HIV-positive Educators in South African Public Schools
HIV-positive Educators in South African Public Schools by
English | 2005 | ISBN: 0796921032 | 56 Pages | PDF | 1 MB
English | 2005 | ISBN: 0796921032 | 56 Pages | PDF | 1 MB
HIV prevalence results tell us about the number and proportion of educators who are living with HIV infection. However, HIV prevalence data cannot tell us what proportion of HIV-positive educators are in the later stages of HIV infection and at risk of progression to AIDS. It is for this reason that we decided to measure CD4+ T-lymphocytes (CD4 cells) in those educators who provided blood specimens and were HIV positive. CD4 cells are a vital component of our immune system and also a prime target of HIV infection. As the number of CD4 cells decreases in an HIV-infected individual, the risk of opportunistic illnesses increases. Therefore, measures of CD4 cell levels are used to assess the severity of HIV infection and to make decisions as to when to initiate antiretroviral therapy (ART). For all these reasons, data on the distribution of CD4 levels among HIVpositive educators provide essential information for estimating current and future levels of morbidity as well as for planning of treatment needs.