making the connection: health and student achievement office of healthy schools

Making the Connection:Health and Student Achievement

Office of Healthy Schools

HIV Basics

Mississippi Department of Education

HIV/AIDS Program


359 North West Street, Suite 230

Jackson, MS 39205

MSDE HIV/AIDS Program

Purpose

To ensure that the 152 school districts provide current and updated information about

HIV/AIDS to staff and students.

Link to other programs

• Wellness Policy – commitment to Comprehensive Health Education

• Title IV – support programs in schools that support programs that prevent illegal use of alcohol and drug use

• Character Education• 2006 MS Comprehensive Health Framework – Disease Prevention

Strand (ensures that all students receive necessary health information to make age appropriate decisions

• EPSDT / School Nurse Program – school nurse practices• Preventing epidemics and spread of communicable disease• Provide Health Education• Distribute age appropriate health information

Funding Opportunities

• $5,000 grant awarded to 5 school districts in high risk areas as determined by Mississippi Department of Health

• Actively collaborating with other state agencies

• Seeking addition funds from outside sources

Key Points

• HIV is the virus that causes AIDS. AIDS is the result of HIV infection.

• HIV infection can be prevented.

• HIV is not spread through everyday casual contact.

• People cannot get HIV when they give blood.Source: American Red Cross HIV/AIDS Program: HIV Education and Prevention


HIV Infection

• People infected with HIV---• May look and feel health for a long time.• Can infect others even if they don’t look or fell sick.• May have symptoms that are like those of many other

illnesses.

• When people develop AIDS, they may get illnesses that healthy people usually don’t get.

• Only a test can show if someone is infected with HIV.

• Only a doctor can diagnose AIDS.Source: American Red Cross HIV/AIDS Program: HIV Education and Prevention


How HIV is Not Spread

HIV is not spread through everyday casual contact.Source: American Red Cross HIV/AIDS Program: HIV Education and Prevention

MDE HIV/AIDS PROGRAM

How HIV is Spread

HIV is spread---• By having vaginal, anal, or oral sex with an infected person.

• By sharing needles or syringes with and infected person.

• During pregnancy, birth or breast feeding from an infected mother to her baby.

• Body fluids of an infected person that spread HIV:

Semen Vaginal fluid Blood Breast milk

Source: American Red Cross HIV/AIDS Program: HIV Education and Prevention MDE HIV/AIDS PROGRAM

HIV Testing

People who think they are at risk of HIV infection areencouraged to seek counseling and testing.

Do not donate blood to get tested for HIV.Source: American Red Cross HIV/AIDS Program: HIV Education and Prevention


Blood Supply

•The risk of getting HIV from a blood transfusion in the U.S. is extremely low.

• All blood donors are screened for their risk of HIV.

• All donated blood is tested.

• All blood that tests positive for signs of HIV is destroyed.

Source: American Red Cross HIV/AIDS Program: HIV Education and Prevention


Universal Precautions

What are Universal

precautions?


Universal Precautions

Universal precautions are work practices that helpprevent contact with blood and certain other bodyfluids. Universal precautions are:

• Your best protection against HIV (the virus that causes AIDS), hepatitis B and some other infectious diseases.

• Required in certain jobs.

• Can help prevent illness and save lives—including your own!


How Universal Precautions Work

Certain infectious diseases are caused by viruses.

For example: • AIDS is caused by HIV (human immunodeficiency virus). HIV attacks the body’s natural defense against disease.

• Hepatitis B is caused by HBV (hepatitis B virus). Hepatitis C is caused by HCV (hepatitis C virus). HBV and HCV attack the liver and can result in severe illness—even death.


HIV, HBV and some other viruses are spread through certain

body fluids, including:

• blood (or any fluid containing visible blood)• semen• vaginal secretions• fluids surrounding the heart, lungs, brain, stomach, • joints, and tendons; fluids in the womb of a pregnant woman.

How Universal Precautions Work cont.


Preventing Infection

Universal precautions help prevent infection through the use of:

• protective barriers, such as gloves, gowns, masks and goggles• safe work practices, such as proper disposal of sharps and proper hand washing.

http://www.itsasnap.org/snap/teachers_nurses.asp


Statewide Available ResourcesHIV/AIDS Service Organizations:• Building Bridges, Inc. – Jackson, MS 601-922-0100• South MS AIDS Task Force – Biloxi, MS 228-385-1214

Medications:• Ryan White Program 601-576-7723

Financial Assistance:• Episcopal AIDS Commission 601-366-5485• Social Security Administration 800-772-1213• Medicaid 800-421-2408

Housing Assistance:• HOPWA 601-362-4879• Grace House 601-353-1038


Available Resources cont.

Hotlines:• MS HIV/AIDS Information Hotline 1-800-826-2961• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention National AIDS Hotline 1-800-342-2437

Capacity Building Assistance Services and Training:• MS State Department of Education Office of Health Schools 601-359-2359• Jackson State University MS Urban Research Center 601-979-4100• My Brother’s Keeper Community REACH Project 601-898-0955



Charles R. Orr, Sr., HIV/AIDS Program Coordinator

Shane McNeill, Director, Office of Coordinated School Health

Regina Ginn, Director, Office of Healthy Schools

Phone: 601-359-1737

Fax: 601-576-1417

www.healthyschoolsms.org

making the connection: health and student achievement office of healthy schools

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