AIDS is an acronym for Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome. This is a disease caused by HIV, or Human Immunodeficiency Virus. This virus attacks the immune system, the body's line of defense against diseases and infections. When the immune system breaks down, one becomes susceptible to serious, often deadly infections and cancers called opportunistic diseases, so named because they take advantage of the body's weakened defenses. T-cells are the part of the body's immune system, they help fight diseases. The average T-cell count for a healthy person is 800-1200 cells per cubic millimeter of blood. The HIV/AIDS virus lowers the T-cell count, as a result of this the body is less able to fight cancers, sicknesses, and even the common cold. When you have HIV/AIDS your T-cell count is continually lowered, when it reaches 200 you are diagnosed with AIDS, when it reaches zero, you die because opportunistic diseases have taken over your body and are destroying what is left of your immune system, as well as the rest of your systems.
How is HIV/AIDS Transmitted? .
Risk factors for acquiring HIV include sexual contact with an infected person, needle sharing among drug users, or through transfusions with infected blood. HIV infected women can transmit the virus to their newborns before or during birth, or thought breast feeding after birth. Health care workers can become infected with HIV after being stuck with HIV-tainted needles. HIV/AIDS is not acquired only by a single race, gender, or sexual orientation. When HIV first became a problem it was labeled as a "gay" disease, people believed that only homosexuals could acquire HIV/AIDS because when the disease emerged it appeared that only homosexuals were contracting it, but later research showed that anyone can get HIV/AIDS. Any bodily fluid can spread the virus. These fluids include:.
- blood -vaginal fluid .
- semen - breast milk.
HIV/AIDS is transmitted in several ways. ... Generally, HIV is the disease that is transmitted as that is the basic form of AIDS HIV is transmitted in sexual intercourse. ... HIV cannot be transmitted through touching or kissing a HIV+ person. ... Once HIV gets into a cell, it can take over the genetic material of the cell and turn the cell into a factory of HIV producing cells. ... HIV has four stages of severity. ...
HIV discovery allows targeting of vaccines Researchers continue to make new discoveries about HIV everyday. ... A person who has been infected with HIV for many years has several different strains of HIV in their system. ... Where did the HIV virus come from? ... There are several forms of HIV. ... A less common human immunodeficiency virus is HIV-2. ...
HIV and AIDS HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus) is a complex retrovirus that causes AIDS (Acquired ImmunoDeficiency Syndrome). ... There are currently two types of HIV: HIV-1 which is the strand of HIV that is chiefly responsible for causing AIDS worldwide and HIV-2 is a strand that is found mostly in West Africa. ... Mothers who are infected with HIV can also transmit HIV by breastfeeding their child. ... People who have the HIV antibodies are called "HIV-Positive." ... A few HIV-positive people stay healthy for many years even without taking anti-HIV medications. ...
HIV is an enveloped human retrovirus. ... HIV is a member of the retrovirus family of which there are two sub-families: HIV-1 and HIV-2. HIV-1 is more prevalent and more pathogenic than HIV-2. ... Researchers claim that chimpanzees were the source for HIV-1 and the simian virus (SIVcpz) is almost identical to HIV-1. ... In addition, HIV can mutate very easily; the HIV reverse transcriptase enzyme makes many mistakes while making DNA copies from HIV RNA. ...
The results were in - your child has HIV. ... The risk of perinatal transmission is significantly increased if the mother has advanced HIV disease, increased levels of HIV in her bloodstream, or fewer numbers of the immune system cells, CD4+ T cells, that are the main targets of HIV. ... HIV is often difficult to diagnose in very young children. ... How do you tell a child that they have HIV? ... In conclusion, HIV is real. ...
From that population, 1 out of every 5 people actually knows that they have HIV. ... It is said, "More than 50 percent of new HIV infections occur as a result of the 21 percent of people who have HIV but do not know it" (2012). ... Promoting the use of condoms is the number one way to prevent the spread of HIV. ... Evidence Many studies have been done on HIV prevention. ... They each participated in a demonstrated effective HIV prevention intervention. ...
Circumcision and HIV The parents of a newborn baby boy will make a lot of decisions for their child. ... There are also biological reasons that suggest the foreskin is especially vulnerable to HIV. ... high level of sexually transmitted disease, but a low rate of HIV. ... He also added that Europe has a low rate of circumcision and a low rate of HIV. ... HIV still appears at undesirably high rates in cities where circumcision is widely practiced. ...
The HIV/AIDS epidemic represents a major problem to the human race. ... HIV and AIDS are two stages of the same virus. ... HIV belongs for a group of viruses known as retroviruses. ... People found to possess HIV antibodies, and thus suffer from HIV, are known as "HIV Positive". ... There is no cure (or vaccine) for HIV or AIDS at present. ...
The HIV Epidemic The HIV virus, which causes AIDS, was first recognized as a new and distinct clinical entity in 1981. ... HIV like all viruses replicates inside a host cell. ... The HIV DNA is termed a "provirus." ... The third is by neutralizing the antibodies to HIV. ... The management of HIV has given many people a new lease on life. ...
HIV/AIDS What is HIV? ... How does the HIV virus work? ... How can you contract the HIV virus? The HIV virus is contracted by the exchange of body fluids. ... Some myths about contracting HIV. ...