Red Ribbon Centre, Department of Health - Dialogue Script of Animation “Sexuality Animation Classroom

Super: HIV Testing

Voice Over: When a person is infected by HIV, the body responds by producing antibodies.

Voice Over: However, the protection of these antibodies is not strong enough.

Voice Over: HIV antibody test detects the presence of such antibodies in blood or oral fluid.

Voice Over: It can tell whether a person has been infected with HIV.

Voice Over: If the test result is positive. It means that the person is HIV-infected.

Voice Over: If the test is done after the window period and the result is negative,

Super: it means that the person is not infected.

Voice Over: Venous blood sampling is a conventional HIV test, it takes around 1 week for the result,

Voice Over: whereas rapid tests, such as finger prick blood or oral fluid, only require 20 minutes.

Voice Over: Rapid test is only a screening test,

Voice Over: Any positive result

Voice Over: should be followed by taking venous blood for confirmatory test

Voice Over: conducted by a laboratory.

Super: Window Period

Voice Over: HIV antibodies take some time to develop in the human body before reaching a detectable level.

Voice Over: The period between initial infection with HIV and when the antibody test shows a positive test result is called the window period.

Voice Over: Subject to individual conditions, the window period can be up to three months.

Voice Over: A negative result obtained during the window period cannot exclude HIV-infection

Voice Over: as it may be due to insufficient level of antibodies to be detected.

Voice Over: During this period, the virus replicates rapidly in the infected person,

Voice Over: who becomes highly infectious

Voice Over: and can transmit the virus to others even if a negative result is obtained

Voice Over: Users should retest after the window period

Voice Over: or consult a doctor whenever in doubt.

Super: When Should I Have an HIV Test?

Voice Over: Most HIV-infected persons are asymptomatic during the early phase of infection.

Voice Over: If a person has been sexually active and has never been tested before, he or she should consider performing HIV testing

Voice Over: If a person has multiple sex partners

Voice Over: or persistent unsafe sexual behaviours

Voice Over: He or she should perform HIV testing every 6-12 months regularly.

Super: Antiretroviral Therapy

Voice Over: Although there is as of yet no cure for HIV infection

Voice Over: medications are available and effective in fighting HIV and its complications.

Voice Over: Antiretroviral agents attack HIV at different stages of its life cycle to inhibit HIV replication.

Voice Over: Effective antiretroviral therapy can reduce the number of viruses in human blood

Voice Over: and increase the number of CD4 cells which helps maintain the immune system

Voice Over: as well as contribute to fewer opportunistic infections and HIV-associated cancers.

Voice Over: With the right way in taking the therapy

Voice Over: for around or within six months,

Voice Over: most of them could achieve undetectable viral load by standard laboratory tests.

Voice Over: Evidence has shown that

Voice Over: people with HIV who achieve sustained viral suppression

Voice Over: to an undetectable level by antiretroviral drugs

Voice Over: have no chance of passing on the virus through sex.

Dialogue Script of Animation “Sexuality Animation Classroom – Testing & Treatment”