AIDS Virus: A Case Study

When the United States became aware of the AIDS disease in early 1980’s most people thought of it as a death sentence. No treatment was available and the cause of the disease was unknown. People today infected with the HIV – the virus that causes Aids can live rather normal healthy lives. (Aidsinfo.Nih.gov 2015) HIV stands for the human immunodeficiency virus. The HIV virus attacks and destroys the infection fighting CD4 cells of the immune system. With the loss of the CD4 cells it becomes difficult for the body to fight infections. HIV is a major global public health problem. Two million people annually are newly infected with HIV globally. The virus thus far, has claimed more than 34 million lives with another 36.9 million people living with the virus as of 2014 (WHO. Int. 2015). Today, individuals infected with the HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, can live relatively normal healthy lives (Wein 2015). The HIV virus is transmitted through contact of body fluids from infected individuals. These body fluids are blood, breast milk, semen, vaginal secretions, rectal fluids and pre-seminal fluids (cdc.gov …show more content…
Viral load is a lab test that measures the number of HIV virus particles in a milliliter of your body. The particles are called “copies” (Brown 2010). The main goal of the viral load is to reach an undetectable level which can take three to six months of being on the medicine. An undetectable viral load means that the level of HIV in the blood is too low to be detected by a viral load test. The undetectable viral load is the best sign that regiment is working effectively. Having an undetectable level does not mean a person with HIV is cured. There is still some HIV in the person’s body. When the levels of the medicine are working, the HIV patient can live a healthier life and reduces the risk of HIV transmission (aidsinfo.nih.gov