Fourth Grade
Worksheets
Help Stop the Spread of AIDS
Juan's father was a drug addict. He got HIV from sharing dirty needles. He gave it to Juan's mother. She gave it to Juan. There are many families all over the world that have the same story. AIDS is a crisis in every corner of the world. How can it be stopped? What can YOU do about it?
HIV is a virus. It attacks the immune system. When this happens, other viruses and infections are free to attack the body. When an HIV positive person begins to get infections that healthy people can easily fight off, the person is said to have AIDS. This stands for Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome.
When a person has the HIV virus in their bodies, they are said to be HIV positive. When the virus enters the body, the immune system tries to attack it. But HIV turns these cells into HIV producers. The virus begins to multiply in the body.
At first, the person might feel like he has the flu. His glands might be swollen. He will have a fever. He might have headaches and wake up at night sweating. He will feel tired all the time.
Soon, his body will not be able to fight infections. He will start to get more serious diseases. Pneumonia might develop. He might get cancer or hepatitis. The person now has AIDS. People don't die of AIDS. They die of one of these diseases that attack their bodies. Right now, there is no cure for AIDS. Preventing the spread of HIV is the only way to get this terrible disease under control.
