The Causes And Effects Of HIV And AIDS

Nearly three decades ago, there was an increase in deaths of HIV in sub-Saharan Africa. Developing countries have experienced the greatest HIV/AIDS morbidity and mortality, with the highest prevalence rates recorded in young adults in sub-Saharan Africa. In South Africa over three million people are killed by this disease (Macfarlene3). After this epidemic spreaded in Africa and killed people it branched out to other countries in the world.

The term Human Immunodeficiency Virus is commonly known as (HIV), which is a virus that attacks the immune system of humans by destroying the amount of CD4 cells in their bodies. Without CD4 the human body is unable to fight against diseases, which can lead to Acquired Immune deficiency syndrome known as AIDS for short. The first case of the HIV/AIDS virus in the U.S. occurred in the early 1980’s. The first spark of the virus was found in San Francisco with couple of homosexual Caucasian American males. Today African Americans account for the largest proportion of HIV and AIDS in this country, represent approximately 13% of the U.S. population, but accounted for an estimated 44% of new HIV infections in 2010(the last year a study was

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.

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

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

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

Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome, or AIDS, is a disease transmitted through blood and bodily fluids, and is caused by HIV or human immunodeficiency virus ("History of AIDS Up to 1986."). Did you know that many people considered AIDS a gay disease because it was thought that it only affected homosexual males, mainly those with several sexual partners or those who used drugs ("History of AIDS Up to 1986.")? Before AIDS had a name it was called a number of different things (“HIV and AIDS in the USA”). AIDS is important to world history because it helped people become aware of a disease that could affect them.

According to Alonzo & Reynolds (1995), HIV/AIDS are manifestations of an extraordinary illness in terms of its potential for multidimensional stigmatization. The stigmas associated with the disease and the negative connotations such as the behaviors that believe/perceived to have caused the illness, the association with sudden death, being perceived as an undesirable can and will affect one’s housing status.

“Sometime between December 1980 and March 1981, a doctor by the name of Dr. Michael Gattlieb from the University of California Los Angeles was called to investigate three patients with a dieses that nobody in the United Stated had seen before.”(Check 19)”Sure enough, when Dr. Gottlieb drew a vital of blood from each patient and measured a special kind of immune cell called a T-Helper Lymphcyte, all three patients’ test gave the same startling result. It was clear that they had profound deficient immune systems.”(Check 20) It later became known as AIDS.

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

The more credible theories of HIV/AIDS origins lack the element of fear and prejudice. The earliest plausible theory was published in 1984 and suggested that AIDS is not a new disease, but a hitherto unrecognized African endemic that had perhaps been misdiagnosed as malaria or tuberculosis (Schoub, 1999, p. 13). This made sense in light of the fact that many African medical

The origin of AIDS can be traced back to 1959 in Zaire, but it wasn’t until the 1980s where AIDS was discovered that it can be transmitted by bodily fluids and that HIV operates by destroying the T-4 cell, which makes people vulnerable to infections. This was an important as it showed retroviruses such as HIV can cause other diseases.

A Whisper of AIDS was delivered on August 19th 1992 at the Republican National Convention Address in Houston, Texas. Mary Fisher the daughter of the wealthy and powerful Republican fund raiser Max Fisher conducted her speech on the dangers of HIV and AIDS. A forty-four year old HIV positive mother of two was infected with this disease through her ex-husband. Fisher said throughout her speech “I would never have asked to be HIV positive, but I believe that in all things there is a purpose”. During the year of 1992, millions of people were infected with this disease but were ashamed to speak publicly about the issue. Fisher knew that in order to change federal polices outlook

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.

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