Understanding HIV/AIDS: Evolution, Treatment, and Prevention (NA2480)

Course Format

This course is online. All course material is available online and is accessible immediately after purchase from your account homepage. Certificate of Completion is available immediately upon passing the exam.

Course Overview

It began as a disease killing young gay men and became known as the AIDS epidemic. Beginning in the 1970s as a 100% fatal disease, it is now a chronic disease that can be managed, treated, and prevented.

This class will include the disease itself, HIV and its life cycle, testing and diagnosis, and current treatment.

People are living longer with the disease and research continues on effective treatments and hopefully a cure at some point. Universal precautions taken with every patient became the standard of care for all those in the medical community including dentistry during the epidemic. As people live longer with the disease, new treatments and prevention strategies are evolving including new blood donation requirements.

Course Objectives

1. Explain the HIV life cycle and the effects of different medicines on each part of that cycle.


2. Discuss ways of prevention in adults, children, and young people.


3. Describe ART and the use of medication regimens in the treatment of HIV/AIDS.


4. Present the new requirements for blood donation.


5. List the types of universal and standard precautions that were a direct result of the epidemic.

Course Outline