Human Immunodefinciency Virus (HIV) Essay

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

This history of HIV/AIDS as a blurry timeline before the 1980’s since that was around the time reports came in which eventually become an HIV report. The origin of HIV can be traced back to the early part of the century. Some believe that in the 1920’s chimpanzees from the Congo came into contact with humans (Avert, 2016). Though reports were not identified as HIV until the 1980’s, the belief that HIV was already scattered throughout four other continents may have been incident (Avert, 2016). Even though for the past 30 years the world has been diligently working to find a cure and pushing prevention, we are still struggling each year with increasing diagnosis. The beginning of HIV did end with lots of death, but now with our improved antiviral medication there is hope for many.

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.

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

According to the Nhs (2012) in the early stages most people infected with HIV experience a short period of flu like symptoms two to six weeks after infection. stages 2 and 3, if left untreated, it will weaken ability to fight infection so much that you become vulnerable to serious illnesses and may only live for 3 years, this stage of infection is known as AIDS. At this stage the person infected will experience nightsweats, lack of motivation, persistantant tiredness, significant weight loss, diarrhoea, shortness of breath, swollen glands and a fever over 37 degrees that last weeks, it is shown once aids has taken over your body at this stage you have an increased risk of developing and catching life-threatening illnesses. According to aidsmap and the NHS (2012 ) the average life expectancy for people who are HIV positive in the UK is 60. According to the NHS (2012) there is medication to treat HIV, but there is no cure. The medication taken is Antiretroviral drugs (appendix ). According to the BBC news 1st December 2012) it estimated In 2011, there were 2.5 million new infections - down 700,000 from the 2001 figure - and an estimated 1.7 million people died from Aids-related illnesses. That was 600,000 fewer than in 2005. each year treatment costs for someone diagnosed with HIV is £320,000, Or £1.2bn over their lifetimes. Therefore this shows physically people are living longer and

HIV can end up destroying too many of the cells making the person unable to fight off infection. HIV is most commonly spread through having unprotected sex with someone who has HIV. Sharing needles or syringes with someone who has HIV when injecting heroin is also a way to spread HIV. Certain bodily fluids like blood, semen, pre-seminal fluid, and vaginal and rectal fluids transmit HIV.

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.

Statistics show that people carry HIV/AIDS from particular types of activities. Commonly, the only way to transmit HIV is through sexual contact. The risks for this involves having anal or vaginal sex with an infected person without using protection to prevent the disease. Other methods, such as using needles or syringes that have been used, has also known to prepare to inject the person. The virus can be well known to transmit with body fluids including blood, semen, pre-seminal fluid, rectal fluids, vaginal fluids, as well as breast milk. Speaking of breast milk, when HIV is transmitted into a mother while experiencing childbirth or through breastfeeding, it is known as perinatal HIV. This type of virus is prevented by using antiretrovirals after giving birth. The body fluids make it way by entering the mucous membrane tissue that is found in inside of the mouth, rectum, and genitals. “HIV is most commonly transmitted through homosexual men in the United States and Canada.” (Encyclopedia Britannica) Most people who are either lesbian of gay in all parts of the world are infected with the virus but do not know about

These three stages are Acute infection, Clinical latency (inactivity or dormancy), and AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome). Acute infection occurs within 2 to 4 weeks after infection with HIV, you may feel sick with flu symptoms, which is called acute retroviral syndrome (CDC, 2014). During this period of infection, large amounts of HIV are being produced in your body. At this stage, your ability to spread HIV is highest during this stage because the amount of virus in the blood is very high. The Clinical Latency period is sometimes called asymptomatic HIV infection, or chronic HIV infection (CDC, 2014). At this level, HIV reproduces at very low levels, but is still active. At this stage, you may not feel sick or have any symptoms. This stage can last up to a decade. Towards the middle to the end of this stage, your viral load begins to rise and your CD4 cell count begins to drop (CDC, 2014). Then at this point in this stage, you may begin to experience symptoms of the HIV infection because your immune system becomes too weak to protect you. The last stage of HIV is AIDS. This is the stage of infection that occurs when your immune system is badly damaged and you become vulnerable to infections and infection-related cancers called opportunistic illnesses (CDC, 2014). Once someone has a dangerous opportunistic illness, life expectancy without treatment falls to about 1 year (CDC,

Human immunodeficiency virus (most commonly known as HIV) is a virus that damages the cells in your immune system, affecting the body’s natural defence system against

Epidemiologist: This role involves learning about the pattern and incidence of how the disease is transmitted and works to help find community prevention solutions. The portals of entry for HIV: skin via Injection or trauma, mucous membranes of mouth, penis, vagina and rectum during sexual activity, placenta to child during pregnancy. Portals of exit: blood, semen, pre-ejaculate, vaginal secretions and breast milk. Reservoirs: human blood, semen and vaginal secretions. The mode(s) of transmission: unprotected sex exposing mucous membranes to infected fluids, injection using contaminated needle, infusion from contaminated blood transfusion, accidental prick from contaminated needle, having an open wound come into contact with infected blood; virus passing from mother to baby through placenta, to baby through breast milk, or via interaction with vaginal secretions during birth. However HIV cannot be transmitted through saliva, tears or urine (Merck Manual, 2003).

HIV goes through several different movements before it leads to AIDs. The first step is the serioconversion illness. This symptoms of this illness is very similar to the flu and an affected individual will

Since the beginning of the epidemic, AIDS has killed more than 30 million people worldwide, including more than 500,000 Americans. AIDS has replaced malaria and tuberculosis as the world's deadliest infectious disease among adults and is the fourth leading cause of death worldwide. Over 13 million children have been orphaned by the epidemic. A person who is HIV-infected carries the virus in certain body fluids, including blood, semen, vaginal secretions, and breast milk. The virus can be transmitted only if such HIV-infected fluids enter the bloodstream of another person. This kind of direct entry can occur (1) through the linings of the vagina, rectum, mouth, and the opening at the tip of the penis; (2) through intravenous injection with a syringe; or (3) through a break in the skin, such as a cut or sore. Usually, HIV is transmitted through:

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

The Human Immunodeficiency Virus is coming from a subgroup of retrovirus called Lentivirus which causes HIV infection leading to Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS) later on among humans. AIDS is a human condition which progresses to the failure of the immune system, causing life-threatening opportunistic infections and cancers to thrive. Treatments can be given, but without those, survival time after infection with HIV is estimated to be 9 to 11 years, depending on the HIV subtype. Vital cells in the human immune system such as helper T cells (specifically CD4+ T cells), macrophages, and dendritic cells are the main target of HIV. HIV infection leads to decreased CD4+ T cells through a number of mechanisms like apoptosis of uninfected bystander cells, pyroptosis of abortively infected T cells, direct viral killing of infected cells and killing of CD4+ T cells that are infected by CD8 cytotoxic lymphocytes. When CD4+ T cells decreased into a number below critical level, cell- mediated immunity is lost making the body more susceptible to opportunistic infections.