Fatality, death, or stigma is just a few words that come to mind when people think of HIV. HIV testing should be mandatory in our society. Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) is a serious, incurable disease that attacks the immune system. HIV is spread through innumerable ways, such as blood, breast milk, having unprotected intercourse, or sharing needles. If people do not get treated for HIV, over time the disease progresses until the immune system is too inadequate to defend against life-threatening infections and cancers. Once this starts to happen, the person now has AIDS, which is the last and the worst state of the HIV infection. According to AIDS.gov, more than 1.2 million United States citizens are living with HIV and half are diagnosed …show more content…
Once HIV attaches to the CD4 cells, the virus then starts to infect other cells and uses them as a place to multiply. The HIV virus weakens the immune system, making it very vulnerable and easy to get infections, such as tuberculosis and meningitis. Some people might not know that they have HIV since there are no specific signs that shows a person is infected. Some HIV infected people may look and feel healthy for years before they find out they are infected. This can be very dangerous, for the HIV infected person can covertly spread the disease to other people. Many people can avoid this problem if they get checked for HIV …show more content…
Some people may feel that getting tested for HIV is a violation of their privacy and rights. According to, HIV/AIDS Tests (www.hrw.org) human rights are inextricably linked to the spread and impact of HIV on individuals and communities around the world. Some people are more vulnerable to contracting HIV because they are unable to realize their civil, political, and social rights. For instance, individuals who are denied the right to freedom of association and access to information can be prohibited from important issues, such as HIV, and taking preventative measures to protect themselves from the fatal HIV virus. Additionally, the rights of infected HIV people are also violated because of their HIV status, making them suffer not only from the virus but from the loss of their rights. Even though getting tested for HIV may violate individual’s rights, not knowing about the virus can be very deadly and people’s lives are far more important than a person possibly feeling discrimination. It is impossible to stop the spread of the HIV infection if people are unaware they have it. These infected people can unintentionally infect their loved ones, including children, therefore it is safer to get tested for
HIV or the Human Deficiency virus is like other viruses including the flu, but the one thing that makes this virus so different than any other is that the body is unable to clear this one out completely. Once someone is infected, there is no cure. Over time, HIV can also hide or mask itself in the body's cells. The cells within a person's body that fight off infection are called CD4 cells or T cells. HIV attacks these cells and copies or replicates itself inside these cells, then destroys them. HIV over time will destroy so many of these cells that the body is unable to fight off infection anymore. When this starts happening, AIDS or Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome happens which is the final stage
HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) infection is a long-term (chronic) viral infection. HIV kills white blood cells that help to control the body's defense system (immune system) and fight infection. HIV spreads through semen, pre-seminal fluid, blood, breast milk, rectal fluid, and vaginal fluid. HIV is commonly spread through sexual contact and sharing needles or syringes, because these behaviors involve exchanging bodily fluids. Without treatment, HIV can turn into AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome), an advanced stage of HIV infection. AIDS is a very serious illness and can be life-threatening.
It can be transmitted through blood and or unprotected sex. “They are being infected through unprotected sexual intercourse, drug use and babies being born with AIDS because the mother is infected” (Horton). AIDS can cause death and AIDS lowers your immune system until the point to where your body cannot push itself anymore. AIDS is a deadly disease, and since there is not a cure for AIDS many people have died from it. There are currently millions of people living with AIDS. But sadly also more than half of a million of them has died from AIDS. Most people are afraid to do checkups because they afraid to come out positive. If you have had unprotected sex before and you have the following symptoms: Swollen lymph nodes (lymph glands), Diarrhea, Fever, Cough, and unintended weight loss you may need to seek medical attention immediately. You are not vulnerable to AIDS unless you tend to keep doing things that may have you catch it. Also AIDS can be transmitted through breastfeeding. Such things as saliva and tears do not transmit the disease to others. There is a thing called antiretroviral treatment which slows down the process of AIDS for whoever may have it. Doctors say the antiretroviral treatment reduces the risk of death but also is genuinely expensive and has side effects to it. Another thing that the doctors say is that you can live from up to 6 months all the way to 11 years without any treatment. Even though
Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is a viral infection that can be life-threatening and is a lifelong disease. HIV attacks the body and weakens the immune system. HIV stays in the body for life and some of the symptoms are diarrhea, headache, fever, night sweats, and flu-like symptoms.
People with AIDS are concerned about some of their rights that they might lose. Some of the consequences that those with AIDS have are restrictions on international travel, housing, employment, medical care, and health care insurance (Comprehensive). One of the biggest fears of people in the community is acquiring the HIV/AIDS disease. Because of the terrible effects of HIV, community members tend to have some concerns about those with the disease. People who are diagnosed with AIDS are usually highly discriminated against. It can be very difficult for people with AIDS to find a job, because they are constantly being denied (Comprehensive). They also have problems with being restricted or denied access to education, health, and social services (Comprehensive). Governments are held accountable for the way they treat those with HIV/AIDS and how they deal with their rights. The government is responsible for not violating the rights of those affected with HIV/AIDS. There are certain rights that cannot be taken away from those with AIDS. These are the right to be free from torture, slavery, or servitude, the right to a fair trial, and the right to freedom of thought (Gruskin, 2002). There will always be discrimination, but there needs to be a better balance of the protection of those with HIV/AIDS, and the community members, protecting all human
Most people get the virus by having sex with someone who has HIV without a latex condom. Even with most condoms you can still get this and other STDs. Another way of getting it is by sharing drug needles with someone who has this virus. Early symptoms include fever, rash, sore throat, swollen lymph nodes, mouth ulcers. Later symptoms of HIV include rapid weight loss, Extreme and unexplained tiredness, Diarrhea that lasts for more than a week, Pneumonia,Memory loss, depression, and other neurologic disorders. If you leave this untreated for too long it can make your immune system weakened enough to where you can get types of cancer and deadly infections. For the first test it's just a simple blood test, then they do another blood test but with the western blot test.HIV doesn't have a cure but it can be slowed down with types of medicine. The most likely way to prevent this is to use a condom but you could also use the drug Truvada, plus more. Every time you get this virus you will always have symptoms, some worse than others as i explained near the beginning. The biggest consequences of HIV are allowing other disease an easier access into your body because HIV damages the immune system. More than 1.2 million people have HIV in the U.S. alone. In 2005 - 2014 the rate of people having Aids lowered
HIV stands for human immunodeficiency virus and can lead to acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) if not treated (About HIV/AIDS, n.d). Unlike some other viruses, the human body cannot fully rid itself of HIV completely, even with treatment. Simply put, once you contract HIV, you have it for life. This disease attacks the body’s immune system, specifically the CD4 cells (T cells), which help the immune system stave off infections. When left to its own devices, HIV reduces the number of CD4 cells (T cells) in the body, making the person more likely to
What is HIV? It is a virus that attacks the body’s immune system that can lead to acquired immunodeficiency syndrome or AIDS if not treated. The Kaiser Family Foundation (2008), states that HIV attacks the body’s immune system, specifically the CD4 cells (T cells), which help the immune system fight off infections. If left untreated, it reduces the number of T-Cells in the body, making the person more likely to get other infections. Also noted is the fact that HIV destroys so many of these cells that it renders the body helpless in fighting off the infections, while it takes advantage of the weaker immune system. This occurrence is part of the
HIV/AIDS is capable of destroying a country, killing millions of people, promoting gender barriers, discrimination, debt, abuse, and increasing poverty. In addition, “HIV/AIDS results in gossip and rejection by family, friends, and neighbors and physical, verbal, and sexual abuse by intimate partners, ultimately distancing women from sources of economic and food support, causing infected people to be fearful and hesitant to disclose their HIV status. With people hiding HIV/AIDS, it will be impossible to tell whether or not that person has it, causing it to spread rapidly, without people even knowing it. People could share needles with others and engage in sexual intercourse to spread HIV without even knowing if they or the other person has
This is also the same exact way how it spreads. Some of the symptoms involve not being able to fight off viruses for a few weeks, some people don’t even show signs for 4 years. Left untreated can HIV can become aids after a few years it will also wear down your immune system more and more after time. They look at the antibodies and what they are attacking, but normally it takes several months for the number of antibodies to match the virus. The virus can be treated by using the following items, protease inhibitors, integrase inhibitor, etc. The way one can prevent contact the disease is by avoiding sexual contact with someone who you know has HIV, also not come to contact with their bodily fluids like blood. HIV is curable in its early stages before it becomes to advanced. Sometimes the disease has symptoms but really isn’t noticed though the first few years. The consequences are not being able to fight off diseases thanks to the immune system being weakened by the virus. The disease is also some what common in
Most states test for the presence of HIV antibodies in children and parents after birth without their consent (Steinbock, 2013). The purpose of such tests has been to establish the population that is suffering from the disease. This information has never been used to indicate the treatment regimen that is supposed to be provided too such patients. This information has been used to find out the exact number of people who are suffering from HIV (Nocon, 2010). Since this information is not provided to patients it has become one of the ethical issues that surround issues related to maternal- foetal conflicts. Most patients have a right to disclosure of their HIV status. In fact the testing of any individual is supposed to be by consent something that has been by passed in most of cases.
HIV corrupts the CD4 cells or T –cells, which weaken the immune system disabling the T-cells from detecting invaders such as viruses and bacteria. As more and more T-cells are destroyed, the immune system weakens and eventually progresses to Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome. HIV/AIDS thrives in the blood, semen, vaginal fluids, or breast
The emergence of the HIV/AIDS pandemic has challenged traditional ethical values of the health care profession and this include the infectious nature of HIV, the social stigma of the disease and its ethical and legal dilemmas (Naidoo & Vernillo, 2012). Since its discovery in the early 1980s, HIV infection has become a pandemic, causing an estimated 36 million deaths (Bagby, Amadee, Siggins, Molina, Nelson & Veazey, 2015). The World Health Organization estimates that in 2012, of the 35 million people living with HIV/ AIDS (PLWHA), 2.3 million were newly infected and 1.6 million died of AIDS-related causes despite increased availability of effective antiretroviral therapy (ART) (Bagby et al., 2015, para 2, page e1). Thus the need for screening,
Getting tested for HIV/AIDs is important for one’s health, relationships, and overall future. HIV stands for Human Immunodeficiency virus; the virus that causes the HIV infection.HIV is spread through the blood, semen, genital fluids, or a HIV infected woman’s breast milk. However, the most common ways to contract HIV is from having unprotected sex, sharing needles and syringes, or same sex intercourse. The growth of new HIV infections continues to rise. According to the Centers of Disease Control (CDC), currently in the United States 1.2 million people are infected with HIV. Among that large group of people, twenty percent of the people were unaware of their status. Consequently, the twenty
HIV is global pandemic stands for Human Immunodeficiency Virus, weakens the immune system by destroying the important cells in our body that fights against disease and infection. Our immune system is able to clear out most of the viruses from our body, but once you have HIV , you have it for lifelong. HIV can hide in our body cells for long time and it can attack the T cells and CD4 cells, a key part of our immune system to fight infections and diseases. Overtime, the HIV may attack so many of CD4 cells and our body is no more able to fight against infections. When this happens, HIV can lead to AIDS, the final stage of HIV infection. HIV can be transmitted through sexual contact, injection or drug use, pregnancy, breast feeding, occupational exposure, and rarely through blood transfusion and organ