HIV/AIDS Human Immunodeficiency Virus has been and still is a huge public health concern. HIV is easily transmitted, and there are a lot of issues that go along with it. HIV is a serious virus that can completely destroy someone’s life. HIV is just like other common infections such as the Flu or the common cold, but the difference between HIV and the Flu is that the body cannot clear HIV from the body. Meaning once you have HIV, you have it for life. This paper is going to talk about the history behind HIV and HIV in today’s society. The history behind Human Immunodeficiency Virus is not that old; HIV was recognized as a new clinical syndrome in 1981. Research shows that there have been cases of HIV as early as 1950’s to the 1960’s, but
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HIV stands for Human Immunodeficiency Virus while AIDS stands for Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome. The difference between the two is that HIV can hid for long periods of time in your cells within your body. HIV attacks your T-cells and CD4cells, which the body has to protect, and fight off infections/ diseases. Overtime HIV can destroy so many of your T-cells and CD4cells that your body cannot fight infections or diseases anymore which leaves your body extremely vulnerable. HIV can be inherited or transmitted, but AIDS cannot be inherited. AIDS is something that is acquired over a period of time. The first stage of the HIV infection is the Acute Infection, which is within 2-4 weeks after the infection, and you may feel sick with flu-like symptoms, which is the body’s natural response to the infection. The second stage of the virus is the Clinical Latency, which is when HIV is still active, but is reproducing at low levels, the reason this stage is so dangerous is because you may not show symptoms or get sick at this time. The last stage of this virus is called AIDS, this is when the immune system is badly damaged and you become vulnerable to infections. When your CD4cells drop below 200 cells per cubic millimeter of blood, you are considered to have progressed to …show more content…
That means one out of five people with HIV do not know they have it, which leads to about 56,ooo new HIV infections each year. This is why HIV is such a public health concern; people do not know that they have obtained the virus or that they are spreading the virus to others. In Indiana there is a huge HIV outbreak happening. The governor had decided to implement a needle exchange, which is a form of control. The needle exchange is a social service that allows drug users to obtain clean needles. The philosophy behind this form of control is harm reduction; it reduces the risk factors for disease, and infections such as HIV/AIDS. The needle exchange program is a huge debate because it promotes drug use by letting drug users obtain clean needles. By letting drug users use clean needles, in theory, it is reducing the spread of HIV, for Indiana this not the case. The needle exchange program is not allowed under federal law, which also makes it a huge controversy. Indiana is going through a serious outbreak, and I wanted to focus on Indiana because it shows the prevalence of HIV in today’s day and
HIV stands for Human Immunodeficiency Virus while AIDS stands for Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome. The difference between the two is that HIV can hid for long periods of time in your cells within your body. HIV attacks your T-cells and CD4cells, which the body has to protect, and fight off infections/ diseases. Overtime HIV can destroy so many of your T-cells and CD4cells that your body cannot fight infections or diseases anymore which leaves your body extremely vulnerable. HIV can be inherited or transmitted, but AIDS cannot be inherited. AIDS is something that is acquired over a period of time. The first stage of the HIV infection is the Acute Infection, which is within 2-4 weeks after the infection, and you may feel sick with flu-like symptoms, which is the body’s natural response to the infection. The second stage of the virus is the Clinical Latency, which is when HIV is still active, but is reproducing at low levels, the reason this stage is so dangerous is because you may not show symptoms or get sick at this time. The last stage of this virus is called AIDS, this is when the immune system is badly damaged and you become vulnerable to infections. When your CD4cells drop below 200 cells per cubic millimeter of blood, you are considered to have progressed to …show more content…
That means one out of five people with HIV do not know they have it, which leads to about 56,ooo new HIV infections each year. This is why HIV is such a public health concern; people do not know that they have obtained the virus or that they are spreading the virus to others. In Indiana there is a huge HIV outbreak happening. The governor had decided to implement a needle exchange, which is a form of control. The needle exchange is a social service that allows drug users to obtain clean needles. The philosophy behind this form of control is harm reduction; it reduces the risk factors for disease, and infections such as HIV/AIDS. The needle exchange program is a huge debate because it promotes drug use by letting drug users obtain clean needles. By letting drug users use clean needles, in theory, it is reducing the spread of HIV, for Indiana this not the case. The needle exchange program is not allowed under federal law, which also makes it a huge controversy. Indiana is going through a serious outbreak, and I wanted to focus on Indiana because it shows the prevalence of HIV in today’s day and