Overview of HIV Essay - 538 Words

HIV, or the human immunodeficiency virus, is a virus found in human beings that primarily infects cells that are part of the immune system, but can affect other cell types as well. HIV is what is called a retrovirus, meaning it has the coding system of RNA opposed to DNA. AIDS is a virus that is caused by HIV and has many different symptoms that vary with different individuals. HIV causes symptoms such as severe infections that can lead to pneumonia and changes of the skin like red or purple patches. The virus can spread through sexual contact or the exchange of blood. HIV can be transmitted through sexual contact, exchange of blood, and childbirth or breastfeeding. HIV is found at high concentrations in the bloodstream, meaning it can†¦show more content†¦The HIV virus could possibly have been spread from a type of ape in Africa that contracted the animal version of HIV, called SIV, and infected humans when they hunted the ape, then changed from SIV into HIV after mutation. The virus then, throughout the years, spread to US and caused KS. nearly forty percent of people with HIV developed KS in the 1980’s and the disease became the face of HIV. Dr. Robert Gallo from NIH discovered the cause of HIV and how to diagnose it in April of 1984. Gallo stated that the HTLV-III virus is most likely the cause of HIV/Aids. HIV can be prevented from limiting the number of sexual partners you have and not sharing needles when performing injections. Post-exposure prophylaxis, or PEP, is a type of medication that can be taken to prevent the infection of HIV if a person thinks that they may have been exposed to the virus on recent occasions. Keeping cuts or sores covered is a way to prevent the exposure to HIV because HIV can be transmitted through open wounds. Always make sure that the hospital or clinic performing a blood transplant or transfusion had tested the blood for HIV before going in for the operation, as HIV can be spread through blood. Mothers should never feed their child breast milk if they are infected with the HIV virus due to the fact that children can catch the virus through breast milk. The FDA has currently approved 31 different anti-retrviral drugs that are able to treat HIV, but none of themShow MoreRelatedOverview of HIV AIDS704 Words   |  3 PagesOverview of HIV/AIDS 1.1.1 Discovery Records show that Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS) was first observed in the United States in the early 1980’s among healthy young intravenous drug users and gay men, who came down with Pneumocystis jiroveci pneumonia (PCP), opportunistic cryptococcal or cytomegalovirus infections and some rare malignancies like Kaposi’s sarcoma that are known to occur in patients with compromised immune system (1). The rising incidences of PCP infections and Kaposi’sRead More Detailed Overview of HIV Essay3720 Words   |  15 PagesSince the onset of the HIV/AIDS epidemic 15 years ago, the virus has infected more than 47 million people in the world. With more than 2.2 million deaths in 1998, HIV/AIDS has now become the fourth leading cause of mortality and its impact is going to increase. Over 95% of all cases and 95% of AIDS deaths occur in the developing world, mostly among young adults and increasingly in women. HIV can be prevented in many ways, but they are not always followed. People die when they dont play itRead MoreThe Immune System: HIV/AIDS Essay893 Words   |  4 PagesHIV is a world pandemic that has caused the death of â€Å"30 million† (CDC – Statistics Overview – Statistics Center – HIV/AIDS, CDC) innocent lives. HIV is devastating virus that destroys people’s immune systems and leaves them vulnerable to other diseases. HIV is an acronym for Human Immunodeficiency Virus, which means that the virus is found only in humans and targets the immune system. The virus kills CD4 cells, cells in the immune system that fight off infections and diseases. HIV has been aroundRead MoreHuman Immunodeficiency Virus And The Body s Natural Defense System1688 Words   |  7 Pages Human Immunodeficiency Virus â€Å"HIV also known as human immunodeficiency virus is a virus that attacks the immune system, the body s natural defense system.† When a person has a weak immune system as oppose to a strong immune system the body has a hard time fighting off the disease. The HIV virus and the infection that it causes is called HIV. White blood cells are an important part of the immune system. One of the major symptoms and by far the worst is when HIV infects and destroys certain whiteRead MoreHiv And Aids Epidemic. In The 21St Century, Everyone Has1439 Words   |  6 PagesHIV and AIDS Epidemic In the 21st century, everyone has heard of the frightening HIV and AIDS virus. The disease we first discovered in 1983 in Arica, when it killed millions of people, especially poor people and travelers. In the developing countries, the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS) are considered a death sentence, the world over, it is a frightening virus that has killed many people. The research provided me with the information the developingRead MoreDurex Save Sex Campaign Against AIDS-HIV688 Words   |  3 PagesPresentation Overview Durex Save Sex Campaign Against AIDS/HIV Hello to everyone, my name is Irem Gamsizoglu, and I`m first year medicine student. I will tell you about disease that is spread all around the world – AIDS and HIV and the corporate social responsibility campaign made by one of the most famous contraception related company Durex. And I`d like to start my overview with famous quote by Elizabeth Taylor; once she said that â€Å"It is bad enough that people are dying of AIDS, but no one shouldRead MoreHiv Research Paper808 Words   |  4 PagesWhich Populations in the United States Today, are at the Highest-Risk of HIV Infection? In the United States (US) there are currently 1.2 million people infected/living with the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV). The HIV epidemic in the US is concentrated in the following at risk populations and geographic area: (1) Gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with other men of all races/ethnicities (high burden of HIV among Black gay and bisexual men), (2) Black women and men, (3) Latinos/LatinasRead MoreThe Global Health Issue Of Hiv And Aids869 Words   |  4 Pagesin Africa aids is the health issues. HIV and AIDS has become on the biggest epidemics in the Sub-Saharan Africa region. There has been an estimated 24.7 million people were living with HIV (Shah, A. n.d). The 24.7 million people represent the seventy-one percent of the aids population in the world (Shah, A. n.d). Background of HIV/AIDS To understand how devastating HIV/AIDS is there must be background on how HIV and AIDS develops and why it is so deadly. HIV stands for human immunodeficiency virusRead MoreHiv Is A Human Immunodeficiency Virus1721 Words   |  7 PagesPicture this: a young child who is very skinny, ribs and all other bones are showing through the skin, they are born with HIV. it then leads to AIDS, due to their parents. HIV is a Human Immunodeficiency Virus. If HIV is left untreated, it can lead to AIDS, which is an acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome. In Nigeria, Africa millions of people have the disease of AIDS and HIV. There is not many treatment options or solutions for this serious issue that takes place all over the country. There are aRead MoreAids, Hiv, And Aids1726 Words   |  7 PagesAIDS and HIV in Africa Picture this: a young child who is very skinny, ribs and all other bones are showing through the skin, they are born with HIV. it then leads to AIDS, due to their parents. HIV is a Human Immunodeficiency Virus. If HIV is left untreated, it can lead to AIDS, which is an acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome. In Nigeria, Africa millions of people have the disease of AIDS and HIV. There is not many treatment options or solutions for this serious issue that takes place all over the