HIV AIDS HIV / AIDS

HIV AIDS

HIV / AIDS

HIV / AIDS has emerged as one of the most devastating diseases to affect developed as well as developing countries in the world. HIV / AIDS was recognized as a new disease in 1981 (HIV / AIDS). This occurred when "… a number of young gay men in New York and Los Angeles were diagnosed with symptoms not usually seen in individuals with healthy immune systems" (HIV / AIDS). This led to the involvement and research of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which is the department of American government that monitors disease outbreaks (HIV / AIDS).

The current epicenter of what has been called an HIV / AIDS pandemic is in the southern part of Africa. However, developed and industrialized countries like the United States have not escaped the effects of this insidious disease. A recent report from the CDC states that "…AIDS has now struck more than 1 million Americans…" (DeNoon, 2009). HIV infections are also more prevalent among African - Americans in the country, with more fifty-one percent being infected. (DeNoon, 2009).

HIV / AIDS is caused by the Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), which destroys or impairs the immune system of the healthy individual. This means in effect that the HIV virus also destroys the human body's natural ability to fight diseases and infection (High-Risk Pregnancy). This in turn leads to the condition known as AIDS.

In more detail, the HIV virus enters the human body and"… seeks out and attacks a particular group of white blood cells commonly known as the T-helper cells" ( HIV / AIDS). These cells are an important component the human body's immune system. While the immune defenses are stimulated by the introduction of the virus, HIV interferes with the normal immune defense system. In essence what takes place is that the HIV virus inserts a code into the T4 cells. This in effect changes the T4 cell and it begins producing new HIV viruses ( HIV / AIDS).

In reducing the strength of the immune system in the human body the HIV virus leads to what are known as 'opportunistic diseases'. These are diseases that are more likely to occur when the body's natural defense mechanisms are impaired. These can include disease such as Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia (PCP) which is "…the most frequent HIV-associated opportunistic infection in industrialized countries…" (HIV-related opportunistic diseases: UN AIDS. 1998)

The most common method of transmission of the disease is through sexual contact, usually as a result of intercourse with an infected partner (High-Risk Pregnancy). However, the HIV virus can also be transmitted through a variety of other means. For example, the virus can transmitted through a mother's milk. This has proven to be a serious problem in poor and less developed counties, where breastfeeding is a primary source of infant nutrition. Children can also be infected in the womb of the infected mother (High-Risk Pregnancy). Another risk is contaminated blood products that can contain the virus and be given to patients at hospital. As a result blood products have been routinely tested for the presence of HIV since 1985. The sue of dirty syringes in drug takers has also been linked to the spread of this disease ( HIV / AIDS).

However, it should also be noted that there are many myths about how HIV can be contracted. There is, for example, no known case of HIV / AIDS being spread by saliva, sweat or tears, or through the sharing of food utensils or towels. (High-Risk Pregnancy). There is no doubt that AIDS is a world wide problem, which is why it has been referred to as a pandemic. It is estimated that in the time that this disease has been recorded millions of people have died ( HIV / AIDS). There are ongoing efforts to find scientific means of combating this disease. For example in 1983 the first blood test to detect exposure to HIV was developed by Dr. Luc Montagnier and Robert Gallo (HIV / AIDS).

At present there is no vaccine for the virus and no known cure. Nevertheless, science has made considerable advances and various combinations of drugs have been developed and used which successfully retards the progress of the disease and improves the life quality of the patients. These include protease inhibitors, which are "…effective in interfering with reproduction of the virus and limiting the "viral load" or quantity of virus in an infected person's body" ( HIV / AIDS).

One of the problems with aids is that it is a relatively new virus, which makes it difficult to combat in terms of the data and information and data about it ( Confronting AIDS: Directions for Public Health, Health Care, and Research p .85). Another issue that inhibits attempts to find a cure for the disease is that it is socially shunned in many countries and has a social stigma attached to it. This also makes reportage of the disease extremely difficult and problematic, as many people with HIV do not report the fact. This also retards data collection and scientific analysis in the hope of finding a solution to the disease (Confronting AIDS: Directions for Public Health, Health Care, and Research p .96).