JOMO KENYATTA UNIVERSITY

OF
AGRICULTURE & TECHNOLOGY
JKUAT SODeL

SCHOOL OF OPEN, DISTANCE AND eLEARNING

P.O. Box 62000, 00200
©2013

Nairobi, Kenya
E-mail: elearning@jkuat.ac.ke

TDH 1100: Introduction to HIV/AIDs

JJ II LAST REVISION ON May 10, 2013

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 TDH 1100 Introduction to HIV/AIDs
This presentation is intended to covered within one week.
The notes, examples and exercises should be supple-
mented with a good textbook. Most of the exercises have
solutions/answers appearing elsewhere and accessible by
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clicking the green Exercise tag. To move back to the same

page click the same tag appearing at the end of the solu-
tion/answer.
©2013

Errors and omissions in these notes are entirely the re-

sponsibility of the author who should only be contacted
through the Department of Curricula & Delivery
(SODeL) and suggested corrections may be e-mailed to
elearning@jkuat.ac.ke.
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 TDH 1100 Introduction to HIV/AIDs
LESSON 1
General introduction

Learning outcomes
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Upon completing this topic, a student should be able to:

ˆ Define of terms related to HIV/AIDs
ˆ Know various types of HIV
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ˆ Understand origins, theories and history of HIV/AIDS

ˆ Understand sex and sexuality
ˆ Global distribution and trends of HIV/AIDS

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 TDH 1100 Introduction to HIV/AIDs
1.1. Introduction
AIDS has already killed millions of people, millions more con-
tinue to become infected with HIV, and there’s no cure - so
AIDS will be around for a while yet. However, some of us still
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don’t know exactly what HIV/AIDS actually IS. HIV is a virus.

Viruses infect the cells of living organisms and replicate (make
new copies of themselves) within those cells. A virus can dam-
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age the cells it replicates in, which is one of the things that can
make an infected creature become ill. Different viruses attack
different parts of the body - some may attack the skin, others
the lungs, and so on.
What makes HIV so dangerous is that it attacks the immune
JJ II system itself - the very thing that would normally get rid of a
J I virus. It particularly attacks a special type of immune system
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 TDH 1100 Introduction to HIV/AIDs
cell known as a CD4 lymphocyte and on top of this, HIV has
a number of tricks that help it to evade the body’s defenses,
including very rapid mutation. This means that once HIV has
taken hold, the immune system can never fully get rid of it.
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People can become infected with HIV from other people who
already have it, and when they are infected they can then go on
to infect other people. Basically, this is how HIV is spread.
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Someone who is infected with HIV is said to be ’HIV+’ or ’HIV

positive’. A damaged immune system is not only more vulnera-
ble to HIV, but also to the attacks by other infections. It won’t
always have the strength to fight off things that wouldn’t have
bothered it before. As time goes by, a person who has been
JJ II infected with HIV is likely to become ill more and more often
J I until, usually several years after infection, they become ill with
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 TDH 1100 Introduction to HIV/AIDs
one of a number of particularly severe illnesses. It is at this point
that they are said to have AIDS - when they first become seri-
ously ill, or when the number of immune system cells left in the
body drops below a particular point. Different countries have
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slightly different ways of defining the point at which a person is

said to have AIDS rather than HIV. AIDS (Acquired Immune
Deficiency Syndrome) is an extremely serious condition, and at
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this stage the body has very little deference against any sort of
infection.

1.2. Definition of Terms

1. HIV - It’s the virus that causes progressive impairment
JJ II of the body’s cellular immune system leading to increased
J I susceptibility to infections, diseases and tumors and a fatal
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 TDH 1100 Introduction to HIV/AIDs
condition called AIDS
ˆ Human- means the virus can only survive in the hu-
man body because its only human blood that have
CD4+ lymphocytes and these are the cells where HIV
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attaches to.
ˆ Immunodeficiency- lack of natural ability of the
body to protect itself against diseases and/or infec-
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tions. Once inside the body, HIV attacks and de-

stroys white blood cells thus the body lacks immu-
nity.
ˆ Virus- an organism transmittable from one person to
another. It can multiply at a very high rate and can
JJ II only be seen using a very powerful microscope i.e an
J I electron microscope. Infected semen has been found
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 TDH 1100 Introduction to HIV/AIDs
to contain about 100million viral copies per ml.
2. AIDS - It is a collection of signs and symptoms caused by
infections and other implications arising from HIV infec-
tion. It may occur 3-10 years after HIV infection.
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ˆ Acquired - to obtain something new

ˆ Immune - against infections
ˆ Deficiency - lack of
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ˆ Syndrome - a group of clinical signs and symptoms

denoting a disease, in this case the collection of signs
and symptoms result from lowered immunity due to
HIV
3. HIV prevalence - The percentage of population infected
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with HIV
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 TDH 1100 Introduction to HIV/AIDs
4. Infection - Invasion of the body by pathogenic organism.
Not all infections lead to diseases because the body’s de-
fense mechanism resist the effects of toxins (poisonous
substances) and prevents the multiplication and spread of
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pathogens.
5. Infectiousness/ communicability - Capacity of an organism
to spread
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6. Super infection - Being exposed to different strains of HIV

almost at the same time. The second infection occurs
months after the first infection. The body’s immune re-
sponse to the 1st virus is sometimes not enough to prevent
infection with the 2nd virus/strain.
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7. Co-infection - Being infected with 2 or more strains at once
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 TDH 1100 Introduction to HIV/AIDs
8. Opportunistic infection - These are infections that take
advantage of impairment of the immune system and some-
times are caused by organisms that don’t cause infection or
diseases in man. They take advantage of an immune sys-
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tem which has been weakened by HIV. As HIV multiplies

and more immune cells are destroyed, many complications
and infections occur. These complications are called Op-
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portunistic Infections (O.Is) because they take advantage

of lowered immunity.
9. Virulence - It describes the degree of pathogencity of an
organism and is dependent on the invasiveness and/or the
ability of an organism to produce toxins (poisonous sub-
JJ II stances)
J I 10. Endemic - Constant presence of a disease or an agent of
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 TDH 1100 Introduction to HIV/AIDs
a disease in a community/ region. Endemic diseases can
rapidly become epidemics if environmental factors changes
in a way which favors transmission
11. Epidemic - An acute outbreak of a disease in a commu-
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nity/region in excess of normal expectancy and is derived

from a common or a propagated source. A sporadic disease
is that which breaks out only occasionally.
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12. Pandemic - Spreads to several countries and affect a large

number of population e.g. HIV
13. Epidemiology - The study of spread distribution, preva-
lence and control of a disease in a community.

JJ II 14. Sentinel surveillance - A system used to determine the

J I prevalence of HIV in Kenya. It is coordinated by NASCOP
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 TDH 1100 Introduction to HIV/AIDs
(National AIDS and STDs Control Program). It involves
anonymous HIV testing of blood samples collected for rou-
tine testing of pregnant women who visit ante natal clinics.
15. Enzymes - Are biological catalysts that enables cellular
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processes to go on or quicken their pace examples of HIV

enzymes are Proteases, Reverse Transcriptase, Integrases.
16. Mutation - A process through which new cells are formed
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with a genetic material that is different from the original

one due to copying errors. For cells to multiply, they must
make new copies of their genetic material, and, this is not
usually error free. Mutation is common with RNA viruses
e.g. HIV, because the genetic material is copied in 2 stages,
JJ II 1st to DNA form then back to RNA form.
J I 17. Mutants - New type of virus produced as a result of mu-
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 TDH 1100 Introduction to HIV/AIDs
tation i.e. the mutant strain
18. Wild type virus - The original virus that has not undergone
mutation
19. Evidence based approach - An approach to prevent HIV/AIDS
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spread which involves using tested, proven and practical

evidence rather than as perceived or theoretical.
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1.3. Types of HIV

ˆ There are 2 main types of HIV: - HIV-1 & HIV-2
ˆ Both types are transmitted by sexual contact, through
blood & from mother-to-child.
JJ II ˆ They both appear to cause clinically indistinguishable AIDS.
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 TDH 1100 Introduction to HIV/AIDs
ˆ HIV-2 is less easily transmitted & the period between ini-
tial infection & illness is longer. Its uncommon & concen-
trated in West Africa. E.g. Senegal, Ghana, Mali, Burkina
Faso, Ivory Coast.
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ˆ Most HIV-2 reported in Brazil, Angola, Mozambique and

Portugal can be traced back to W. African contact.
ˆ HIV-1 is the predominant virus world wide & generally
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when people refer to HIV without specifying the type they

refer to HIV-1
ˆ HIV-1 has three sub-types
– Group M (major)
JJ II – Group N (new)
J I – Group O (outlier)
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 TDH 1100 Introduction to HIV/AIDs
ˆ Group O appears to be restricted to West-central Africa
ˆ Group N was discovered in 1998 in Cameroon & is ex-
tremely rare.
ˆ More than 90% of HIV-1 infections belong to group M
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ˆ There are at least 9 subtypes within group M. They include

A, B, C, D, F, G, H, J, K.
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CRFs - circulating recombinant forms - Occasionally 2

viruses of diff subtypes can meet in the cell of an infected person
& mix together its genetic material to create a new hybrid virus
in a process similar to sexual reproduction & sometime called
viral sex. Many of these strains don’t survive for long but those
JJ II that infect more than one person are known as CRFs. E.g. CRF
J I A/B is a mixture of subtype A&B.
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 TDH 1100 Introduction to HIV/AIDs
1.4. Origins, Theories and History of HIV/AIDS
The origin of AIDS and HIV has puzzled scientists ever since
the illness first came to light in the early 1980s. For over twenty
years it has been the subject of debate and the cause of countless
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arguments, with everything from a promiscuous flight attendant

to a suspect vaccine program being blamed. The first recognized
cases of AIDS occurred in the USA in the early 1980s among ho-
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mosexuals. A number of gay men in New York and San Francisco

suddenly began to develop rare opportunistic infections and can-
cers that seemed stubbornly resistant to any treatment. They
presented with a syndrome which included mouth rash, skin
problems e.t.c. At this time, AIDS did not yet have a name, but
JJ II it quickly became obvious that all the men were suffering from a
J I common syndrome. Their bodies’ immunity was weakened and
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 TDH 1100 Introduction to HIV/AIDs
completely suppressed. Medics wrote their investigations in a
journal.
In 1983, it was discovered that the symptoms that were ear-
lier observed were caused by a certain virus called immunodefi-
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ciency virus and it was suppressing the immune system. In 1986,

it became clear that the virus discovered in 1981 was spreading
fast and many people suffered from the same condition. In 1986,
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in West Africa, another virus was discovered & they called it

immunodeficiency virus type2. The discovery of HIV, the Virus
that causes AIDS was made soon after. In Kenya, the 1st case
was noted in 1983 in KNH & it was noted that the body of
the patient had low immunity. From 1981 to date the disease
JJ II has claimed 22m lives & is still spreading. There is now clear
J I evidence to prove that HIV does cause AIDS. So, in order to
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 TDH 1100 Introduction to HIV/AIDs
find the source of AIDS, it is necessary to look for the origin
of HIV, and find out how, when and where HIV first began to
cause disease in humans.

1.4.1. Did HIV come from SIV?

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It is now thought that HIV came from a similar virus found

in chimpanzees, Simian Immunodeficiency Virus because cer-
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tain strains of SIVs bear a very close resemblance to HIV-1 and

HIV-2, the two types of HIV. For example HIV2 corresponds to
SIVsm, a strain of the SIV found in the sooty mangabey (also
known as the green monkey), which is indigenous to western
Africa. HIV-1, was until recently more difficult to place. Un-
JJ II til 1999, the closest counterpart that had been identified was
J I SIVcpz, found in chimpanzees, but this virus still had certain
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 TDH 1100 Introduction to HIV/AIDs
significant differences from HIV-1.

1.4.2. Theories of how HIV could have originated

Below are some of the most common theories about how this
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’zoonosis’ took place, and how SIV became HIV in humans.

Zoonosis - viral transfer between animals & humans

• Hunter theory
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It is the the most commonly accepted theory. In this scenario,

SIVcpz was transferred to humans as a result of chimps being
killed and eaten or their blood getting into cuts or wounds on the
hunter. Normally the hunter’s body would have fought off SIV,
but on a few occasions it adapted itself within its new human
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host and become HIV-1. Discoveries such as this have lead to
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 TDH 1100 Introduction to HIV/AIDs
calls for an outright ban on bush meat hunting to prevent simian
viruses being passed to humans.

• Oral Polio Vaccine (OPV) theory

The theory is based on a belief that HIV was transferred via
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medical experiments. That HIV could be traced to the testing

of an oral polio vaccine called Chat, given to about a million peo-
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ple in the Belgian Congo, Ruanda and Urundi in the late 1950s.
To be reproduced, live polio vaccine needs to be cultivated in
living tissue, and Hooper’s belief is that Chat was grown in kid-
ney cells taken from local chimps infected with SIVcpz. This,
he claims, would have resulted in the contamination of the vac-
cine with chimp SIV, and a large number of people subsequently
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becoming infected with HIV-1. However, in February 2000 the
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 TDH 1100 Introduction to HIV/AIDs
Wistar Institute in Philadelphia (one of the original places that
developed the Chat vaccine) announced that it had discovered
in its stores a phial of polio vaccine that had been used as part
of the program. The vaccine was subsequently analysed and in
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April 2001 it was announced that no trace had been found of ei-
ther HIV or chimpanzee SIV. A second analysis5 confirmed that
only macaque monkey kidney cells, which cannot be infected
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with SIV or HIV, were used to make Chat.

• The contaminated needle vaccine

This is an extension of the original ’hunter’ theory. In the
1950s, the use of disposable plastic syringes became common
place around the world as a cheap, sterile way to administer
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medicines. However, to African healthcare professionals working
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 TDH 1100 Introduction to HIV/AIDs
on inoculation and other medical programs, the huge quantities
of syringes needed would have been very costly. It is therefore
likely that one single syringe would have been used to inject mul-
tiple patients without any sterilization in between. This would
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rapidly have transferred any viral particles (within a hunter’s

blood for example) from one person to another, creating huge
potential for the virus to multiply in each new individual it en-
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tered, even if the SIV within the original person infected had
not yet converted to HIV.

• The colonialism theory

The colonialism or ’Heart of Darkness’ theory is one of the more
recent theories to have entered into the debate. It is again based
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on the basic ’hunter’ premise, but more thoroughly explains how
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 TDH 1100 Introduction to HIV/AIDs
this original infection could have lead to an epidemic. During
the late 19th and early 20th century, much of Africa was ruled
by colonial forces. In areas such as French Equatorial Africa
and the Belgian Congo, colonial rule was particularly harsh and
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many Africans were forced into labour camps where sanitation

was poor, food was scare and physical demands were extreme.
These factors alone would have been sufficient to create poor
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health in anyone, so SIV could easily have infiltrated the labour

force and taken advantage of their weakened immune systems
to become HIV. A stray and perhaps sick chimpanzee with SIV
would have made a welcome extra source of food for the workers.
More also believes that many of the labourers would have been
JJ II inoculated with unsterile needles against diseases such as small-
J I pox (to keep them alive and working), and that many of the
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 TDH 1100 Introduction to HIV/AIDs
camps actively employed prostitutes to keep the workers happy,
creating numerous possibilities for onward transmission.

• The conspiracy theory

Some say that HIV is a ’conspiracy theory’ or that it is ’man-
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made’. A recent survey carried out in the US for example, iden-

tified a significant number of African Americans who believe
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HIV was manufactured as part of a biological warfare program,

designed to wipe out large numbers of black and homosexual
people. Many say this was done under the auspices of the US
federal ’Special Cancer Virus Program’ (SCVP), possibly with
the help of the CIA. Some even believe that the virus was spread
(either deliberately or inadvertently) to thousands of people all
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over the world through the smallpox inoculation program, or to
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 TDH 1100 Introduction to HIV/AIDs
gay men through Hepatitis B vaccine trials.

• The calculated theory

This is the latest theory on the origins of HIV and it emerged
in early 19th century. It deals with the question of when and
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not how or why. The scientists calculated how far back in time
one could need to go for all the HIV-viral subtypes to have a
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common ancestor/ origin. That mutant strains can be used to

trace how far back HIV has been in existence.
NB: While none of these theories can be definitively disap-
proved, the evidence they are based on is tenuous at best, and
often ignores the clear link between SIV and HIV, or the fact
that the virus has been identified in people as far back as 1959.
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They also fail to take into consideration the lack of genetic-
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 TDH 1100 Introduction to HIV/AIDs
engineering technology available to ’create’ the virus at the time
that AIDS first appeared.

• Discuss Religious Theories (God’s wrath and witch

craft).
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Certain segments of the population have openly stated that their

belief that AIDS is God’s wrath since the Scriptures condemn
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the homosexual practice in which AIDS was first observed in the

Western world. If one adds to this belief the mysterious origin
of the virus, and the apparently hopeless prospects for a cure,
it will readily be understood how many have come to believe in
Divine intervention, with AIDS being God’s way of destroying
sinners. If this were so, it would be difficult to see why God, after
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watching over thousands of years of vastly differing ”sins’, should
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 TDH 1100 Introduction to HIV/AIDs
suddenly decide to settle His score with homosexuals and drug
addicts rather than any other ’sinners’. The Bible clearly speaks
of a future (and imminent) judgment time when all sinners - no
matter what their specific practice - will have to pay the penalty
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for their sins. It does not tell, however, of a God who prejudges
particular situations and who picks out special groups for early
condemnation. Clearly, there are God-given laws which govern
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the harmonious interaction of body, mind and spirit. The origin

of HIV/A1DS may be traced to an abuse of some of those laws
pertaining to the physical and emotional or moral development
of man and the presence of sin in the world. It should be recog-
nized that once the process has started, ’guilty’ and ‘innocent’
JJ II suffer alike nowhere is this more obvious or more poignant than
J I in the AIDS pandemic. Rather than its being considered a vis-
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 TDH 1100 Introduction to HIV/AIDs
itation from God, many Africans believe that AIDS is caused
by another supernatural power - witchcraft and they use anti-
witchcraft rituals and objects to counteract the infection.
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 TDH 1100 Introduction to HIV/AIDs
1.5. Sex and Sexuality
1.5.1. What is sex education?
Sex education, is sometimes called sexuality education or sex
and relationships education. It’s the process of acquiring in-
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formation and forming attitudes and beliefs about sex, sexual

identity, relationships and intimacy. It is also about developing
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young people’s skills so that they make informed choices about

their behaviour, and feel confident and competent about acting
on these choices. It is widely accepted that young people have
a right to sex education, partly because it is a means by which
they are helped to protect themselves against abuse, exploita-
tion, unintended pregnancies, sexually transmitted diseases and
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HIV/AIDS.
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 TDH 1100 Introduction to HIV/AIDs
1.5.2. Aims of sex education
ˆ To reduce the risks of potentially negative outcomes from
sexual behaviour like unwanted or unplanned pregnancies
and infection with STDs.
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ˆ To enhance the quality of relationships.

ˆ To develop young people’s ability to make decisions over
their entire lifetime.
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– Sex- the state of being male or female i.e gender

– Sexuality- the sexual nature or characteristics of
somebody i.e. involves all biological, social & spir-
itual characteristics that makes up a person to be
either a woman or a man.
JJ II – Sexual Intercourse- the action of a man inserting
J I the penis into a woman’s vagina leading to release of
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 TDH 1100 Introduction to HIV/AIDs
semen from the penis & as a result the woman may
become pregnant.
– Sex abuse- Illegal sexual activities esp as practiced
on children by adults
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– Sex offender- a person found guilty of illegal sexual

acts esp on children
– Sex object- a person considered only in terms of his
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or her sexual attractions.

– Sex symbol- a person generally considered to be
ideal in terms of his /her appearance sexual attrac-
tion.

1.5.3. Reasons for excessive interest in sexual intercourse

JJ II
J I ˆ Peer pressure among the youth.
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 TDH 1100 Introduction to HIV/AIDs
ˆ Genetic makeup of a person i.e tribe
ˆ Curiosity –the urge to discover
ˆ Availability of sexually explicit material e.g. pornography
ˆ Breakdown of mechanism of social control
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ˆ Existence of unstable families- divorce, separation- child

freedom
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ˆ Poverty
ˆ Idleness
ˆ Alcoholism & drug addiction
ˆ Attitude towards premarital sex e.g European countries

JJ II 1.5.4. Nature of sexual relationships

J I ˆ Heterosexuality
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 TDH 1100 Introduction to HIV/AIDs
ˆ Homosexuality
ˆ Lesbianism
ˆ Incest
ˆ Rape - one partner is willing
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ˆ Prostitution
ˆ Sugar mummies/daddies
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ˆ Multiple partners - differential in age.

1.5.5. Sources of sexual information

ˆ Media-TVs, Radio, magazines etc
ˆ Films –pornographic materials
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ˆ Internet
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 TDH 1100 Introduction to HIV/AIDs
ˆ Observation
ˆ Literature-novels
ˆ Professionals-doctors, teachers
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1.5.6. Myths surrounding sexuality

ˆ Virginity myth - 25 when still a virgin one does not enjoy
sex.
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ˆ Vitality myth/ Fertility myth - men become infertile/engagemen

in sex enhances fertility.
ˆ Virility myth - the more one is engaged, the powerful they
become/ practice makes perfect.
JJ II ˆ Abstaining from sex leads to sickness/ madness
J I ˆ Men’s sex drive is believed to be boundless
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 TDH 1100 Introduction to HIV/AIDs
ˆ Sex with virgins cures AIDS/ raping young girls cure AIDS
ˆ Women should never say no to sex
ˆ Sex with condoms is not real sex
ˆ Have sex early to know if you are functioning well
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ˆ The more one engages in sex the healthier they become

ˆ A man cannot be satisfied by one woman
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ˆ The cure of backache is sex

ˆ Femininity & masculinity - the gender identity prove the-
ory - to prove you are a man.
ˆ To multiply & fill the earth

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 TDH 1100 Introduction to HIV/AIDs
Global Distribution and Trends of HIV/AIDS - Com-
parative Trends
ˆ Trends - Involves looking at the direction HIV/AIDS is
taking, the way it is affecting people, and, what measures
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are put across to curb its transmission.

ˆ Distribution - Involves looking at how HIV is spread glob-
ally i.e. in the continents, regions and countries which are
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grossly affected.

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 TDH 1100 Introduction to HIV/AIDs
Exercise 1.  Revision Questions
Give an account of the limitations of Oral Polio Vaccine The-
ory as a possible explanation to the origin of HIV
Example . Describe the difference Between HIV and AIDS?
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Solution: HIV is the human immunodeficiency virus that causes

AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome). When HIV in-
fects someone, the virus enters the body and begins to multiply
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and attack immune cells that normally protect us from disease.

It’s only when someone with HIV begins to infections and ill-
nesses that they’re diagnosed with AIDS.


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 TDH 1100 Introduction to HIV/AIDs
Learning Activities
Read more papers and journal articles on current advances in
HIV/AIDs research. Visit the reproductive health clinic/ section
in a hospital around you and get to learn various methods used
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to control HIV/AIDs and other STIs.

Assignments
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1. Comprehensively discuss the global distribution and trends

of HIV/AIDs. Narrow down specifically to Kenya and use
current data and information.
2. Discuss myth associated with HIV/AIDs in your commu-
nity.
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 TDH 1100 Introduction to HIV/AIDs
References and Additional Reading Materials
1. Maranga R. O, Muya S. M and Ogila K. O (2008) Funda-
mentals of HIV/AIDS Education. Signon Publishers.
2. Barry D. S. (1999) AIDS and HIV in Perspectives. CPU.
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ISBN-13: 9780521627665
3. Ellison G. Parker M., Camphpbell C (2003) Learning from
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HIV and AIDS. Cambridge CPU.ISBN-13: 9780521709286.

4. Shavitri Ramaiah (2008) HIV/AIDS; Health solutions. Ster-
ling Publishers Ltd. ISBN-9788120733305.

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 TDH 1100 Introduction to HIV/AIDs
Solutions to Exercises
Exercise 1. Fertility myth - Common belief that one engage
in sex to enhance fertility in future. This not true. People have
to multiply to fill the earth, a literal translation of a bibli-
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cal command but people are supposed to multiply in spiritual

sense. This is a corruption of the bible. Health Myth - ab-
staining from sex leads to sickness and madness, nobody has
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ever fallen sick or become mad for not engaging in sexual inter-
course. Having a venereal disease is considered a badge of honor
that confirms manhood. Venereal diseases confers no honor to
any man Venereal disease is cured if the man has sex with a
virgin. This is not true. On the contrary the Venereal disease
JJ II sufferer will transmit the disease to the virgin. Special food
J I and exercise will make the penis grow big. This is not true.
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 TDH 1100 Introduction to HIV/AIDs
Whatever that is good for other body parts is also good for sex
organs. Men have stronger sexual urges than women. Men sex
drive is believed to be boundless and irrepressible. This is not
true. Sexual urge is equal in both the sexes. It is generally said
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that Africans are promiscuous This is not true. Promiscuity is

not necessary an African trait has other races have promiscuous
people too. A man cannot be satisfied by one woman. This
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not true One can’t get pregnant during the first sex intercourse.
Common believe that there is a grace period between the first
sexual encounter and getting pregnant - like the payment sched-
ule on credit card. This one isn’t true. One can’t get pregnant
during unprotected sex if the man pulls out before he ejaculates.
JJ II This is not true. Some small amounts of sperm containing se-
J I men may be deposited in the vagina before ejaculation. Other
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 TDH 1100 Introduction to HIV/AIDs
remain in the urethra after ejaculation and can fertilize an ova.
A woman is not considered to be a female if she cannot con-
ceive a child.The femininity of a person is not judged by the
ability to conceive a child. There are other criteria. Common
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belief that virginity brings problems during birth. This is not

true. Imparting sex education to youngsters will lead them to
promiscuity. Educating the young on sex and sexual behaviour
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helps them to develop a healthy and positive attitude towards

sexuality. Exercise 1

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