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Glossary of Terms
Adolescents Males and females, aged 10-19 years.1
Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS) The disease caused by the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) that is characterized by the weakening of the immune system, which leaves the body ill-equipped to fight disease. A person may live with HIV for up to 10 years before developing AIDS. The definition of AIDS is determined by a CD4 cell count below 200 cells per cubic millimeter. AIDS eventually leads to death due to the development of an opportunistic infection (i.e. viral, bacterial and fungal infections) or cancers.2, 3 Without treatment, AIDS deaths can be rapid within a year of diagnosis. There is still no cure or vaccine for HIV/AIDS, but the disease can be managed with antiretroviral treatment.
Antiretrovirals/Antiretroviral Treatment/Antiretroviral Therapy (ARVs/ART) The medication for people living with HIV/AIDS that can work to inhibit the weakening of and sometimes even strengthen the immune system, protecting patients from developing opportunistic infections and allowing for increased life expectancy. There are four categories of antiretrovirals: 1) nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors 2) non-nucleoside reverse transcription inhibitors, 3) protease inhibitors, and 4) fusion or entry inhibitors. Combination therapies, like Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy (HAART), reduce the development of drug resistance. Specific drugs may not be effective in everyone and side-effects will vary by person.3 With treatment, AIDS can be managed like a chronic disease; without treatment, patients who have AIDS may die within a year of diagnosis.
Complementary feeding A food prepared as a substitute for breast milk or formula that contains the essential vitamins and nutrients lacking in an infants diet. Complementary feeding is often used for infants whose mothers' breast milk lacks nutrients.
Cotrimoxazole An antibiotic that has been approved for use against a number of bacterial infections and can be prescribed for HIV-infected and suspected HIV-infected children. Cotrimoxazole can prevent the progression of AIDS and protect children from developing other potentially fatal opportunistic infections. It is also used to prevent the development of pneumonia in adult AIDS patients.4
CSWs Commercial sex workers.
Discrimination due to HIV/AIDS The deliberate exclusion of those infected with or perceived to be infected with HIV/AIDS due to their HIV status. Since the beginning of the pandemic, discrimination, along with stigma, has been considered to be among the biggest obstacles to scaling up prevention, testing, treatment and care for those affected by HIV/AIDS.5-8
FSWs Female sex workers.
Gender-based violence (GBV) Physical, sexual or psychological violence against women that predisposes women to numerous negative health outcomes, including HIV. GBV is often a product of unequal gender norms and beliefs held by men and boys in a society (e.g. men are better than women, women deserve to be hit). These beliefs about women are often perpetuated by sociocultural norms and traditions that serve to demote women to a secondary status and impede women from accessing health services for prevention, treatment and care.9
Genital herpes Herpes simplex virus type-2, a sexually transmitted infection (STI) that is highly transmissible. It has become the most common genital ulcer-causing STI in many developing countries. Most people infected with genital herpes develop genital ulcers and lesions that increase the risk of HIV transmission three-fold. Symptoms typically appear between two and 12 days after infection. Although incurable, there are limited medicines available for treatment and management of symptoms. Condoms are effective in reducing the spread of genital herpes and the transmission of HIV.2, 10
Global Campaign for Microbicides A coalition of international groups united with the common goal of producing new ways to prevent the spread of HIV, including through the development of microbicides for women.11
Group of 8 The heads of state of the eight leading economic powers who gather to talk about consequential policies and events in an informal setting. Its members consist of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States.12
Harm reduction A method for protecting injecting drug users (IDUs) from infection with HIV. Components include use of sterile syringes and needles to prevent spread of HIV through the use of contaminated drug-injecting equipment, drug-substitution therapy to treat the addiction, psychosocial therapy to aid with behavioral changes, and outreach and education services to give injecting drug users the prevention information and supplies (e.g. condoms) they need.13
Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) The virus that causes HIV disease and AIDS. It may be transmitted through blood or, most often, through sexual fluids. HIV targets and infects cells of the immune system, wreaking havoc on the bodys natural ability to defend itself against illness. People living with HIV will be asymptomatic for a while after infection; up to 10 years may pass before HIV develops into AIDS.2, 3 There is still no cure or vaccine for HIV/AIDS, but the disease can be managed with antiretroviral treatment.
HIV incidence The number of individuals who acquire (are newly infected with) HIV in a specific period of time (generally one year).
Rate of new infections or HIV incidence rate The number of people living with HIV within a specific period of time as a proportion of the population exposed to the risk during this period.
HIV prevalence The number of people living with HIV in a specific period of time (generally one year).
HIV prevalence rate The number of people living with HIV within a specific period of time as a proportion of the population exposed to the risk during this period.
Human trafficking The illicit and often coerced movement or sale of people across or within national borders, generally for the purposes of forced labor. Trafficking often includes violence and rape, especially against women and children, and extensive adverse health consequences for trafficked individuals, who are at increased risk of contracting HIV and other infectious diseases, sustaining injuries, and developing poor mental health.14
Internally displaced persons (IDPs) Men, women and children who have been displaced within their country of origin due to conflict, violence and war, natural disasters or political events.15, 16
IDUs Injecting drug users.
Microbicides Products applied before sexual activity that can reduce the transmissibility of HIV and other sexually transmitted infections, giving women control over protection.11 While a man must elect to wear a male condom and female condoms are often expensive or difficult to obtain, an effective microbicide would prove a highly useful tool for women who are forcefully exposed to HIV, or those who fear violent responses when suggesting condom use. Microbicides would also prove useful for married women who are unable to request that their husband use condoms for fear of signaling a lack of trust that could jeopardize the marriage or lead to an abusive response.11, 17
Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) In 2000, eight Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) for 2015 were agreed upon by 189 nations. The MDGs provide a framework for improving health, education, gender equity and economic and environmental conditions in developing countries. Specific and measurable targets were set for low- and middle-income developing countries.18
Migrant workers Men, women and children who migrate within or across national borders (often seasonally) for work, usually for a few months or years at a time. They may be documented or undocumented referring to their legal status within a host country and may or may not have access to health services. They are often separated from their families who remain in their home cities and villages.15
Mobile populations This broad term refers to men, women and possibly children who move from place to place. Their migration may be for short or long periods of time and out of choice or force. The reason for their migration may be to find work. Mobile workers include seasonal farm workers, truck drivers, and military and peacekeeping forces. Mobile populations also encompass those who have been trafficked, along with refugees and internally displaced persons.15
MSM Men who have sex with men.
Opportunistic infections Bacterial, viral or fungal infections that arise due to a compromised immune system, as found in HIV/AIDS patients. Examples of opportunistic infections include pneumonia, tuberculosis and malaria. Opportunistic infections and cancers are the leading direct causes of death in AIDS patients.3
Orphans due to AIDS Children and adolescents under age 18 who have lost one or both parents to AIDS. Those who have lost both parents are often called double orphans.
Preventing mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) — PMTCT refers to the methods used to prevent HIV from being transmitted to children in pregnancy, during birth or through breastfeeding.
Population-based surveys Surveys used to collect HIV/AIDS-related data among a population. If response rates are high and the sample is representative of the general population or the population of interest, these surveys often provide an accurate reflection of the disease burden. Such large-scale surveys are generally considered the best method of data collection from which to derive estimates of HIV prevalence within an entire population, but their high cost only allows them to be conducted every 5 or 10 years.19
Psychosocial support A term usually used to encompass the range of services that address a persons psychological and social needs. For those affected by HIV/AIDS, psychosocial support generally refers to non-medical needs and services.20
Refugees Men, women and children seeking protection in a foreign country after displacement due to conflict, violence and war, natural disasters or political events.15 For the purposes of this website, refugee is defined in the widest sense, going beyond those defined as refugees within the UNHCR 2006 Global Trends report to encompass other groups listed, including asylum seekers (who have applied for refugee status), stateless persons (who are not viewed as a national in any country), former refugees who have returned home, and others not included in those groups, but who are seeking protection and services.16
Replacement feeding Food that provides a child with all the essential nutrients when the child is not able to consume breast milk.
STIs Sexually transmitted infections.
Stigma The association of negative attitudes toward and disapproval of people in a particular group in this case, those infected with, affected by, or perceived to be infected with HIV/AIDS. Stigma may be borne by men who have sex with men, injecting drug users, sex workers, refugees, truck drivers, those living with HIV (including women and children), or other orphans and vulnerable children. Stigma and discrimination have been considered among the biggest hindrances to scaling up prevention, testing, treatment and care for those affected by HIV/AIDS since the beginning of the epidemic.5-8
Syphilis A sexually transmitted bacterial disease that often causes genital sores. These sores increase the risk of contracting HIV. Untreated syphilis can lead to the development of blindness, mental disorders and heart problems or death in men, women and unborn children that contract the disease from their mothers.2 An estimated 4.2 million years of productive life are lost due to syphilis.10
Vulnerable children Children and adolescents under 18 whose healthy development and well-being is threatened by AIDS. Vulnerable children may have sick family members or may live in households that have taken in orphans due to AIDS. Along with orphans due to AIDS, they too may have lost adult role models and family members to the disease and may experience stigma and discrimination that is detrimental to their healthy growth and development.21
Young people/youth Males and females, aged 10-24 years.1
| 1 |
UNAIDS Inter-agency Task Team on Young People. 2006. Preventing HIV/AIDS in young people. WHO Technical Report Series; no 938. Geneva: World Health Organization. Available from:
www.who.int/child-adolescent-health/New_Publications/ADH/TRS/ISBN_92_4_120938_0.pdf |
| 2 |
Chin J. 2007. The AIDS Pandemic: the collision of epidemiology with political correctness. Oxford: Radcliffe Publishing. |
| 3 |
Fan HY, Conner RF, Villareal LP. 2004. AIDS science and society. 4th ed. Boston: Jones and Bartlett Publishers. |
| 4 |
World Health Organization, UNAIDS, UNICEF. 2004. Joint statement on use of cotrimoxazole as prophylaxis in HIV exposed and HIV infected children. Available from: www.who.int/3by5/mediacentre/en/Cotrimstatement.pdf |
| 5 |
UNAIDS. 2006. Report on the global AIDS epidemic. Available from: www.unaids.org/en/HIV_data/2006GlobalReport/default.asp |
| 6 |
Orbinski J, Beyrer C, Singh S. 2007. Violations of human rights: health practitioners as witnesses. Lancet 370:698-704. |
| 7 |
Pan-American Health Organization. 2006. Campaρas contra la homofobia en Argentina, Brasil, Colombia y Mιxico. Available from: www.paho.org/Spanish/AD/FCH/AI/homofobia.pdf |
| 8 |
Open Society Institute. 2007. Closed to reason: the International Narcotics Control Board and HIV/AIDS. Available from: here |
| 9 |
Physicians for Human Rights. 2007. Epidemic of inequality: women's rights and HIV/AIDS in Botswana & Swaziland: an evidence-based report on gender inequity, stigma and discrimination. Available from: http://physiciansforhumanrights.org/library/documents/reports/botswana-swaziland-report.pdf |
| 10 |
Low N, Broutet N, Adu-Sarkodie Y, et al. 2006. Global control of sexually transmitted infections. Lancet 368:2001-16. |
| 11 |
Global Campaign for Microbicides. (accessed April 14, 2008), Available from: www.global-campaign.org/about_microbicides.htm |
| 12 |
New York Times. Group of 8. 2007 (accessed October 25, 2007), Available from: http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/organizations/g/group_of_eight/index.html?inline=nyt-org |
| 13 |
Institute of Medicine. 2007. Preventing HIV infection among injecting drug users in high-risk countries: an assessment of the evidence. Washington, DC: National Academies Press. |
| 14 |
Zimmerman C. 2003. The health risks and consequences of trafficking in women and adolescents: findings from a European study. London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine. Available from: http://gaatw.net/publications/full-health-risks-and-consequences1.pdf |
| 15 |
Family Health International. HIV prevention in mobile populations. (accessed September 5, 2007), Available from: www.FHI.org/en/HIVAIDS/pub/fact/mobilepop.htm |
| 16 |
UN Refugee Agency. 2007. 2006 Global trends: refugees, asylum seekers, returnees, internally displaced and stateless persons. Available from: www.unhcr.org/statistics/STATISTICS/4676a71d4.pdf |
| 17 |
Hirsch JS, Higgins J, Bentley ME, Nathanson CA. 2002. The social constructions of sexuality: marital infidelity and sexually transmitted disease--HIV risk in a Mexican migrant community. Amer J of Public Health 92(8):1227-33. |
| 18 |
United Nations. UN Millennium Development Goals. (accessed June 14, 2007), Available from: www.un.org/millenniumgoals/ |
| 19 |
UNAIDS. 2007. Q&A on HIV/AIDS estimates. Available from: http://data.unaids.org/pub/GlobalReport/2006/2006_Epi_backgrounder_on_methodology_en.pdf |
| 20 |
World Health Organization. Psychosocial support. (accessed August 29, 2007), Available from: www.who.int/hiv/topics/psychosocial/support/en/print.html |
| 21 |
UNICEF. Children on the brink 2004. Available from: www.unicef.org/publications/index_22212.html |
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