Use this SOP as the required staff education guide for Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS), Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), and Hepatitis A, B, and C.

šŸ“š Resources Needed

  • Access to the U.S. Government HIV fact sheets for additional HIV information

  • Staff education materials that distinguish HIV infection from AIDS and Hepatitis A, B, and C

āœ… Before You Start

  • Recognize that a person may be infected with HIV without appearing sick and before testing HIV-positive.

  • Distinguish HIV infection from the later development of AIDS.

  • Recognize that Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B, and Hepatitis C are caused by different viruses and have different transmission and disease patterns.

šŸš€ Tips & Tricks

  • Remember that AIDS is a syndrome caused by HIV; a person does not directly ā€œgetā€ AIDS.

  • Remember that Hepatitis A does not become chronic, while Hepatitis B and C may become chronic.

  • Vaccines are available to prevent Hepatitis A and B, but not Hepatitis C.

šŸ“˜ Instructions

Step 1: Explain AIDS

  • AIDS stands for Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome.

  • Acquired means a person can become infected with it.

  • Immune Deficiency means a weakness in the bodyā€™s system that fights diseases.

  • Syndrome means a group of health problems that make up a disease.

  • AIDS is caused by HIV, the Human Immunodeficiency Virus.

  • When a person becomes infected with HIV, the body tries to fight the infection by making antibodies, which are special immune molecules the body makes to fight HIV.

Step 2: Review The Source Protocolā€™s HIV And AIDS Statistics

  • The source protocol states that the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates about 1.3 million people are living with HIV infection or AIDS, and about 15% do not know they have it.

  • It states that about 73% of the 56,000 new infections each year are in men and about 27% are in women.

  • It states that about half of new infections are among African Americans, even though they make up only 12% of the U.S. population.

  • It states that AIDS was a leading cause of death in the mid-1990s, but newer treatments have significantly reduced the AIDS death rate.

  • For more information, see the U.S. Government HIV fact sheets.

Step 3: Explain How HIV Is Transmitted

  • A person does not directly ā€œgetā€ AIDS. A person may become infected with HIV and later develop AIDS.

  • HIV can be acquired from anyone who is infected, even when the person does not look sick and has not yet tested HIV-positive.

  • The blood, vaginal fluid, semen, and breast milk of people infected with HIV can contain enough virus to infect another person.

  • Most people acquire HIV by having sex with an infected person who is not on treatment and has a detectable viral load.

  • HIV may be acquired by sharing a needle for injecting drugs with someone who is infected.

  • HIV may be acquired at birth when the mother is infected or by drinking the breast milk of an infected woman.

  • Transfusion of infected blood was previously a mode of transmission, but the blood supply is now screened very carefully and the risk is extremely low.

  • There are no documented cases of HIV being transmitted by tears or saliva.

Step 4: Explain Hepatitis

  • Hepatitis means inflammation of the liver.

  • Hepatitis may be caused by toxins, certain drugs, some diseases, heavy alcohol use, and bacterial or viral infections.

  • Hepatitis also names a family of viral infections that affect the liver; the most common types are Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B, and Hepatitis C.

Step 5: Distinguish Hepatitis A B And C

  • Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B, and Hepatitis C are caused by three different viruses.

  • Although they can cause similar symptoms, they have different modes of transmission and can affect the liver differently.

  • Hepatitis A occurs only as an acute or newly occurring infection and does not become chronic. People with Hepatitis A usually improve without treatment.

  • Hepatitis B and Hepatitis C may begin as acute infections, but the virus remains in some people and causes chronic disease and long-term liver problems.

  • Vaccines are available to prevent Hepatitis A and Hepatitis B; there is no vaccine for Hepatitis C.

  • A person who previously had one type of viral hepatitis can still acquire the other types.

Step 6: Explain Hepatitis A

  • Hepatitis A is a contagious liver disease caused by infection with the Hepatitis A virus.

  • It may range from a mild illness lasting a few weeks to a severe illness lasting several months.

  • Hepatitis A is usually spread when a person ingests the virus through contact with objects, food, or drinks contaminated by feces or stool from an infected person.

Step 7: Explain Hepatitis B

  • Hepatitis B is a contagious liver disease caused by the Hepatitis B virus and may range from a mild illness lasting a few weeks to a serious, lifelong illness.

  • Hepatitis B may be acute or chronic.

  • The best way to prevent Hepatitis B is vaccination. The vaccine is safe and effective and is usually administered as 3ā€“4 shots over a 6-month period.

  • Acute Hepatitis B is a short-term illness occurring within the first six months after exposure. Acute infection can, but does not always, lead to chronic infection.

  • Chronic Hepatitis B is a long-term illness occurring when the virus remains in the body and may lead to cirrhosis or liver cancer.

Step 8: Explain Hepatitis C

  • Hepatitis C is a contagious liver disease caused by the Hepatitis C virus (HCV) and may range from a mild illness lasting a few weeks to a serious, lifelong illness that attacks the liver.

  • Hepatitis C is spread primarily through contact with the blood of an infected person and may be acute or chronic.

  • Acute Hepatitis C is a short-term illness occurring within the first six months after exposure. For most people, acute infection leads to chronic infection.

  • Chronic Hepatitis C occurs when the virus remains in the body. It can last a lifetime and cause serious liver problems, including cirrhosis, or scarring of the liver, and liver cancer.

šŸ›  Troubleshooting

Someone Confuses HIV Infection With AIDS

Clarify that a person may become infected with HIV and later develop AIDS; AIDS is caused by HIV but is not directly acquired.

Someone Assumes A Person Must Look Sick To Transmit HIV

Clarify that HIV can be acquired from an infected person even when that person does not look sick and has not yet tested HIV-positive.

Someone Assumes One Hepatitis Infection Prevents The Others

Clarify that Hepatitis A, B, and C are caused by different viruses and that a person who has had one type can still acquire another.

āœ… Completion Check

  • Staff can define Acquired, Immune Deficiency, and Syndrome and explain that HIV causes AIDS.

  • Staff can identify blood, vaginal fluid, semen, and breast milk as fluids that may contain enough HIV to infect others and can describe the listed transmission routes.

  • Staff know that no documented HIV transmissions by tears or saliva are identified in the protocol and that screened blood makes transfusion risk extremely low.

  • Staff can explain the source protocolā€™s CDC estimates and its statement that newer treatments significantly reduced the AIDS death rate.

  • Staff can define hepatitis and identify its listed toxic, drug-related, disease-related, alcohol-related, bacterial, and viral causes.

  • Staff can distinguish Hepatitis A, B, and C, including acute and chronic patterns, modes of spread, vaccine availability, and possible long-term liver effects.

References

CalOptima Health Facility Site And Medical Record Review Audit Packet: Bloodborne Infections, pages 63ā€“64

U.S. Government HIV fact sheets

Source Protocol Revision: Apr 29, 2026

Internal readiness SOP only; the full CalOptima and applicable bloodborne-infection requirements control.