HIV/AIDS Lab

 

Background/History:

The disease was first recognized in 1981 when unusual numbers of people with rare diseases surfaced: Kaposi's Sarcoma, a form of skin cancer,and Pneumocystis Carinii Pneumonia, a form of pneumonia. In 1984, Dr. Robert Gallo isolated the retrovirus which causes AIDS. In 1986, the AIDS virus received its final name Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV). By 1994, AIDS had become the leading cause of death amongst Americans between the ages of 25 and 44. 400,000 people in the United States had developed AIDS since 1981, and over 250,000 people had died.

 

Purpose:

A simulation will be performed to show how rapidly the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) can spread through a community.

 

Materials:

• 30 small test tube, about 1/2 full of "body fluid"
• .1M solution of NaOH
• The other test tubes contain distilled water with a touch of vinegar
• 1 dropper inserted into the test tube
• 2 clean, dry glass slides
• Paper towels
• Handouts
• Writing utensil
• Dropper bottle with phenol red or phenolphthalein

Procedure:

1)     Spreading the Infection: Each person will exchange body fluid with a total of five other people. This simulates unprotected sex, the swapping of body fluids.

2)     Find a student (of either sex) to "exchange" body fluid with. Do this by having you and your partner each suck up a dropper full of fluid with your dropper. Place this dropper amount from your test tube into your partner's test tube at the same time your partner puts their dropper full of fluid into your test tube. We will call this "test tube sex".

3)     Write down the name of the person you had "sex" with in your data sheet. Also, write down who they had sex with before you.

4)     Testing for the Infection: The teacher will place one drop of phenol red in your test tube. If you are HIV positive, your fluid will turn pink. If not, it will remain clear.

5)     After everyone has been tested, try to figure out who was the one student that had the HIV virus.

 

Data:

Unprotected Sex Partner	HIV positive/negative?	Who did they have sex with?
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Conclusion: Answer the following questions.

1. Did every person in the room become infected?

2. If we did this experiment long enough, would everyone become infected?

3. In a real virus infection, not every person in the city comes down with the disease, no matter how long it lasts. Why is this? Try to use the word “immunity” in your answer.

4. Name two other virus caused diseases besides AIDS.

5. If you were infected, you should be able to figure out which contact gave you the virus. Check back with your contact during the round you got the virus. Who gave it to you? Who had it originally in the class?

6. Discuss two ways that the spread of HIV can be prevented.

7. What does a person with HIV look like?