ABSTRACT
To work with an older population with HIV/AIDS, it helps to understand the background of the disease itself and how it is transmitted. Retroviruses are a group of viruses that contain ribonucleic acid (RNA), which is changed into deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) before the virus can become part of the targeted cell in the susceptible person. HIV-1 enters into an uninfected person’s body through body fluids that contain HIV-1. Exchange of sexual and bloody fluids are the most common routes of transmission. The range of time between the point at which HIV-1 becomes integrated as part of the host’s immune system cell to the presence of detectable antibodies in the host’s blood, can be an average from 6 weeks to 6 months. Culture needs to be considered in any primary prevention strategy. Culture represents a particular set of values, norms, attitudes, and expectations about the world.
