Hiv / Aids : The Virus And Its Effect On Human

Know the HIV status of your partner(s). If your partner is HIV-positive, make sure he or she has an undetectable viral load on HIV medicines.

As a disease, HIV, or the Human Immunodeficiency Virus is a blood-borne virus that is transmitted from person to person via sexual intercourse, mother to child, or intravenous drug paraphernalia. The virus itself causes, usually over a period of time, Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome, or AIDS. AIDS actually targets the immune system and causes an immunosuppression which makes people who have the virus more susceptible to cancers and infections. This is the most unique feature of the HIV/AIDS virus and is the most deadly since its implications are destructive if not properly treated (Moore 51). The significance of this disease is one that began in the 1980’s and initially was thought to be a virus only found within homosexual communities and was even originally called Gay-Related Immunodeficiency Virus. However, in 1981, it was found that the virus was spreading beyond the gay community when Blacks accounted for 25% of the HIV/AIDs population and a trend began where Blacks continued to contract HIV significantly more than

However, AIDS is not a disease; it is a symptom that derives from being infected by a virus called HIV, human immunodeficiency virus. While AIDS and HIV are two different sickness, HIV is the leading cause of AIDS, killing millions. HIV was first discovered in the late 1970s in the United States and AIDS was soon later on termed in 1982 as a term that describes the symptom of HIV (“Where did HIV come from?”). AIDS/HIV existed before, but scientists and doctors never noticed it until 1981 when large lymph nodes emerged and intrigued researchers such as Dr. Mathilde Krim (“Thirty Years of HIV/AIDS”). The disease afflicted many other people before its discovery, but it is only first record in the late 1970s. Soon, the number of AIDS cases and deaths increased drastically, going from 159 to 2,807 cases per year in two years (“Thirty Years of HIV/AIDS”). The term AIDS and HIV are used interchangeably as AIDS is only a name of the symptom that HIV causes. The advancement of technology and understanding of the sickness allowed doctors to understand the cause of AIDS/HIV and uncover more cases each year. With the technology in the world today, testing for AIDS/HIV requires only a blood sample and analysis; there is no confusion on whether the symptoms are of a different disease. However, even though technology advanced greatly over the years, AIDS, like the Plague is incurable during

HIV is a virus that causes AIDS. These viruses enter the healthy body and destroy T-cell, while they reproduce themselves. In the meantime, the immune system gets attack and began to breakdown. The immune system help defend the body from flu, cold, virus, germs, infection and bacteria. Because the cell cannot keep fighting the infection, immune system weakens. This is the stage where AIDS is diagnose and taken over when the illness become too severe. HIV is passed only through direct contact with another person's body fluids, such as blood, sexual contact, sharing needles or syringes, birth or breast milk. You don’t get AIDS from tears, saliva or touch, however you can’t tell who has AIDS or HIV that’s why we need to be careful and get tested. To make sure we are not positive but if positive we can start treatment right away. There is no cure for HIV or AIDS, but new medicines can help people live long. New cocktail also know as drugs make it possible for people who are HIV positive to live for years without getting AIDS. There are support group and foundation to help. We should get tested for AIDS at least once in our life or every time there is a new partner. We can’t tell who have AIDS and study show 1 out of 8 is living with HIV and not know it. Getting tested is fast and easy through blood or saliva and takes about 20 min for result. They are so many reason why everyone should get tested it also to help protect yourself and your love one from getting this virus. Catching this virus early can help able to rebuild your immunity, with medicine for example ARV. Having this virus is not the end of the world. As long as this virus is under control it can lead to a happy and longer

AIDS (Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome) is defined by the Mayo Clinic as "A chronic, potentially life-threatening condition which is caused by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). HIV damages the immune system, and interferes with the ability the body has to fight the disease causing organism" (Mayo Clinic, 2014). HIV is an infection transmitted sexually. Another mode of transmission for HIV is by exposure to infected blood, or it could also be transmitted from the mother to the unborn child during the course of pregnancy, at childbirth or through breastfeeding. It may take several years for the HIV virus to weaken the immune system

Testing to see if you have been infected with HIV is easy. There is a rapid HIV test available where they use a blood sample to look for antibodies to HIV. This test takes about twenty minutes if positive follow up testing in necessary (Cdc.gov, 2014).

HIV occurs in three main stages: acute HIV infection, clinical latency, and AIDS. In the first stage those infected are very contagious, sometimes suffering from flu-like symptoms; however, this often

With such badly compromised immune systems people with AIDS get a growing number of serious sicknesses, they are called opportunistic diseases. With no treatment, the AIDS patients predictably survive about three years. The most usual Symptoms of AIDS are fever, chills, swollen, sweats, lymph glands, weight loss, and weakness. The diagnosis of AIDS is when the CD4 cell counts drops below 200 cells/mm or if they acquire certain opportunistic diseases. Being infected with the HIV can increase the viral load in

Primary HIV infection is the first stage and only lasts for a few weeks. Flu-like illnesses may be present during this stage. The second stage is known as clinically asymptomatic stage and typically lasts for an average of ten years. Although major symptoms might not exist during this stage, the HIV-positive person may experience swollen glands. Symptomatic HIV infection is the third stage. As the immune system continues to fail, symptoms surface and become miniscule at first then later leading to more prevalent symptoms. This third stage is generally caused by illnesses, involving cancers and infections, which the immune system would normally fight off but is not able to because the immune system is too weak. Finally, AIDS, Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome, develops and is the final stage of HIV. A person is diagnosed with AIDS when they show the symptom called an opportunistic infection. This is when infections take advantage of the weakened immune system. HIV leads into life threatening AIDS and causes the infected individual to feel escalating amounts of pain such as neurotic pain, tremendous headaches, gastrointestinal pain, chest pain, and even emotional pain such as depression. This pain can be intense enough to cease the individual from living a productively normal life. HIV and AIDS can strike anyone at any point in their life and should be taken seriously.

HIV is a virus. AIDS is a condition or set of symptoms that can develop in a HIV-positive person after a prolonged period of time. You can have HIV and not have aids, but if you have AIDS then you must also be infected with HIV. Because HIV is a virus, it can be passed from person to person but AIDS cannot. When a person becomes infected with HIV, the virus begins to attack their immune system and render it weak. Over time the immune system can no longer fight off diseases that it once could which can eventually lead to developing AIDS. Symptoms for AIDS can vary from person to person depending on the opportunistic infection in which they have acquired.

AIDS is diagnosed when an individual with HIV infection develops at least one of the following conditions: a CD4+ T cell count below 200 cells/L. An opportunistic infection; fungal, viral, protozoal, bacterial, cancers, wasting syndrome, and/ or Aids Dementia (ADC).

During the Clinical Latency Stage, those who are infected are living with the virus. The virus is alive and continues to develop in the body. During this time there is treatment that helps to keep the virus at bay, meaning that it is possible to live with this stage of H.I.V for years. This treatment is referred to as antiretroviral therapy or (ART). Although the person may not notice any symptoms, it is still quite possible for them to transmit the virus to another person. During the final stage, known as the Progression to AIDS, there are many symptoms that tend to be recurring. This stage usually occurs when the person infected does not take therapy. These symptoms range from rapid, unexpected weight loss, swollen lymph nodes that stay swollen longer than the normal time and even nocturnal hyperhidrosis or excessive night sweats. During this stage, sores develop and there may be development of neurological disorders such as loss of memory and even depression. However, it is important to remember that the only way to know for sure if someone is infected with H.I.V is to get tested.

HIV is a disease with multiple stages of severity. Persons who acquire this disease may unknowingly be a carrier for years without realizing it. At early onset of acute HIV infection (Stage 1), a few weeks after exposure, viral replication is rapid and there may be mild, generalized flulike symptoms such as low fever, fatigue, arthralgia, and sore throat (VanMeter, 2014). Following this brief illness, if any, of stage I the person would then go into Stage 2 or clinical latency. This period can also be referred to as asymptomatic HIV infection due to the low levels of HIV reproductions. For some, this period can last many years to a full decade or beyond, but without treatment many will go through this phase quickly. Those that test

HIV, or the Human Immunodeficiency Virus, is a virus which damages and kills cells of the immune system. It attacks the T-cells, key cells of the immune system, and uses them to make copies of itself. After being infected with the virus it progressively interferes and eventually destroys the immune system's ability to fight the anti-genes. HIV may develop into the syndrome AIDS, the Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome. HIV is an STD - a sexually transmitted disease - and therefore most commonly it is spread through sexual contact, and the virus mainly enters the body through the penis, mouth, lining of the vagina or vulva during sexual activity. HIV can also be spread through sharing syringes or needles with someone who is infected with the

Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) is a virus that can lead to Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS) (About HIV/AIDS, 2015.). This is an incurable virus that has come a long way in the means of treatment and diagnosis. Testing for HIV has advanced rapidly throughout the years as scientists do more and more research on the virus. HIV is hard to detect after initial infection because antibodies for this virus take time to build up in the body before they can be detected with a common serological test. Screening tests and diagnostic tests are used to detect the presence of HIV. They can also tell you at what stage the virus may be at in the body because the test determines the ratio of CD4-cells or T-cells in your body that are infected