Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome
Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome, or AIDS, is a serious disease. It is the last stage of a virus called Human Immuno-deficiency Virus, HIV. The disease renders the body's immune system. When this happens, the body is unable to resist invasion by microorganisms that cause serious infection. An individual may be infected with the virus for more than ten years before receiving a diagnosis of AIDS. In order to fully understand AIDS, and individual must be aware of the ways in which HIV effects the body. Lymphocytes are white blood cells that help the body fight pathogens. The two types of lymphocytes are B cells, which produce antibodies, and T cells, whose helpers stimulate the B cells. These antibodies are the proteins that help to destroy disease-causing organisms. When a person contracts HIV, the virus infects cells, including the T helper cells. The decrease in T helper cells negatively affects the immune system. The body loses much of its ability to fight pathogens. The first case of AIDS was identified in New York in 1979. The first group of people in the United States of America with AIDS was homosexual males. As a result, individuals believed that the disease only affected this population. Many people beli
dy. Using several drugs that attack the virus in different ways can help to overcome the delay resistance, which is the ability for HIV to change structure, making treatments ineffective. If the correct combination of medications is prescribed, the side effects of the drugs will not increase. Unfortunately, many of the medications damage organs such as the liver while attempting to control the Human Immuno-deficiency Virus. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ eriod of three to four months, a person may have HIV and tests will not show a positive result. During this time, the individual may still pass on the virus. There is much controversy surrounding the concept of mandatory AIDS testing. While it would be positive in cases of testing before marriage and of health professionals, many people still believe that it causes discrimination of infected individuals. HIV is transmitted through blood, semen, vaginal secretions, and breast milk. Sexual intercourse with an infected partner can cause the contraction of HIV if the contact includes the exchange of blood or sexual fluid. There is a possibility of contracting HIV through oral sex, although the risk is significantly lower than that of intercourse. The virus can also be transferred through a contaminated syringe used for drugs, steroids, tattoos, or piercing. Infected blood or blood products can also pass HIV on through transfusions. The risk of contracting the virus through a transfusion is currently minimal, as blood has been tested since 1985. A pregnant female with HIV can pass the virus on to her baby in blood exchanged through the umbilical cord. A baby can also contract the virus during birth if the infected mother's blood enters the baby through open cuts on his or her body. A nursing baby may also receive HIV through breast-feeding. There are currently many myths! eve that the virus spread
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Approximate Word count = 1295
Approximate Pages = 5 (250 words per page double spaced)
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