The Epidemic Of Hiv / Aids

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

i. HIV is a virus that kills cells in our immune system, which protects us from

In the 21st century, everyone has heard of the frightening HIV and AIDS virus. The disease we first discovered in 1983 in Arica, when it killed millions of people, especially poor people and travelers. In the developing countries, the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS) are considered a death sentence, the world over, it is a frightening virus that has killed many people.

History: HIV was believed to have originated in the Congo, where it was transmitted when a human came in contact with a species of chimpanzee that had acquired the virus. From then on, the virus only continued to spread, where it could have been believed to infect anywhere from 100,000 to 300,000 people (“History of HIV and AIDS Overview”). The first forms of confirmed HIV discovered in the world took forms in two highly dangerous illnesses, Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia (PCP) and Kaposi’s Sarcoma. These rare diseases were first discovered and researched, although they didn’t know they were directly linked

Transmission of the HIV virus, as well as any other types of STDs, is a subject that needs to be discussed seriously and cautiously. There are many ways that one can acquire HIV/AIDS and it is very beneficial that every person is aware of the certain procedures to follow in order to avoid such an afflicting harm. The most common transmission of HIV is through sexual intercourse, where bodily fluids such as semen, vaginal secretions, or even blood are transferred from an HIV positive person to a non-infected person. AIDS is the deadliest sexually transmitted disease reaping about 13,700 deaths per year(Web, HIV in the US). There are approximately 36.9 million people living with the HIV virus, which is why more prevention techniques should be utilized across the globe.

“HIV stands for human immunodeficiency virus. If left untreated, HIV can lead to the disease AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome). HIV attacks the body’s immune system, specifically the CD4 cells (T cells), which help the immune system fight off infections” (AIDS.Gov, 2016).

HIV broken down stands for Human Immunodeficiency Virus. The H stands for human, which means that this virus can only affect humans, the I stands for immunodeficiency and this means that HIV weakens the immune system, the V stands for virus which means that it can only reproduce itself by taking over cells within the body of an individual. HIV is similar to other viruses (like the flu) the only difference is that the body can fight the flu off but it cannot fight HIV off. “HIV can hide for long periods of time in the cells of your body and that it attacks a key part of your immune system – your T-cells or CD4 cells. Your body has to have these cells to fight infections and disease, but HIV invades them, uses them to make more copies of itself, and then destroys them.”(What is HIV/AIDS?) Once HIV enters the body it will never leave it, the only thing that an individual can do is neutralize it by keeping it from taking over all of the cells through medication. HIV then progresses to AIDS this however doesn’t mean that if a person has HIV they will get AIDS; if they treat early on they can prevent it from turning into AIDS.

HIV/AIDs is a huge epidemic still plaguing society today. The lack of knowledge and technical advances has caused an increasing number of cases. It has made its way around the world since the 1940s, causing countries to join together in the fight against AIDs. With all the campaigning that has been done the numbers of cases continue to rise. Countries have separated the disease into three patterns to make it easier to distinguish the effects that AIDs has on different regions of the world. As well as what subtypes sprout from what areas. HIV/AIDs can be spread in many different ways. The future is still uncertain for the victims whom lives have been dramatically changed by this deadly disease.

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infects the cells of the immune system. In particular, HIV attacks and destroys the T helper lymphocytes, or T-cells, which are crucial to the immune system and immune response. (These cells are also called CD4-positive lymphocytes because HIV uses the protein CD4, present on the surface of the cell, to attach itself and pry its way into the cell.) Each day, your body produces millions of CD4+ T-cells to help maintain your immunity and fight off invading viruses and germs. Once HIV is in your body, the virus is able to copy itself over and over, increasing its ability to kill CD4+ T-cells. Soon, infected cells outnumber healthy T-cells.

In this wonderful world that we subsist in it has its fluctuating limits where in life an individual can have successes and fame to being unsuccessful. Life is precious, the way one can conserve it and their health is performing certain procedures that help maintain and sustain the human body. In addition, there are different elements that occur to impair a person’s health like physical and mental disorders, bacterial infections, and viral infections. These illnesses can cause minor to major fragments in a person’s life. A key virus that dumbfounds scientist and doctors till this day is the word “HIV”.

HIV stands for (Human Immunodeficiency Virus). If not treated properly, it can be turned into a disease called AIDS (Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome). HIV affects the body's immune system, primarily targeting the T cells. In result of this, the human body is more vulnerable to get more infections

The Human Immunodeficiency Virus, also known as HIV, is a virus that attacks and destroys a person’s CD4 cells which are cells used to help fight

During the course of history there has been many pandemics and epidemics, which have threatened human existence. Various threats such as smallpox, the black plague, measles and influenza can be dated back as early as the 1300’s. Now there is a similar threat, Human Immune deficiency virus (HIV) and Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). The severity of the HIV and AIDS pandemic has affected at least 36.7 million people and at least 1.1 million people have died from AIDS in the United States and beyond. Human immune deficiency virus (HIV) is a disease that causes an attack on the body’s immune system. HIV once classified as an epidemic but as of 2014 it was shifted to a global pandemic due to its effect on the global population. Rates of

The human immunodeficiency virus gets its name by the sole species it affects and the characteristic damage it does to the body, which is also known as HIV. Viruses are notorious for the mode in which they reproduce; a virus enters the body, seizes the body’s cells, and uses it as a host. This is the only way for viruses to replicate. HIV takes over the body’s T cells, also known as CD4 cells, which are important to defend the body from various antigens. Normally, T cells would respond to infection and diseases by neutralizing, creating antibodies to fight off the antigen the next time it comes around, or lessen the effects it has on the body. Infections such as pneumonia that would make a regular person incredibly ill could be fatal to someone

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.