Glossary
Resources
Glossary
adherence to therapy—Taking medications as
prescribed.
AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome)—A
specific group of diseases or conditions that indicate severe
suppression of the immune system related to infection with the human
immunodeficiency virus (HIV).
AIDS case definition—A standard definition of the
physical and laboratory findings that make up an AIDS case. In 1993,
the AIDS case definition was expanded to include a broader range of
diseases and conditions and the results of immunologic testing, such
as CD4+ T-cell counts. Consequently, the number of AIDS cases in 1993
was transiently elevated by the rapid reporting of cases not
previously reported using the old definition.
antibody—An infection-fighting protein molecule in
blood that attaches to and neutralizes viruses.
clinical trials—Studies conducted among volunteer
participants; clinical trials test the safety and efficacy of new
drugs. Controlled means that some participants actually
receive the drug being tested while others receive placebo (an
inactive substance). Randomized means that assignment to a
group is random. Double-blind means that neither participants
nor researchers know until after the study is completed who was
assigned to which group; that is, who received the drug being tested
and who received placebo.
All new vaccines must pass 3 phases of clinical trials before
they can be considered for regulatory licensure.
Phase I—Tests for safety and dosage.
Phase II—Larger scale tests for safety.
Phase III—Large-scale studies for efficacy. For
HIV vaccines, these tests must be performed in thousands of
individuals who are HIV-negative but at high risk for HIV.
efficacy—Effectiveness of a drug or product under
ideal (experimental) conditions, as opposed to under average
(real-world) conditions.
epidemic—The occurrence in a community or region
of cases of an illness, specific health-related behavior, or other
health-related events clearly in excess of normal expectancy.
HAART (highly active antiretroviral therapy)—HIV
treatment regimens, consisting of combinations of drugs that have been
shown to reduce the amount of HIV virus in a patient’s blood.
HIV (human immunodeficiency virus)—The virus that
causes AIDS. Not all people infected with HIV have AIDS, but all
people with AIDS are infected with HIV.
HIV counseling, testing, and referral
counseling—An HIV-prevention intervention. The
counseling approach used is critical to the success of HIV
prevention efforts. A client-centered HIV prevention counseling
model has been shown to be especially effective. This model focuses
on helping clients identify HIV risk behaviors and commit to
personalized steps to reduce their HIV-related risks.
testing—Laboratory determination of HIV status.
Voluntary testing can be obtained in medical care settings such as
doctors’ offices, hospitals, managed care organizations, and public
health clinics or can be performed using home-collection kits. HIV
testing may be required as part of screening programs for military
personnel, blood donors, correctional facility inmates, and
insurance applicants.
anonymous testing—People who choose anonymous
HIV testing are not required to provide their names; therefore,
test results are not linked to any records with an identifying
name (including the request for tests or test results).
confidential testing—People who choose
confidential testing provide their names, and testing information
is documented in their record.
referral—The process by which immediate client
needs for medical, prevention, and social support services are
assessed, prioritized, and addressed (in the context of HIV
prevention counseling and testing).
incidence—The number of new events, such as HIV
infections, over time (usually a year).
intervention—An action intended to modify an
outcome. Examples of HIV prevention interventions include counseling,
educational messages, and discussion groups intended to help reduce
HIV transmission.
outreach—Extending services to a wider section of
the population than are currently receiving the services.
preclinical trials—Laboratory and animal studies
designed to test the mechanisms, safety, and efficacy of a drug or
medical device before, if ever, testing it in people.
prevalence—The number of people affected by a
condition, such as HIV infection, at a given point in time.
surveillance—An ongoing, systematic process of
collecting, analyzing, interpreting, disseminating, and evaluating
data. Surveillance data are used to track disease and provide
information for action to protect the public health.
AIDS surveillance—AIDS diagnoses are reported to
CDC from all US states and territories.
HIV surveillance—All states have some form of
HIV infection reporting. As of January 2005, 42 states and
territories have confidential, name-based HIV reporting systems and
forward this information to CDC. However, it is not possible to
examine trends in HIV diagnoses in all 42 states because many have
just recently begun HIV reporting. Therefore, most of the HIV trends
reported in this document come from data from 25 states that have
required HIV reporting since 1993 (longstanding HIV reporting).
vaccine—A preparation that stimulates the body’s
immune system to protect itself from an invading virus.
virus—A microorganism made of either DNA or RNA
with a protein coat. Viruses invade healthy cells and then use those
host cells to replicate, spreading disease or infection. HIV, the
virus that causes AIDS, is particularly dangerous because it attacks
the body’s immune system cells.
zidovudine—One of the drugs used to treat AIDS.
May be abbreviated as ZDV or AZT.
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Resources
The CDC National Prevention Information Network (NPIN)
Phone 1-800-458-5231 or 1-800-243-7012 (TTY)
The following CDC publications can be obtained through
NPIN:
Compendium of HIV Prevention Interventions with Evidence of
Effectiveness
HIV Counseling and Testing in Publicly Funded Sites: Annual
Report (all years)
HIV Prevention Strategic Plan Through 2005
HIV/AIDS Surveillance Report (all issues)
Revised Guidelines for HIV Counseling, Testing, and Referral
MMWR 2001;50(RR-19):1–58.
Revised Recommendations for HIV Screening of Pregnant Women
MMWR 2001;50(RR-19):59–86.
Additional websites
CDC's
HIV/AIDS home page
CDC’S National Center for HIV,
STD, & TB Prevention
CDC’S Divisions of HIV/AIDS Prevention
HIV/AIDS MMWRs
Compilation of 25 notable MMWR issues on HIV and AIDS since
1981
Diffusion of Effective Behavioral Interventions (DEBI)
(list of science-based HIV prevention interventions that work)
Guidelines
CDC. Revised guidelines for HIV counseling, testing, and referral.
MMWR 2001;50(RR-19):1–58.
CDC. Revised recommendations for HIV screening of pregnant women.
MMWR 2001;50(RR-19):59–86.
CDC. Guidelines for national human immunodeficiency virus case
surveillance, including monitoring for human immunodeficiency virus
infection and acquired immune deficiency syndrome. MMWR
1999;48(RR-13):1–31.
CDC. HIV Partner Counseling and Referral Services. Guidance.
Atlanta, Georgia: US Department of Health and Human Services, CDC.
December 1998.
CDC, Health Resources and Services Administration, National
Institutes of Health, HIV Medicine Association of the Infectious
Diseases Society of America, and the HIV Prevention in Clinical Care
Working Group. Incorporating HIV prevention into the medical care of
persons living with HIV. MMWR 2003;52(RR- 12):1–24.
Related articles
Anderson JE, Ebrahim S, Sansom S. Women’s knowledge about treatment
to prevent mother-to-child human immunodeficiency virus transmission.
Obstetrics and Gynecology 2004;103:165–168.
Blair JM. Trends in AIDS incidence and survival among racial/
ethnic minority men who have sex with men, United States,1990–
1999. Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndromes
2002;31:339–347.
Blair JM, et al. Trends in pregnancy rates among women with
human immunodeficiency virus. Obstetrics & Gynecology 2004;
103:663–668.
Bureau of Justice. HIV in Prisons and Jails, 2002. Washington, DC:
US Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs. December
2004.
CDC.
Enhanced Perinatal Surveillance—United States, 1999–2001.
Atlanta: US Department of Health and Human Services, CDC; 2004:5–6.
Special Surveillance Report 4.
Crepaz N, Hart TA, Marks G. Highly active antiretroviral therapy
and sexual risk behavior: a meta-analytic review. Journal of the
American Medical Association 2004;292:224–236.
Dezzutti CS, et al. In vitro comparison of topical microbicides for
prevention of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 transmission.
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Ebrahim SH, Anderson JE, Weidle P, Purcell DW. Race/ethnic
disparities in HIV testing and knowledge about treatment for
HIV/AIDS: United States, 2001. AIDS Patient Care and STDs
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Fleming PL, et al. Estimated number of perinatal infections,
US, 2000. Abstract presented at the XIV International AIDS
Conference; Jul 7–12, 2002; Barcelona, Spain.
Fleming PL, et al. HIV prevalence in the United States, 2000.
Abstract presented at the 9th Conference on Retroviruses and
Opportunistic Infections; Feb 24–28, 2002; Seattle, Washington.
Garfein RS, et al. Comparison of HIV infection risk behaviors among
injection drug users from East and West Coast US cities. Journal
of Urban Health 2004;81:260–267.
Garfein RS, et al. HIV and hepatitis C (HCV) prevention for new
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Granade TC, Parekh bS, Phillips SK, McDougal JS. Performance of
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Hammett TM, et al. The burden of infectious disease among inmates
of and releases from US correctional facilities, 1997. American
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Janssen RS, et al. New testing strategy to detect early HIV-1
infection for use in incidence estimates and for clinical and
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1998;280:42–48.
Janssen RS, et al. The Serostatus Approach to Fighting the HIV
Epidemic: prevention strategies for infected individuals. American
Journal of Public Health 2001;91:1019–1024.
Jenkins RA, Kim b. Cultural norms and risk: lessons learned from
HIV in Thailand. Journal of Primary Prevention 2004;25:17–40.
Jones TS, et al. Preventing blood-borne infections through pharmacy
syringe sales and safe community syringe disposal. Journal of the
American Pharmaceutical Association 2002;42(suppl 2).
Karon JM, et al. HIV in the United States at the turn of the century:
an epidemic in transition. American Journal of Public Health
2001;91:1060–1068.
Lindegren ML, et al. Trends in perinatal transmission of HIV/AIDS
in the United States. Journal of the American Medical Association
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Nakashima AK, et al. History of incarceration in HIV/AIDS patients
recently reported to state/local health departments in the United
States. Abstract presented at the XIV International AIDS
Conference; Jul 7–12, 2002; Barcelona, Spain.
Nakashima AK, et al. HIV/AIDS surveillance in the United States,
1981–2001. Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndromes
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Marks G, Crepaz N, Senterfitt W, Janssen R. Meta-analysis of
high-risk sexual behavior in persons aware and unaware they
are infected with HIV in the United States: implications for HIV
prevention programs. Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency
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Peters V, et al. Missed opportunities for perinatal HIV prevention
among HIV-exposed infants born 1996–2000, Pediatric Spectrum
of HIV Disease Cohort. Pediatrics 2003;111:1186–1191.
Purcell DW, et al. Intervention for seropositive injectors—research
and evaluation: an integrated behavioral intervention with HIV positive
injection drug users to address medical care, adherence,
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Quan VM, et al. HIV incidence in the United States, 1978–1999.
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Sharpe TT, Lee LM, Nakashima AK, Elam-Evans LD, Fleming
PL. Crack cocaine use and adherence to antiretroviral treatment
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Sullivan PS, Lansky A, Drake A. Failure to return for HIV test
results among persons at high risk for HIV infection. Journal of
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UNAIDS. AIDS epidemic update—December 2004.
Wolitski RJ, Janssen RS, Onorato IM, Purcell DW, Crepaz N. A
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