Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome :: essays research papers

Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS). What is it? What causes it and why? Can I get it? How can I prevent myself from getting it? All of these questions can be answered. The main problem besides having AIDS, is not being educated enough to know how and why people are dying all over the world.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Aids is caused by a virus called the human immunodeficiency virus, or HIV. A virus is one of the smallest â€Å"germs† that cause diseases. If you have unprotected sex or share needles or syringes with an infected person, you may become infected with HIV. Specific blood tests can show evidence or HIV infection. You can be infected with HIV and have no symptoms at all. You might feel perfectly healthy, but if you are infected, you can pass the virus to anyone you may have unprotected sex or share needles or syringes with.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  AIDS and HIV are two different viruses, but HIV well eventually turn into AIDS. About half the people with HIV develop AIDS within 10 years, but between infection with HIV, the onset for AIDS can vary greatly. The severity of the HIV related illness or illnesses will differ from person to person, according many factors but mostly to the overall health of the individual. The new advances in technology are helping postpone the advancement of the disease.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Lets start at the beginning. First, lets learn what AIDS is. AIDS is an acquired defect in your immune system. The passing of any bodily fluids could technically be used as a passage way for the virus. Once infected with HIV it will begin to attack your CD4+cells, commonly known as your t-cells or t-helpers and they will begin to drop in numbers. You measure the damage to your immune system by HIV and your ability to fight infection. This virus then spreads and damages your t-cells where you are left vulnerable for attack from any other diseases. A weakened immune system is very vulnerable to colds and flues. A common cold or flu that would only make me sick could be fatal to someone with a low immune system.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The first cases of AIDS were reported and recorded in 1981, by the end of 1992 more than 250,000 Americans have developed AIDS and more than 170,000 had died from it. The majority of the first case of victims that died were gay men, but now is just as prominent in heterosexual men and women.