be cured, only controlled or managed.
Examples include:

 Alzheimer’s disease
 Arthritis
 Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
 Depression
 Diabetes and heart disease
 Obesity
 High blood pressure and high cholesterol
 Stroke