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Hiv / Aids : An Acronym For Human Immunodeficiency Virus

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What if there was a disease that thousands of people a day contracted with no vaccine or cure, what do you think the world would look like? The world would look much like it does today, as there is a disease that infects thousands of people each and every day with no vaccine or cure. That disease is HIV/AIDS. A disease that is so powerful its position in our society has moved from epidemic to pandemic. In this paper we will explore HIV/AIDS and my one-day journey at one of Delaware County’s largest full service HIV/AIDS providers and how it changed my perspective on the disease and the people who carry it.
What is HIV/AIDS? HIV is an acronym for Human Immunodeficiency Virus. This virus can only attack humans, hence the name, and reproduces by taking over the T-cells (or CD4-cells which help fight off infections) and uses them to make copies of itself (U.S. Department of Health & Human Services). Unlike most viruses the human body cannot seem to shake HIV, which means once you have HIV you have it for life. HIV is transmitted through certain bodily fluids and they are blood, semen (including pre-seminal), vaginal secretions, breast milk, and rectal fluids. AIDS, which stands for Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome, is the last stage of HIV, but it is important to note that not everyone with HIV will succumb to having AIDS. According to the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (2014) people who acquire AIDS have immune systems that have been severely deteriorated which

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