October
2011
Global Issue – HIV/AIDS0
For Challenge 6 were told to write a post about a global issue. A global issue I find very serious is HIV/AIDS.
.: What is HIV/AIDS:.
- HIV is a Human Immunodeficiency Virus. It is a virus that can lead you to receive Immune Deficiency Syndrome, or AIDS. CDC (Centers for Disease Control) estimated that about 56,000 people in the United States contracted HIV in 2006.
- There are two types of HIV, HIV-1 and HIV-2. In the United States, the term “HIV” USUALLY refers to HIV-1.
- Both types of HIV damage a person’s body. It destroy’s specific blood cells, called CD4+ T cells, which are needed to help the body fight diseases.
- AIDS is basically the worst, most fatal type of HIV.
.:Symptoms:.
- After a few weeks of being infected with HIV, some people develop flu-like symptoms that last for a week or two, but others have no symptoms at all. People living with HIV may appear and feel healthy for many years. Even if they feel healthy, HIV is still affecting their bodies. Everyone with HIV should be seen on a regularaly. Many people with HIV, including those who feel healthy, can benefit from current medications used to treat HIV infection. These medications can slow down the destruction of the immune system, improve the health of people living with HIV and may also reduce their ability to pass on HIV.
- Untreated early HIV infection is also associated with many diseases including cardiovascular disease, kidney disease, liver disease, and cancer because your immune system is weak.
- AIDS is the late stage of HIV infection, when a person’s immune system is severely damaged and has difficulty fighting diseases. Before a certain medication was released, people with HIV could progress to AIDS in just a few years. In our life time people can live much longer – even decades – with HIV before they develop AIDS.
.:History:.
AIDS was first reported June 5, 1981, when the U. S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recorded a mysterious disease in five homosexual men in Los Angeles. In the beginning, the CDC did not have an ‘official’ name for the disease. The press along with the public reffered the disease to, the term GRID, which stood for gay-related immune deficiency. The CDC, wanted a more appropriate name so, they started looking at the affected communities. Most showed they found common in Haitians, homosexuals, and heroin users. In July 1982 doctors determined that AIDS was not isolated to the gay community (or any other/making it a Global Issue), the name GRID became misleading and AIDS was introduced. Some believe HIV comes from the related simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV), which infects apes and monkeys in Africa.
.:Memorable Cases:.
Some of the first serious cases of AIDS was found in famous people because even though sometimes we forget we are all humans. A memorable case of AIDS was diagnosed to Nicholas Eden, a gay Member of Parliament and son of the late prime minister. One of the most famous diagnosed patients of AIDS was on 24 November 1991, when British rock star Freddie Mercury, lead singer of the band Queen, died from an AIDS related illness, having only announced that he was suffering from it the previous day. However he had been diagnosed as HIV positive during 1987. One of the first high profile heterosexual victims of the virus was Arthur Ashe, the American tennis player. He was diagnosed as HIV positive on 31 August 1988, having gotten the virus from blood transfusions during heart surgery in the early 1980s. Further tests within 24 hours of the initial diagnosis revealed that Ashe had AIDS, but he did not tell the public about his diagnosis until April 1992. He eventually died, aged 49, as a result of AIDS in February 1993.
.:This is a Global Issue:.
HIV/AIDS is a Global Issue because this disease isn’t just in one specific place like Africa. Everyday people around the world can have it. Although you may hear about most cases of AIDS in Africa because it is a poorer country so families may not be able to afford the pricey medecation fees and do not have full time doctors with a medical degree. This could effects everyone becasue you could get AIDS through siliva, blood and open cuts.
.:This Affects Me:.
HIV and AIDS affects me ovbiously because I could get AIDS and possibly die. But this also effects me because I want to become a surgeon/doctor someday and I would love to help the poor children in Africa.
Researching about AIDS and HIV really made me think about how lucky I am not to have any major diseases!
That’s all for now!
~Alexandra~
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