HIV and AIDS The Epidemic Essay example - 1640 Words

HIV and AIDS have affected millions of people throughout the world. Since 1981, there have been 25 million deaths due to AIDS involving men, women, and children. Presently there are 40 million people living with HIV and AIDS around the world and two million die each year from AIDS related illnesses. The Center for Disease Control estimates that one-third of the one million Americans living with HIV are not aware that they have it. The earliest known case of HIV was in 1959. It was discovered in a blood sample from a man in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo. Looking further into the genetics of this blood sample researchers suggested that it had originated from a virus going back to the late 1940’s or early 1950’s. In 1999,†¦show more content†¦Primary HIV infection is the first stage and only lasts for a few weeks. Flu-like illnesses may be present during this stage. The second stage is known as clinically asymptomatic stage and typically lasts for an average of ten years. Although major symptoms might not exist during this stage, the HIV-positive person may experience swollen glands. Symptomatic HIV infection is the third stage. As the immune system continues to fail, symptoms surface and become miniscule at first then later leading to more prevalent symptoms. This third stage is generally caused by illnesses, involving cancers and infections, which the immune system would normally fight off but is not able to because the immune system is too weak. Finally, AIDS, Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome, develops and is the final stage of HIV. A person is diagnosed with AIDS when they show the symptom called an opportunistic infection. This is when infections take advantage of the weakened immune system. HIV leads into life threatening AIDS and causes the infected individual to feel escalating amounts of pain such as neurotic pain, tremendous headaches, gastrointestinal pain, chest pain, and even emotional pain such as depression. Th is pain can be intense enough to cease the individual from living a productively normal life. HIV and AIDS can strike anyone at any point in their life and should be taken seriously. Contracting HIV does not depend on where you live, your race, or your sexual preference; it hasShow MoreRelatedThe Epidemic Of Hiv And Aids1535 Words   |  7 Pagespopulation include providing access to health care, HIV testing and syringe services programs. The Office of HIV Planning in Philadelphia focuses on the needs of the population, conducts community outreaches and educational sessions. As previously stated, 32 state Medicaid programs reimburse for routine HIV screening of adults aged 15-65 years, regardless of risk. This policy allows for individuals to more likely participate in this screening process. HIV testing can be done through health care professionalsRead MoreThe Epidemic Of Hiv / Aids1306 Words   |  6 PagesOne of the most known and feared viruses in the world today is HIV/AI DS. 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 onlyRead MoreThe Hiv / Aids Epidemic1650 Words   |  7 PagesThe HIV/AIDS epidemic poses a major concern for global health. There are approximately 36.7 million people living with HIV/AIDS worldwide (WHO, 2017). Due to the increased phenomenon of global migration and movement we see a proportion of individuals who are HIV positive migrating. In Canada alone, over 300,000 new immigrants were welcomed into the country in 2016 (CIC; Globe And Mail, 2016). As a result we can infer that certain proportion out of all immigration applicants into Canada were HIV positiveRead MoreThe Hiv / Aids Epidemic1848 Words   |  8 Pagesreduce its high rates of HIV/AIDS prevalence in the face of low socioeconomic development and declining Gross National Income (GNI) per capita because its existing NGO-based system for HIV/AIDS prevention was scaled up through international technical and financial assistance. The two leading NGOs in this effort, Haitian Gro up for the Study of Kaposi’s Sarcoma and Opportunistic Infections (GHESKIO) and Partners in Health (PIH), were created at the onset of the HIV/AIDS epidemic in the early 1980s, butRead MoreThe Hiv / Aids Epidemic1072 Words   |  5 Pagesagainst HIV/AIDS (Country and Lending Groups, n.d.). They have one of the highest prevalence rates of HIV/AIDS in the world at 19.1%, and the incidence of new cases is increasing steadily (Milan, 2014; CIA, n.d.). To combat this growing problem President Jacob Zuma launched the largest HIV Counseling and Testing campaign in the world in April 2010 (â€Å"Global AIDS†, 2012). In the same year, the country also achieved a significant reduction in the price of antiretroviral medicines (ARVs) (â€Å"Global AIDS†, 2012)Read MoreThe Hiv / Aids Epidemic2082 Words   |  9 Pages The United States has been fixated on its mission to abolish the sex industry since the start of the HIV/AIDS epidemic in the 1980s. George W. Bush and Congr ess created the United States Leadership against HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria Act of 2003 with the intention of funding beneficial programs furthering the research and accessibility of HIV/AIDS treatment. (Middleberg, 2006). The beneficiaries of this funding must show their opposition towards prostitution and sex trafficking in orderRead MoreThe Hiv / Aids Epidemic3453 Words   |  14 PagesGlobally, there is good news. In 2011 the World Health Organization (WHO) claimed that the HIV/AIDs epidemic was declining in their â€Å"Global HIV/AIDS Response† progress report (Progress Report 2011). Each continent and region, however, showed different changes in their rates of HIV/AIDS (Progress Report 2011). In North America, and specifically in the United States, the incidence of HIV has been constant for the past several years (Progress Report 2011). Despite the stability of this disease,Read MoreThe Epidemic Of Hiv / Aids2413 Words   |  10 Pagesworld issues. In 198 0, news papers, highlighted the onset of an epidemic, one that would create fear, isolation, bias and discrimination. The HIV virus took the public by disbelief, one of the main tribulations with HIV disease was that there was no concrete evidence that determined its transmission. Many Semantic variations such as gay mans disease created biases and discrimination toward this population (CITE). The onset of HIV/AIDS virus also created a devastating impact on healthcare professionalsRead MoreHiv / Aids Epidemic : A Huge Epidemic1314 Words   |  6 PagesHIV/Aids Epidemic HIV/AIDs is a huge epidemic still plaguing society today. The lack of knowledge and technical advances has caused an increasing number of cases. It has made its way around the world since the 1940s, causing countries to join together in the fight against AIDs. With all the campaigning that has been done the numbers of cases continue to rise. Countries have separated the disease into three patterns to make it easier to distinguish the effects that AIDs has on different regions ofRead MoreShould The Hiv / Aids Epidemic?918 Words   |  4 PagesShould the HIV/AIDs epidemic in Africa be described as a feminist issue? With higher transmission rates concentrated among African women, and the vast majority of new mother-child transmissions occurring within African countries, HIV seemingly fits into the scope of feminist concerns. As described in Oppong and Kalipeni’s contribution to Kalipeni, et.al.’s HIV AIDS in African: Beyond Epidemiology, the consistent classifying of th e HIV/AIDS epidemic as being the direct result of distinct African