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For the last two years, Backgrounder has covered topics as varied as the story of the smallpox vaccine and the laboratory dogs who gave their lives to further our understanding of human anatomy, all as a way of helping our readers understand the basic science behind HIV/AIDS.

This month, for a change of pace, we thought we’d give you the chance to see how much has sunk in.

How much do you really know about HIV/AIDS? Take this simple quiz and find out. Some of these questions are based on the subjects we’ve covered over the last twelve issues, some of them are more general knowledge, and one or two are right out of left field.

The answers are at the bottom of the page.

1. There’s no effective vaccine against HIV, despite many years of hard scientific endeavour trying to develop HIV vaccines for two different purposes. What are they called?
   1. investigational(Of a drug) Not licensed for use in humans, or as a treatment for a particular condition. Experimental drugs are studied in clinical trials to determine their safety and efficacy, and are sometimes made available via Special Access Schemes prior to their approval. and prophylactic vaccines
   2. therapeutic and preventive vaccines
   3. prophylactic and preventative vaccines
2. We now know that it’s possible someone who already has HIV to be infected with HIV a second time. What’s this phenomenon called?
   1. coinfection
   2. superinfection
   3. double infection
3. Missing doses of antiretroviralsA medication or other substance which is active against retroviruses such as HIV. can lead to the development of drug-resistantHIV which has mutated and is less susceptible to the effects of one or more anti-HIV drugs is said to be resistant. HIV because of an evolutionary process, first described by Charles Darwin, called:
   1. selective pressure
   2. survival of the fittest
   3. the Galapagos effect
4. People with HIV can sometimes get access to essential drugs before they are approved, under a:
   1. Named Patient Programme
   2. Emergency Access ProtocolA study plan on which all clinical trials are based. The plan is carefully designed to safeguard the health of the participants as well as answer specific research questions. A protocol describes what types of people may participate in the trial; the schedule of tests, procedures, medications, and dosages; and the length of the study. While in a clinical trial, participants following a protocol are seen regularly by the research staff to monitor their health and to determine the safety and effectiveness of their treatment
   3. Special Access SchemeBefore a drug has been approved, manufacturers often provide the drug free of charge to people who cannot participate in a clinical trial and who meet certain criteria under a Special Access Scheme (SAS).
5. Several long-term side effects of HIV drugs have been linked to damage to which special structures inside our cells?
   1. lipochondria
   2. hypochondria
   3. mitochondria
6. The CD4 count is a key part of your three-monthly blood tests. To which major family of blood cells do CD4+ T-cells belong?
   1. white cells
   2. red cells
   3. platelets
7. The biochemical blood marker ALTalanine transaminase or alanine aminotransferase, an enzyme involved in the metabolism of the amino acid alanine. Elevated ALT levels in the blood may indicate liver injury or disease such as hepatitis. Also called SGPT (serum glutamate pyruvate transaminase). gives an indication of the health of which internal organ?
   1. pancreas
   2. kidneys
   3. liverA large organ, located in the upper right abdomen, which assists in digestion by metabolising carbohydrates, fats and proteins, stores vitamins and minerals, produces amino acids, bile and cholesterol, and removes toxins from the blood.
8. Genotypic and Phenotypic are two kinds of:
   1. HIV drugs classes
   2. resistance tests
   3. viral set-points
9. HIV is believed to have originally crossed the species barrier from chimpanzees. When do we believe this happened?
   1. around 1959
   2. around 1931
   3. around 1976
10. Pancreatitis is a serious, but fortunately uncommon, side effectAny undesired actions or effects of a drug or treatment. Negative or adverse effects may include headache, nausea, hair loss, skin irritation, or other physical problems. Experimental drugs must be evaluated for both immediate and long-term side effects. of some anti-HIV drugs, most notably:
    1. d4T
    2. ddI
    3. AZT
11. What’s the best way to determine the validity of HIV-related information you find on the internet?
    1. check that the information was published in a respected, peer-reviewed journal
    2. check that the website was endorsed by a responsible HIV or medical organisation
    3. ask a doctor or treatments officer whether the information is reliable
    4. all of the above
12. Most HIV drugs target the virusA small infective organism which is incapable of reproducing outside a host cell. once it has entered human cells, but some new and experimental drugs are designed to prevent HIV from getting into cells. What are these drugs called?
    1. fusion inhibitors
    2. entry inhibitors
    3. CCR5 antagonists
    4. attachment inhibitors
    5. any of the above
13. Which of these isn’t a class of drugs used to treat people with HIV?
    1. reverse transcriptase inhibitors
    2. protease inhibitors
    3. amylase inhibitors
    4. fusion inhibitors
14. World AIDS Day is held every year on 1 December. What year was the first of these days held?
    1. 1988
    2. 1989
    3. 1990
15. The theme of last year’s World AIDS Day was ‘HIV and AIDS affect women too’. What is one of the ways that HIV affects women differently to men?
    1. Women don’t have to worry about using condoms for safe sex.
    2. Globally, women are increasingly more likely to be infected than men.
    3. Women are less likely to need care and support services than men.
16. How many genesThe most basic unit of genetic information. does HIV have?
    1. nine
    2. about 9000
    3. about 9 million
    4. HIV doesn’t have genes
17. How many different antiretroviral medications have been approved for use in Australia (not counting multi-drug combinations such as Combivir and Trizivir)
    1. 16
    2. 19
    3. 24
18. How many people are currently living with HIV/AIDS in Australia?
    1. about 14,000
    2. about 17,000
    3. about 31,000
19. How many people are living with HIV/AIDS worldwide, according to the most recent UNAIDSJoint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS. UNAIDS is the main advocate for accelerated, comprehensive and coordinated global action on the epidemic. estimates published in December?
    1. 36.1 million
    2. 39.4 million
    3. 43.5 million
20. The part of the world with the largest number of people living with HIV/AIDS is sub-Saharan Africa. Which area has the second-largest number?
    1. Europe
    2. South America
    3. South-East Asia
21. In what year was the first case of AIDS diagnosed in Australia?
    1. 1982
    2. 1984
    3. 1986
22. The federal government committee which oversees Australia’s response to HIV/AIDS is called:
    1. ANCARD
    2. MACASHHMinisterial Advisory Committee on AIDS, Sexual Health and Hepatides. The Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing’s high level expert committee, providing advice on issues relevant to HIV/AIDS, sexually transmissible infections and hepatitis C.
    3. AFAOAustralian Federation of AIDS Organisations. AFAO is the peak non-government organisation representing Australia's community-based response to HIV/AIDS. AFAO's work includes education, policy, advocacy and international projects.
23. In what year was the first issue of Positive Living published?
    1. 1989
    2. 1996
    3. 2002
24. Being infected with an untreated sexually-transmissible infection (STI) such as gonorrhoea or syphilis:
    1. can increase the risk of passing on HIV
    2. can increase the risk of contracting HIV
    3. can weaken your body’s response to HIV
    4. all of the above
25. HAARTHighly Active AntiRetroviral Therapy ??? aggressive treatment of HIV infection using several different drugs together. stands for:
    1. HIV and AIDS Are Really Tough
    2. Hopefully Adequate (A Revolting Taste)
    3. Hardly An Antidote, this Remedial Treatment
    4. Highly Active Anti-Retroviral Therapy

Answers

1. (b) 2. (b) 3. (a) 4. (c) 5. (c) 6. (a) 7. (c) 8. (b) 9. (b) 10. (b) 11. (d) 12. (e) 13. (c) 14. (a) 15. (b) 16. (a) 17. (b) 18. (a) 19. (b) 20. (c) 21. (a) 22. (b) 23. (a) 24 (d) 25. (d)

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