Human Immunodeficiency Virus And Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome Essay

We have been aware of HIV and AIDS since the 1970s (Miller, 2012), and though there have been treatments and reduction in the number of people infected, the disease remains. The disease results in death usually following opportunistic infections as a result of AIDS destruction of the immune system, but thanks to modern medicine “many people

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is serious public health problem worldwide. HIV weakens a person’s immune system by infecting the body’s T cells. ("About HIV/AIDS | HIV Basics | HIV/AIDS | CDC", 2016) HIV also attacks and kills CD4 white blood cells, which play an important role in protecting the body from infections. ("Immune System 101", 2016)

“Everyday the HIV/AIDS pandemic continues to kill three times as many people than died during the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001” (Elbe 2006, p.119). The Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) weakens the immune system by destroying the cells that fight disease and infection. In the final stages of the HIV infection, it can lead to the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). Not all people who are diagnosed with HIV progress to acquiring AIDS, although once you have been diagnosed with the HIV infection, you have it for life. HIV/AIDS have claimed the lives of more than 39 million people globally since the discovery (World Health Organisation 2014) with a majority of these cases being in sub-Saharan Africa.

Over the last three decades, the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and Acquired Immunodeficiency Disease (AIDS) epidemic has been a public health concern in the United States (US) and globally. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC], (2015d) estimates that in the US, over 1.2 million people are living with HIV, of which 12.8% are unaware of their diagnosis. Due to exceptional medical advances in treatment and prevention strategies, a healthier quality of life and longevity can now be achieved with persons diagnosed with HIV (Irvine et al., 2014; CDC 2015a; Sayles, Wong, Kinsler, Martins, & Cunningham, 2009). However, despite the advance from a deathly diagnosis to a chronic disease, the continuum of care in treatment is still threatened.

In 1981, the first cases in the United States of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) developed in Los Angeles and New York (Fraser, Burd, Liebson, Lipschik, & Peterson, 2008). The illness presented itself among several homosexual males who developed rare opportunistic infections such as Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia and Kaposi’s sarcoma (Sharp & Hahn, 2011). At the time, medical professionals deemed the infections to be “gay-related infectious diseases” (Pence, 2008). However, three months after this diagnosis, medical professionals revealed the presence of the same infection among newborns whose mothers used intravenous drugs (Pence, 2008). In 1984, scientist

Many people do not understand what Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) is and the difference been HIV and Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS). As with other sexually transmitted diseases, HIV is often stigmatized due to the method of transmission. HIV is a virus that destroys CD4 T cells, which are immune cells in the body (Forsman & Weiss, 2008). When the immune cells in the body fall to very low levels, this is when HIV progresses into AIDS. Since the immune system is weak a person can die from AIDS because of the inability to fight off infections, such as tuberculosis or pneumonia (Forsman & Weiss, 2008). Approximately 1.7 million people in the United States have been infected with HIV, and more than 600,000 have died (AIDS.gov U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, 2012). These numbers are very high, since the epidemic was only identified by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in the 1980s (Krause, May, & Butler Jr, 2013). The number of those infected with the disease are not accurate because researchers believe many people infected with HIV have not been diagnosed yet (Shahani, Hartman, Troisi, Kapadia, & Giordano, 2012; Hallmark et al., 2014). Since it’s discovery there have been great improvements in the treatment of HIV and AIDS patients, although there is still no cure. There is an increased need for the diagnosis and treatment of the disease for men and women in the U.S.

The Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV)/Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) is one of the deadliest pandemics the world has ever known. Unprecedented efforts and resources have been mobilized to fight the infection worldwide. While obvious progress has been made, HIV infection still hit hard and the field of public health continues actively to raise awareness about this issue and help affected people. Public health professionals constantly look for new ways to reach high-risk populations, but sometimes the methods used result in unintended effects such as stigmatization. This makes wonder how far can public health go in the attempt of reaching its goals. In other words, what are the limits of public health in the HIV prevention

HIV is the human immunodeficiency virus that causes AIDS. A member of a group of viruses called retroviruses, HIV infects human cells and uses the energy and nutrients provided by those cells to grow and reproduce. AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome) is a disease in which the body's immune system breaks down and is unable to fight off certain infections, known as "opportunistic infections," and other illnesses that take advantage of a weakened immune system. When a person is infected with HIV, the virus enters the body and lives and multiplies primarily in the white blood cells. These are the immune cells that normally protect us from disease.

The human immunodeficiency infection (HIV) has claimed the lives of more than 35 million individuals since its emergence. In 2014, an estimated 3000 individuals in New Zealand was reported to be living with HIV. And, although HIV doesn 't discriminate, the brunt of this epidemic’s impact has disproportionately affected specific populaces.

People who are sexually active often take Sexual Transmitted Disease (STDs) such as Syphilis, Gonorrhea, and Chlamydia for granted. However, the real concern comes to play when an individual is diagnosed with Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV). Just the mere thought of finding out or the possibility of being HIV positive can make a person stress and begin to question themselves. “How do I tell my family?” “How can I build a family now?” “What will my new partner will think of me?” That is only the tip of the iceberg of the physical, mental and emotional torments of the person’s life.

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

The human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is an obligate intracellular parasite found exclusively in humans. It is responsible for weakening the immune system and leading to acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). The first case of AIDS was diagnosed in the U.S. in 1981, and in 1984 it was first proven that HIV caused AIDS. There is currently a pandemic of HIV/AIDS, with the highest incidence rate in Sub-Saharan Africa and the lowest rates in Western Europe and North America, due to better healthcare.

As much as there are good happenings in life, there are bad happenings as well. Overtime there have been new diseases and viruses that strike us unexpectedly and for the worst. One of the many epidemic viruses that shook our world was the virus known as HIV. When the virus HIV first hit the globe it was horrifying and everyone around the world was petrified for his or her life. For instance, folks believed it would be another plaque sequence where many people died like the drop of a dime. In fact, the virus was fatal in certain areas such as San Francisco and most common amongst homosexual males. Men were living with no hope for the future and had to plan to live their lives in the moment. However, all the doubts and unfaithful thinking stopped when a major break through and advancement was developed for HIV. For years the medical field did not know how to help people infected with the virus but after research and experiments were conducted they found their first advancement against HIV. The advancement is best known as protease inhibitors, specifically Ritonavir. Although this was not a cure, the protease inhibitor Ritonavir was an advancement that prolonged people’s lives. With this advancement folks could look towards and plan for the future since there was a better chance of them living longer with this kind of treatment opportunity. With that being said, there was a lot of information that had to be researched and studied in order to transpire this advancement. This

HIV/AIDS is an illness that has been known across the globe for more than two decades because of its effects on people, families, and relationships. This disease has contributed to the deaths of millions of people throughout the world while there are other millions of people living with the illness. The prevalence of HIV/AIDS is also evident in the fact that it continues to affect people, families, and communities every day. The impact of this disease on families and communities is attributed to the fact that it's not only transmitted from one individual to another but for every infected individual, there is a family or community affected. Generally, the disease can be transmitted through unprotected sex, during birth, and when sharing drug-injecting equipments because it's a blood-borne virus. HIV/AIDS is a global challenge for the health sectors because it cannot be cured but only managed through a combination of medications or medical procedures.

Since the onset of the HIV/AIDS epidemic 15 years ago, the virus has infected more than 47 million people in the world. With more than 2.2 million deaths in 1998, HIV/AIDS has now become the fourth leading cause of mortality and its impact is going to increase. Over 95% of all cases and 95% of AIDS deaths occur in the developing world, mostly among young adults and increasingly in women.