The Symptoms of the Human Immunodeficiency Virus
Human Immunodeficiency Virus has left a deep imprint on citizens affected today. The first recognition of AIDS occurred in the 1980’s and informed Americans to be more careful of their sexually activity. Some symptoms were similar to the common cold but were taken seriously after it lead to deaths. People assumed that HIV was spread by sitting on toilet seats or even hugging. The truth was that HIV couldn’t be spread as easily as everyone thought. HIV could only be transmitted through sexual contact, or needle use from an infected individual. This virus gradually became a scare especially when the common antibiotics failed. Later on scientists slowly realized that when a person is
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In December a 20-month old child who had received
HIV symptoms 2 transfusions of blood and blood products died from infections related to AIDS32 (Huber, 1992). This case provided evidence that AIDS is indeed caused by an infectious agent (HIV) on addition it brought forth, concerns about the safety of the blood supply. In December of 1985, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) reported the first cases of possible mother to child transmission of AIDS (Avert, 2002). This disease became a scare to the world due to sudden deaths but the symptoms of AIDS helped people to treat themselves early on.
HIV is a well-known virus that has spread throughout the world and is the leading cause for AIDS. HIV is a retrovirus that causes immune system failure and debilitation. There is much confusion among the general public regarding the transmission of HIV. People assume that HIV is spread by sitting on toilet seats, hugging, sharing food or drinks, donating blood, or being around someone with HIV. HIV cannot be spread as easily as everyone may think. HIV can be transmitted through sexual contact with an infected individual; sharing needles with an infected drug user, or during pregnancy in the placenta (George, 1994). Women seem to be more susceptible to this disease due to the tearing of the vagina during sexual activity. HIV is also spread via direct contact with bodily fluids including blood, semen, vaginal fluids, breast milk and
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.
HIV is communicable disease that is caused by virus. This particular virus attacks the immune system which means people who suffer from HIV find it more difficult to fight of infection than the average person who does not suffer from HIV. This disease can be transmitted by direct contact, generally it is transferred by sexual contact between partners in fact 95% of those who suffer from HIV are contracted it this way. It can also be contracted by using dirty needles or any other contaminated tool. It can also be contracted by sharing sexual toys. HIV is commonly found in a person’s bodily fluids this means it is spread through, Sperm, vaginal and even anal fluids, breast milk and blood are also common.
It is often cited that the HIV/Aids epidemic that hit the United States in the 1980’s (though there is some evidence that it started even before then), came into light due to several high profile incidents and the eventual loss of several thousand lives. Many believe that due to
There are many health problems that we face globally and each of them are important for us to be aware of and to take precautions and measures to prevent and treat such diseases that affect our global population. HIV/AIDS is a disease that is spread through direct contact with body fluids from a person who is infected with the virus, these fluids include blood, semen, rectal fluid, vaginal fluids and breast milk. There are an approximate 35 million people living with the disease globally as of 2015 and about 1 million of those people are children under the age of 15 (Aids.gov, 2016). There are approximately 1.2 million people in the U.S. living with the disease and of those individuals many became infected with HIV by needle or syringe sharing,
HIV is a virus that can lead to AIDS. Patients infected with HIV often shows no symptoms until the disease has progressed to AIDS. HIV is transmitted through bodily fluids, but cannot be transmitted through casual contact. Most commonly, HIV is transmitted through sexual contact. It may be transmitted through blood-to-blood contact, such as needle sharing or accidental needle sticks in a healthcare setting. It may also be transmitted during pregnancy or birth from mother to child. It cannot be transmitted through casual contact such as hugging, playing sports or touching something that was touched by someone infected (CDC, n.d).
According to a report published in the February 1998 edition of “Nature”, scientists identified what they believe is the earliest case of AIDs in a man from the Congo in 1959. (Lerner and Hombs 39) By the end of the year 1980, 80 men would have been diagnosed with at least of the opportunistic infections that are a characteristic of AIDs. (Lerner and Hombs 40) AIDs cases in the 1980s increased dramatically not only around the world but in the United States, primarily in larger cities like Los Angeles, New York City and San Francisco. The numbers of AIDs diagnoses and deaths spiraled out of control throughout the 1980s and towards the end of 1989 there were 117,500 cases of AIDS reported and 89,000 related deaths.(Lerner and Hombs 54) In the
In the 1980s, a mysterious disease began to take the lives of Americans. With the cause unknown, a fear grew among Americans. An unusually high rate of people was becoming sick with strange and rare diseases. When experimental treatments failed to work, people died. This mysterious disease is what we now know as HIV–Human Immunodeficiency Virus. In the past thirty-five years, the HIV has taken many turns in history. Although we do not hear about HIV and AIDS now, it is still a prevalent issue in the United States and in the world.
When it was first reported, scientists were unaware of the how many people were infected with HIV and how many developed AIDS. By the mid-1980 it was suggested that more than 100,000 men would have already been infected with the virus. In 1983, females were infected with this virus, and at that time, scientists believed it come from heterosexual sex. In the same year, children were infected with this virus. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported that casual contact could transmit that virus. However, later that year, scientists said that HIV/AIDS could only pass to someone through sex, by sharing and injection syringe, though breastfeeding, and through contact with the blood of someone infected with the virus (History of HIV/AIDS Overview).
Within 4 months of developing AIDS, doctors discovered that it could be transferred through sexual intercourse of the same sex. 8 months after that, doctors discovered that AIDS could be transmitted through birth which expelled the blame against homosexuals. “In 1983, scientists discovered the virus that causes AIDS. The virus was at first named HTLV-III/LAV (human T-cell lymphotropic virus-type III/lymphadenopathy-associated virus) by an international scientific committee. This name was later changed to HIV (human immunodeficiency virus)” (“Where Did HIV Come From?”). During the 1980’s the effects of AIDS did not only pertain to the United States, countries all around the world struggled with the epidemic. One of the countries who suffered the most was Africa; due to the lack of technology and medical advancement it was difficult for their population to protect themselves. “In the mid-1980s the Western African nation of Guinea-Bissau had the world’s highest level of HIV-2, with 26% of paid blood
HIV and AIDS have affected millions of people throughout the world. Since 1981, there have been 25 million deaths due to AIDS involving men, women, and children. Presently there are 40 million people living with HIV and AIDS around the world and two million die each year from AIDS related illnesses. The Center for Disease Control estimates that one-third of the one million Americans living with HIV are not aware that they have it. The earliest known case of HIV was in 1959. It was discovered in a blood sample from a man in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo. Looking further into the genetics of this blood sample researchers suggested that it had originated from a virus going back to the late 1940’s or early 1950’s. In 1999,
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
“Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is a blood-borne virus typically transmitted via sexual intercourse, shared intravenous drug paraphernalia, and mother-to-child transmission (MTCT), which can occur during the birth processor during breastfeeding.” There is no cure for HIV or AIDS but over time different types of medications have been developed that slows down the advancement of the disease. AIDS is a lethal disease that is caused by HIV. HIV destroys the immune system and causes the body to not be able to fight off any diseases.
The human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) came about after an epidemic of acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) surfaced in the 1980’s affecting the lives of gay men. It was first said to be gay related immune deficiency (GRID) (Baeten, 2012) and was sexually transmitted. This deadly disease has caused millions of deaths, but during its thirty plus years of existence; many breakthroughs have come about to make this a treatable disease. A few years later, cases of females being infected surfaced and it was believed that this disease was transmitted from heterosexual intercourse (Coates, 2014). Then there were cases of young children developing AIDS which was believed to be transmitted from an infected mother while carrying
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, 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