Hiv / Aids An Acronym For Human Immunodeficiency Virus

What if there was a disease that thousands of people a day contracted with no vaccine or cure, what do you think the world would look like? The world would look much like it does today, as there is a disease that infects thousands of people each and every day with no vaccine or cure. That disease is HIV/AIDS. A disease that is so powerful its position in our society has moved from epidemic to pandemic. In this paper we will explore HIV/AIDS and my one-day journey at one of Delaware County’s largest full service HIV/AIDS providers and how it changed my perspective on the disease and the people who carry it. What is HIV/AIDS? HIV is an acronym for Human Immunodeficiency Virus. This virus can only attack humans, hence the name, and reproduces by taking over the T-cells (or CD4-cells which help fight off infections) and uses them to make copies of itself (U.S. Department of Health Human Services). Unlike most viruses the human body cannot seem to shake HIV, which means once you have HIV you have it for life. HIV is transmitted through certain bodily fluids and they are blood, semen (including pre-seminal), vaginal secretions, breast milk, and rectal fluids. AIDS, which stands for Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome, is the last stage of HIV, but it is important to note that not everyone with HIV will succumb to having AIDS. According to the U.S. Department of Health Human Services (2014) people who acquire AIDS have immune systems that have been severely deteriorated whichShow MoreRelatedThe Epidemic Of Hiv / Aids1306 Words   |  6 Pagesknown and feared viruses in the world today is HI V/AIDS. To fully understand on why HIV/AIDS is so deadly, we need to first understand and breakdown on what this virus exactly is. HIV is an acronym that stands for Human Immunodeficiency Virus. Human means that only humans can be infected by this virus. Immunodeficiency means that this virus attacks and weakens your immune system to the point where your immune system can no longer protect your body. Virus means that it can only reproduce itself byRead MoreThe World Since The 1980s1154 Words   |  5 Pagesthe 1980s. A deadly virus emerged and spread faster than common sense could keep up, fueled by fear, paranoia, and prejudice. The disease was first dubbed GRID, an acronym for Gay-Related Immune Deficiency since it seemed to prey primarily on homosexual men. As it was observed that blood transfusion recipients and intravenous drug users were also contracting it the name was replaced with Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS) and its precursor Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV). As the decade progressedRead MoreThe Epidemic Of Hiv / Aids1065 Words   |  5 PagesAlthough HIV/AIDS is on the rise together, we can put an end to the increasing numbers. 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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 should die of ignorance†Read 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 cel ls, cells in the immune system that fight off infections and diseases. HIV has been aroundRead MoreHuman Immunodeficiency Virus : Hiv And Aids1935 Words   |  8 PagesHuman Immunodeficiency Virus, better known as the acronym HIV is a virus that destroys the immune system and can evolve into an infection. HIV is known a as pandemic because the immune system can fight off the infection but can never clear the HIV out of the body. â€Å"HIV is spread through contact with the blood, semen, pre-seminal fluid, rectal fluids, vaginal fluids, or breast milk of a person infected with HIV.† [AIDS] According to AIDS.info, in the United States, the virus is usually contractedRead MoreHiv-Reaction Paper1770 Words   |  8 Pages25 TERMS Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV)- is a lentivirus ( a member of the retrovirus family) that causes required immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), a conditions in humans in which progressive failure of the immune system allows life-threatening opportunistic infections and cancers. Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS)- is a disease of human immune system caused by the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV). Sex- is a process of combining and mixing of genetic traits, often in resulting in