AIDS :: Free AIDS Essays

AIDS   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Aids stand for Acquired Immune Defiency Syndrome, which is the final and the most serious stage of the HIV Disease and it causes damage to the immune system. Between the ages of twenty five to forty four, AIDS is the fifth leading cause of death. Since the start of HIV disease forty seven million have been infected in the world. The Human Immunodeficiency Virus is what causes aids. This virus attacks the immune system and leaves the body open a lot of illnesses and cancers.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Aids are transmitted through sexual contact, through blood, or from mother to the child. It is not spread by casual contact such as hugging, touching doorknobs, or toilet seats by a person infected with the HIV Virus. It is also not transmitted to a person who donates blood, but it can be transmitted to the person receiving blood or organs from an infected donor. The people that are at risk the most are homosexual men, who are having unprotected sex, drug users who share the same needle, sexual partners who participate in high risk activities, and infants born to the mother who is infected with the HIV Virus.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Aids begin with the HIV infection. The people infected with the HIV Virus may not have any symptoms for ten or more years, but they can transmit the infection to other during this system free period. Their immune system emptied by HIV and is very susceptible to opportunistic infections. Some of the common symptoms are fever, sweats, swollen glands, chills, weaknesses, and weight loss.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  There is no cure for Aids at this very moment, but there are several treatments that are available that can possibly slow down the progression of the disease for many years and improve the quality of life for the ones who have the symptoms. Antiviral Therapy suppresses the replication of the HIV Virus in the body. A combination of several antiretroviral agents, termed Highly Active Retroviral Therapy (HAART), has been highly effective in reducing the number of the HIV particle in the blood stream. This might help the immune system come back for a while and improve the T-cells count. People on HAART with suppressed levels of HIV can still give the virus to others through sex or by sharing needles this treatment shows a great promise. When HIV becomes resistant to HAART, salvage Therapy is required to try to suppress the resistant strain of HIV.