Throughout the history of time, there have been diseases that have altered the environment of communities, societies, and the world. Some of these diseases were more catastrophic than others, however all are important to understanding how to prevent and prevail over these illnesses. One of the most preeminent diseases of our world today is the epidemic of AIDS. As a consistent killer throughout the world, AIDS has become an immediate concern to agencies and governments worldwide. In response, there are numerous international organizations that have been established to learn more about preventing, tracking, and treating the disease. Through extensive research and analysis, AIDS researchers are making gradual breakthroughs to benefit …show more content…
A majority of newly infected HIV hosts do not experience any significant symptoms immediately after they contract the disease (WebMD). This lack of indication is a major reason that HIV spreads so quickly and testing is so important. The absence of knowledge is also why this disease is so dangerous. There are millions of people worldwide living their lives with no clue they are HIV positive. However, as the disease continues to spread, several other symptoms begin to arise. Initially, carriers begin to experience flu-like symptoms, nausea, and slight memory loss. After the HIV transfers to AIDS, which takes place once there are less than 200 virus fighting cells called CD4 cells, the symptoms become much worse (WebMD). Once the transfer occurs, AIDS can cause fevers, rashes, seizures, severe diarrhea, vision loss, and even increases your susceptibility to cancer (WebMD). Since the immune system becomes so weak throughout the process, the smallest infections or viruses can pose significant health risks to the patient. The patient has no way of defending against these viruses because the infection fighting cells of their body are not there to fight. As AIDS continues to engulf the globe with disease, there are more and more people who are being affected by it. Here in the United States, there were over 56,300 new HIV infections in 2006 (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention). Yet, the numbers of new infections are only the
AIDS or acquired immune deficiency syndrome is a disease where a person regardless of race or gender can get infected and have no chance of survival. AIDS started in the 1980’s to move from human to human. In a event were sex kills this is the one. In 1995, AIDS was the leading cause of death for adults 25 to 44 years old. But in recent years treatments help the survival and prolonged life of many with AIDS yet the disease still resides within them and they are dangerous to the well being of
According to a report published in the February 1998 edition of “Nature”, scientists identified what they believe is the earliest case of AIDs in a man from the Congo in 1959. (Lerner and Hombs 39) By the end of the year 1980, 80 men would have been diagnosed with at least of the opportunistic infections that are a characteristic of AIDs. (Lerner and Hombs 40) AIDs cases in the 1980s increased dramatically not only around the world but in the United States, primarily in larger cities like Los Angeles, New York City and San Francisco. The numbers of AIDs diagnoses and deaths spiraled out of control throughout the 1980s and towards the end of 1989 there were 117,500 cases of AIDS reported and 89,000 related deaths.(Lerner and Hombs 54) In the
In the 1980s, a mysterious disease began to take the lives of Americans. With the cause unknown, a fear grew among Americans. An unusually high rate of people was becoming sick with strange and rare diseases. When experimental treatments failed to work, people died. This mysterious disease is what we now know as HIV–Human Immunodeficiency Virus. In the past thirty-five years, the HIV has taken many turns in history. Although we do not hear about HIV and AIDS now, it is still a prevalent issue in the United States and in the world.
Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)/AIDS is a pandemic problem affecting global health. At the end of 2015, 36.7 million people were living with HIV/AIDS globally. The rate of incidence is more prevalent in Sub-Saharan Africa with almost 1 in every 24 adults living with HIV/AIDS. In the united states, HIV/AIDS is a diversified health problem affecting all sexes, ages and races and involving the transmission of multiple risk behavior. However, with the introduction of various prevention programs and antiretroviral drugs, the incidence of HIV/AIDS has reduced.
The disease AIDS is an acronym for acquired immunodeficiency syndrome. The first known case of the AIDS virus was found in 1970’s. The AIDS disease was made aware in hospitals among male patients who had same-sex relationships. The two main areas of this disease at that time was in New York and Los Angeles. “In 1982 the AIDS disease was enhancing Kaposi 's sarcoma and Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia” (Scavnicky, 2011). In order for a person to be diagnosed with AIDS is due to having the HIV virus. The first HIV virus was detected around 1950. It was considered to have originated from monkey’s or chimps. It later had been spread to humans. The AIDS name had surfaced after the latter stages of HIV have
If you look at how everything has developed since AIDS was first regarded as s major threat to public health in the beginning of the 1980’s it could be said that a lot of progress has been made. Not in a way where infected individuals around the world get the treatment they need or the developing countries get completely the support necessary, but today the world is closer to that goal than years before. This is important to outline because people tend to forget the progress been made, as they are only searching for a certain ending or result. The final solution to the dilemma between distribution of drugs to all people in need and the costly and continuous research required to find a cure, is not in reach [3].
HIV and AIDS have affected millions of people throughout the world. Since 1981, there have been 25 million deaths due to AIDS involving men, women, and children. Presently there are 40 million people living with HIV and AIDS around the world and two million die each year from AIDS related illnesses. The Center for Disease Control estimates that one-third of the one million Americans living with HIV are not aware that they have it. The earliest known case of HIV was in 1959. It was discovered in a blood sample from a man in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo. Looking further into the genetics of this blood sample researchers suggested that it had originated from a virus going back to the late 1940’s or early 1950’s. In 1999,
In the past four decades, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) has been discovered, developed into an international epidemic, and
Although HIV is no longer the automatic death sentence it was in the 80’s, it remains a thorn even in our modern societies. For instance, HIV treatment is exponentially expensive, and can only be afforded by residents in developed countries. In fact, most third world nations are still in the 80’s as far as HIV treatment technology is concerned. Fatality rates particularly in Africa are astronomical to say the least (Rensburg 267). With prices, for
In the United States (US) there are currently 1.2 million people infected/living with the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV). The HIV epidemic in the US is concentrated in the following at risk populations and geographic area: (1) Gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with other men of all races/ethnicities (high burden of HIV among Black gay and bisexual men), (2) Black women and men, (3) Latinos/Latinas, (4) People who inject drugs (PWID), (5) Youth ages 13 to 24 years (high burden of HIV among young Black gay and bisexual men), (6) People in the Southern US, (7) Transgender women (high burden of HIV among Black transgender women) (The White
The Center for Disease Control provides leadership, guidance, and research to help control the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS) epidemic by working alongside the communities on a state and national level. They are also partners with other countries abroad in research, surveillance and evaluation of activities among the world’s population. The activities monitored are critical to CDC due to the estimated 1.1 million Americans infected with the disease. Some of these infected populations do not know they are infected and the number increases each year.
Since the outbreak of HIV/AIDS, an estimated 78 million people have acquired HIV and has killed approximately 39 million people infected with the virus. The prognosis of the epidemic has continued to vary from different countries and according to global statistics; 35 million people in 2013 were living with HIV/AIDS. 2.5 million People per annum acquire the virus and 1.5 million die of AIDS. Inspite of the drastic transmission of the HIV/AIDS epidemic, the development and accessibility of anti-retroviral drugs has decreased mortality rates by 22% from a population of 2.0million in 2009 to 1.5million in 2013 (WHO, 2013),
Just as clearly, experience shows that the right approaches, applied quickly enough with courage and resolve, can and do result in lower HIV infection rates and less suffering for those affected by the epidemic. An ever-growing AIDS epidemic is not inevitable; yet, unless action against the epidemic is scaled up drastically, the damage already done will seem minor compared with what lies ahead. This may sound dramatic, but it is hard to play down the effects of a disease that stands to kill more than half of the young adults in the countries where it has its firmest hold—most of them before they finish the work of caring for their children or providing for their elderly parents. Already, 18.8 million people around the world have died of AIDS, 3.8 million of them children. Nearly twice that many—34.3 million—are now living with HIV, the virus [9].
In 2015, an estimate of 36.7 million people was living with HIV and 1.1 million people died of AIDS-related illnesses (_). AIDS is a severe disease that causes the human’s immune system to become weak. Once the human body’s immune system is damaged, the body is more susceptible for infections. The most terrifying part about this entire ordeal is that scientist have yet to find a permanent cure for HIV/AIDS. As time progresses, scientists have been able to understand the illness even more and created treatment/medication to allow a person living with HIV/AIDS to an extended lifespan. However, to truly understand HIV/AIDS one should learn of its origin and how the human body’s immune system usually deals with virus infections.
During the 1980’s, a very devastating infectious disease broke out in America, which is now known as the Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). Aids have been one of the most damaging and destructive diseases in history. The only reason behind the spread of the deadly disease- AIDS is lack of knowledge which has resulted in growing number everyday. “UNAIDS estimates that as of December 2000, there were an estimated 36.1 million people living with HIV/AIDS (34.7 million adults and 1.4 million children under 15)” ("AIDS Information, Education, Action, Awareness | How Many People Have HIV and AIDS?" AIDS Information, Education, Action, Awareness | How Many People Have HIV and AIDS? Web. 1 Nov. 2015). Aids has become a worldwide