Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome or AIDS is a syndrome that, as the name suggests, weakens the body’s immune system. The infection is caused by a virus known as Human Immunodeficiency Virus or HIV and is transmitted through unprotected sex, use of needles already exposed to the virus, transfusion of unscreened blood and through gestation from an infected mother to her child. Below you will find essays on AIDS, its causes, symptoms, treatments and prevention. These essays are of different lengths and should prove useful in your exams. Choose the essay {you need} as per your requirement.
Introduction
Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome or AIDS is a pervasive disease that is caused by HIV or Human Immunodeficiency Virus attacking the immune system of the human body. It has no known cure although there are medicines to slow down or completely inhibit the virus spread. Since one of the main methods of transfer of the virus is through unprotected sex, AIDS also carries with it a stigma that ensures that society didn’t discuss it openly for a long time.
Unfortunately, this taboo meant that not enough information was being shared about how the disease spread, since most people were wary of talking about it. Combine the lack of a cure with this lack of information in public forums and you get a pandemic that has resulted in over 28.9 million deaths.
Importance of Awareness
There is only one way to fight the spread of AIDS and that is through creating awareness. Ignorance of is the causes and methods of transfer of HIV and it only makes a bad situation fully worse. It is imperative, therefore, that people be made aware of what AIDS is, how it spreads and what can be done to prevent infection.
Governments and non-profit organizations have instituted various programs not only to do health check-ups but also to dispel the prejudice that attaches itself to this disease and those who suffer from it. Awareness programs have spread information about HIV and how to prevent it for years now and their efforts have borne fruit. The results speak for themselves. The percentage of people with HIV has reduced considerably.
So that people do not become complacent and forget that AIDS is still very much a player in the deadly diseases field various awareness initiatives have been undertaken, the most prominent of which is World AIDS Day – a day when people show their solidarity with those who are afflicted with this disease and remember those who were struck down by it. Other initiatives target vulnerable people and communities so that they are fully informed and able to prevent the disease from spreading.
Conclusion
While new therapies can help in controlling HIV from spreading all over the body, awareness is the key to actually prevent AIDS from spreading across populations. It also helps to remind one that while the pandemic is under control now it is by no means gone and carelessness or apathy will definitely ensure that it comes roaring back.
Introduction
AIDS has ended up taking well over 28.9 million lives in the years since the disease was first discovered. Thanks to various myths and misconceptions about the syndrome, the virus spread like wildfire and infected millions of people before it could be contained. The fact that it attacks white blood cells thereby weakening immunity is what makes it so deadly, since it undermines the human body’s defence and leaves people who are HIV positive at massive risk.
Thanks to concerted efforts by governments across the world, advancements in medicine and awareness campaigns, the number of HIV positive people has reduced. However, no cure for the disease has been found yet. There are treatments available but they can only inhibit the virus; they can’t eliminate it from the body entirely. In these circumstances, it becomes imperative that we focus on prevention to get to the root of the problem.
Preventative Measures
In order to prevent AIDS from spreading, we need to first know how it spreads. There are three main ways in which HIV can move around from one person to another – unprotected sexual intercourse with an HIV positive partner, transfer of HIV from mother to child, either during pregnancy or during breast feeding, transfusion of blood and needle sharing amongst drug users. Therefore, any preventative measures need to take these factors into account. Some things that one can do to protect themselves are:
Preventive Measures for AIDS
Conclusion
Since there is no cure for AIDS at the moment, prevention is definitely better than cure in the case of this disease. Some simple preventative measures can ensure that the spread of the virus is limited if not completely halted.
Introduction
The fact that India has the world’s second-largest population is part of the reason that India has the world’s third largest HIV epidemic. In terms of percentage, this statistic is around 0.3 percent, which might not seem too large. However, when this statistic is converted to actual numbers it becomes 2.1 million people who are HIV positive. This number is as per data collected by UNAIDS for the year 2016. AIDS-related causes killed 62,000 people in the same year.
At Risk Demographics
The most at-risk sections of the population are sex workers, men who have sex with men, people who inject drugs and transgender people. These are some of the most vulnerable groups in society since most of them are subject to discrimination and stigma. That discrimination makes it difficult, if not outright impossible, for them to access healthcare. Add to this the fact that activities associated with sex work such as running a brothel are illegal, gay and bisexual men face social stigma if they come out, drug addicts are generally reviled and transgender people are looked down upon and you have the perfect combination of circumstances that breed an epidemic.
Prevention and Treatment Efforts
Fortunately, there has been a concerted drive by the UN, the Indian government and various non-profits organizations to reduce the risk that these sections of the populace face. The number of AIDS testing and counselling sites has gone from only 67 in 1997 to 20,000 in 2016. In addition, HIV awareness campaigns have been ramped up and testing and treatment have been made free. Thanks to these and other measures, the number of people living with HIV has actually gone down from 5.1 million in 2003 to 2.1 million in 2016.
New Challenges
While the measures put in place have helped in controlling the epidemic, India cannot rest on its laurels. States with larger populations such as Bihar, Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan have recently reported infection in new pockets. India needs to expand its policies to reduce harm and to decriminalize homosexuality and drug use so that these sections of society can have access to care and treatment without fear of repercussions.
Conclusion
We must take care of our health and our health status should be checked out periodically to remain away from this deadly disease. We should also motivate and suggest others to do the same. This disease cannot be eradicated from the society; so, we must focus on its prevention.
Introduction
AIDS is a public health issue, perhaps the most important such issue in recorded history. Although the AIDS pandemic reached its peak in 2005 and has declined since, there are still around 37 million people worldwide who are HIV positive. Moreover, as of 2017, AIDS has been responsible for the deaths of 28.9 million to 41.5 million people around the world. Raising awareness about this disease is absolutely vital. This is why the WHO has marked the World AIDS Day as one of eight official global campaigns.
What is World AIDS Day?
1st December is the day designated as World AIDS Day, an international day that is meant to spread awareness about AIDS. However, this is not the only reason this day is celebrated. It also allows people who aren’t HIV positive to support and ally with those people who are. It is also a day when those who eventually succumbed to the disease are commemorated. It is the first ever day dedicated to a global public health issue.
Importance of World AIDS Day
There is no denying the fact that the spread of AIDS isn’t as rampant as it once was. Thanks to awareness campaigns, scientific advances and new treatments we can understand and combat the disease better. However, there is no avoiding the fact that nearly 37 million people are living with this disease and new pockets of infection are being discovered every day. Moreover, people with AIDS are still subjected to discrimination and live in fear of the stigma that the disease carries with it. Therefore, it becomes very important to remind everyone that AIDS is still very much out there; the government and public must continue to spread awareness, raise funds and combat the prejudice and discrimination that people who are HIV positive face. This is why World AIDS Day is celebrated annually as a reminder that AIDS hasn’t gone away.
What to do on World AIDS Day/Activities
On World AIDS Day, we need to show our support for those who are living with this disease and those who have been struck down by it. One of the most common ways to show solidarity is to wear the HIV Awareness red ribbon. These ribbons can be found in packs of 100 at the online store of the National AIDS Trust or NAT. The order is free but those who buy the packs must show that they will use the ribbons for fundraising. The Trust also sells red ribbon brooches from the online store. Another way to show support is to either organize or participate in World AIDS Day events.
Conclusion
While the AIDS pandemic has been contained to a certain degree, the disease has still not been eradicated. Until that goal is reached, World AIDS Day needs to continue so that people don’t labour under the misconception that this deadly disease is gone; instead there is awareness about the disease, its prevention and its treatment.
Introduction
The AIDS pandemic that, at one time, threatened to spread like wildfire throughout the world’s populations has been checked to some extent. Thanks to determined campaigns worldwide, more people are becoming aware of AIDS – not only how deadly it is but also what causes it and how to treat it. The more information we have, the better we can fight. Therefore, it becomes vital that we know as much as we can about this syndrome to help stop its spread.
Causes of AIDS/HIV
AIDS is caused by HIV or Human Immunodeficiency Virus. It is a retrovirus, which means that it replicates by inserting a DNA copy of its genome into host cells. In this case, the host cells are white blood cells known as T-helper cells or CD4 cells, which are part of the immune system. HIV destroys these cells and makes copies of itself, thereby, weakening the human immune system. In practical terms, it lowers our ability to fight off diseases over time. This doesn’t mean that every person who is HIV positive has AIDS. However, if treatment is not made available in time, someone who is HIV positive can develop AIDS.
Transmission of AIDS/HIV
HIV can be transferred in one of three ways:
Symptoms of AIDS/HIV
HIV doesn’t always have readily identifiable symptoms. However, certain symptoms can show up depending upon how far it has progressed in the body.
Once the disease has progressed to the stage where it is more or less full blown AIDS, a patient becomes much more vulnerable to various other diseases such as tuberculosis.
Treatment of AIDS or HIV
There is no cure for AIDS or HIV at the moment. Since HIV is a retrovirus that replicates by replacing the host cell’s DNA with copies of its own DNA, the best way to contain its spread is ART or antiretroviral therapy. This is a drug therapy that prevents the virus from replicating, thereby slowing or stopping its progress. It is best to start the treatment in the early stages of infection so that the immune system isn’t significantly affected. At later stages, this treatment can be combined with drugs that treat secondary diseases the patient may have contracted due to lowered immunity.
Conclusion
Being diagnosed as HIV positive isn’t an easy thing to handle. However, with the treatments now available to rein in the spread of the disease, patients suffering from HIV can still lead long, healthy and productive lives.
Introduction
AIDS or Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome is a disease caused by the infection of HIV or Human Immunodeficiency Virus. The virus attacks the immune system of body, reducing its ability to combat other diseases. Thus, the person with HIV is more susceptible to getting other diseases and has to be continuously kept under medication, to maintain body’s immunity.
During the initial one decade after its discovery in 1981, the disease had claimed nearly thirty million lives globally. Thanks to the advancements in medical technology and medicines, today anyone tested positive of HIV could lead a normal life under ongoing medication.
AIDS – 4H Disease
One of the lesser known facts about AIDS is that during its initial years, the disease was called 4H Disease, as it appeared to affect homosexuals, Haitians (residents of Haiti, a Caribbean country), heroin users and hemophiliacs.
AIDS – History and Origin
The Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) first originated in non human primates in central and west Africa. The most severe strain of virus called HIV-1 was discovered in as early as 1920 in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Scientists estimated that the transfer of virus from primates to humans might have occurred during the late 19th or early 20th century, a period of fast urbanization in equatorial Africa.
During the 1970s a mysteriously suppressed immune system was causing many deaths in USA, but it was only in 1981 that America’s Centre for Disease Control officially recognized the AIDS infection in a woman.
Symptoms of AIDS
Human Immunodeficiency Virus attacks White Blood Cells, also called CD4 Cells, which is a subtype of white blood cells, called the T Cells. These cells are responsible for body’s immunity and when their strength is compromised, it results in a reduced immunity leaving the infected vulnerable to any other disease or infection. The symptoms of disease, however, may take years to appear, differing from person to person.
Some of the common symptoms of AIDS or HIV infection are fever, fatigue, swollen lymph nodes or immune system glands, weight loss, diarrhea, oral yeast infection and herpes zoster.
Since the infection wakens the immune system, the infected is most likely to develop a series of infections not found in a non infected person like persistent fever, night sweating, and lesions in tongue or mouth and skin rashes.
Causes of AIDS
Research has established that AIDS is caused by two viruses, namely HIV-1 and HIV-2, belonging to a family of viruses called retrovirus and have the capacity to infect a person for the rest of that person’s life.
The virus attacks the white blood cells compromising the body’s immune system and making it more susceptible to other diseases.
Human Immunodeficiency Virus – 1 or HIV-1
The HIV-1 virus is most predominantly found in most parts of the world and is most virulent of the two viruses. The virus adopts a distinctive modus operandi – it attacks the most significant immune cells in your body, the CD4 cells, uses them to reproduce and then destroys them.
Human Immunodeficiency Virus – 2 or HIV-2
The HIV-2 virus is prevalent mostly in the parts of western Africa; though, regular cases have been reported from Europe, United States and India. This type of virus also affects the CD4 cells; however, the diagnosis may differ from the HIV-1 virus, due to the viruses’ drug resistance capacities.
How HIV/AIDS Spreads
HIV can only be transmitted through unprotected sex and if the infected blood somehow finds its way into your body. There are several ways that could lead to the spread of virus from one infected person to other, as given below.
1) Unprotected Sex
HIV virus can spread from an infected person to a healthy individual, if they exchanged sexual fluids during an unprotected sexual intercourse. The virus could easily find its way into your blood through small sores, tears or wounds in your mouth or private parts, during such activity.
2) Unsafe Blood Transfusion
If any medical practitioner or hospital transmits blood from one person to other, without properly screening the blood; poses a risk of the spread of HIV virus. Any blood collected from the donor, must be verified for the presence of HIV and other viruses, before transfusing to the donor.
3) By Sharing Unsafe Needles
Sharing infected needle might result in transmission of the virus. Use of such contaminated needles not only poses the high risk of HIV contamination, but also other diseases such as hepatitis and septicemia.
4) During Pregnancy/Delivery or Breast Feeding
An infected mother can pass on the virus to her baby during pregnancy or during delivery or even during breast feeding; however, the risk of infection is considerably lowered if the mother gets appropriate treatment for AIDS during pregnancy.
Conclusion
Due to the extensive use of Antiretroviral Therapy (ART) (HIV medicines) and raised level of awareness about the disease, much less adults and children are getting infected and dying, than in the past decades. The death toll has reduced considerably, by 54% than in 2004. However, there is no room to relax and the fight against AIDS must not lose its momentum.
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