Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome or better known as is a life-threatening disease. It is one of the most dreaded diseases we are experiencing today. AIDS is caused by HIV or Human Immunodeficiency Virus, which attacks the immune system of the human body. It has, so far, ended more than twenty-nine million lives all over the world. Since its discovery, AIDS has spread around the world like a wildfire.
Genetic research indicates that HIV originated in west-central Africa during the early twentieth century. AIDS was first recognized by the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in 1981 and its cause, HIV infection was identified in the early part of the decade. HIV destroys the WBCs and weakens the human immune system. The weakening of the immune system affects an individual’s ability to fight diseases in time. Since HIV attacks and infects the WBCs of the human body, it lowers the overall immune system of the human body and resulting in the infected individual, vulnerable to any other disease or minor infection. The incubation period for AIDS is much longer as compared to other diseases. It takes around 0-12 years for the symptoms to appear promptly. Few of the common symptoms of AIDS include fever, fatigue, loss of weight, dysentery, swollen nodes, yeast infection, and herpes zoster. HIV majorly transmits in one of the three ways: sexual contact, exposure to infected body fluids or tissues and from mother to child during pregnancy, delivery, or breastfeeding (known as vertical transmission). There is no risk of acquiring HIV if exposed to feces, nasal secretions, saliva, sputum, sweat, tears, urine, or vomit unless these are contaminated with blood. It is possible to be co-infected by more than one strain of HIV, a condition known as HIV super infection. Till date, no treatment or cure is available for curing AIDS, and as a result, it is a life-threatening disease. As a practice by medical practitioners, the best way to curb its spread is antiretroviral therapy or ART. It is a drug therapy which prevents HIV from replicating and hence slows down its progress. It is always advisable to start the treatment at the earliest to minimize the damage to the immune system. But again, it is just a measure and doesn’t guarantee the cure of AIDS.
Life for an individual becomes hell after being tested positive for AIDS. It is not only the disease but also the social stigma and discrimination, feeling of being not loved and being hated acts as a slow poison. We need to instill the belief among them, through our love and care, that the HIV positive patients can still lead a long and healthy life. Though AIDS is a disease, which cannot be cured or eradicated from society, the only solution to AIDS lies in its prevention and awareness. We must have our regular and periodical health checkup so that we don’t fall prey to such deadly diseases. We must also encourage and educate others to do the same. With the widespread awareness about the disease, much fewer adults and children are dying of AIDS. The only way to fight the AIDS disease is through creating awareness.
11- STEM MOLAVE
GROUP 4: Marielle Cobacha, Angelika Tacuboy, Khate Baguingan, Johnel Rubino, and Valery Sumay
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