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AIDS Awareness
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Published: October 6, 2006
There is a killer among us claiming the lives of three million people each year. There are one million Americans and 37 million people worldwide affected by this perpetrator. The killer is AIDS and by the end of this year, it is estimated that 80,000 Americans alone will be infected with this disease.
The only way to stop AIDS from spreading is through awareness. By knowing the facts and dismissing widespread myths about AIDS, we can begin to preserve our health and weaken the disease.
AIDS was first officially named and recognized in 1982 by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention. In 1979, rare types of pneumonia, cancer and various other illnesses were being diagnosed. A common trait possessed by all of these illnesses differentiated these from their normal counterparts. This trait is not typically found in those with healthy immune systems, hence why the disease was named Auto Immune Deficiency Syndrome, or AIDS. It was not until 1984 when the CDC named Human Immuno-deficiency Virus, or HIV as the virus which causes AIDS.
The question of how HIV/AIDS crossed over into the human population is still argued. However, most concur that the disease originated in a species of chimpanzee. It then spread to the human through blood exchange, probably occurring while hunting or prepping the animals.
HIV/AIDS has existed in Africa since 1977, and sub-Saharan Africa continues to bear the greatest burden of this disease. AIDS runs rampant in the southern countries of Africa; it is estimated one in four people there has AIDS. Sub-Saharan Africa has been impacted so severely by AIDS that US statistics pale in comparison. It is the number one killer disease in Africa, surpassing malaria. There are 3.2 million people in Africa living with AIDS, and 2.3 million African citizens die from the disease each year. By the end of the decade, the age expectancy in Africa will be thirty years old.
The problem in Africa lies with the lack of health care and the misinformed citizens. Without appropriate health care, AIDS cannot be contained or prevented properly. This health care cannot improve without greater funding. There needs to be millions of dollars in funding designated for health care in Africa. Without this funding, the health care cannot improve. Without this advancement, AIDS will continue to rein as the top killer of African citizens.
What sets the AIDS epidemic in Africa apart is the unparalleled impact on regional development. Millions of children are orphaned because their parents died from the disease. Adults in their prime working years are falling victim which in turn eradicates the work force. This leaves the culture in a state of ruin. Due to the lack of appropriate health care and the required awareness, Africa is filled with incapacitated citizens, broken families and millions of orphaned children.
With the proper knowledge, the determent of AIDS can be perpetuated. When first diagnosed with HIV, one may not know. There is a window period of twelve weeks in which the virus develops. This is why being tested for AIDS every six months is dire. If infected with HIV, the symptoms appear to be flu-like, though magnified. If a person has possibly been in contact with the HIV virus and develops these symptoms, they should be tested immediately. It takes between eight and eleven years for the HIV virus to become an official AIDS diagnosis.
The manners in which HIV/AIDS is transferred are riddled with myths. Many believe they can become infected by simply touching something an infected person touches. This is not the case and leads to the ostracizing and prejudice of those living with AIDS. There are four very certain and specific ways in which HIV/AIDS can be transferred.
HIV/AIDS is transmitted through blood, semen, vaginal secretions and breast milk. Therefore it is passed through unprotected sex, direct blood contact and from mother to baby. It cannot be transmitted through kissing, touching or using the same toilet seat as someone with AIDS.
The prevention of AIDS starts with safe practices. Always practice safe sex. Condoms are highly effective in preventing the spread of the disease. Know your partner's sexual history and request they get tested. It is also one's responsibility to be tested for AIDS regularly. Never touch or use needles or syringes that are contaminated or dirty. Although blood transfusions can pass the virus, it should be known that the US blood supply is the safest in the world.
Finally, the biggest factor in AIDS prevention is awareness. Keep yourself and those around you informed of the HIV/AIDS virus. Don't discriminate or outcast those infected with AIDS. Offering your support and compassion can help to diminish some of the prejudice that exists with AIDS. Dismiss myths about AIDS and HIV transmission. Knowledge is power when it comes to this epidemic. Always practice safe acts and use your discretion. See what you can do about the AIDS crisis in Africa because every little bit can help. Without immediate help, Africa is sure to continue down this deadly path. It is now said a child born in Zambia or Zimbabwe is more likely than not to die of AIDS. This statistic is crippling and something must be done. As the slogan goes, “It is time for action, not silence.”
AIDS.org. 2006. 5 October 2006. www.aids.org.
Aids and Africa. 9 August 2006. 5 October 2006. www.aidsandafrica.com
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AIDS was first officially named and recognized in 1982 by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention. In 1979, rare types of pneumonia, cancer and various other illnesses were being diagnosed. A common trait possessed by all of these illnesses differentiated these from their normal counterparts. This trait is not typically found in those with healthy immune systems, hence why the disease was named Auto Immune Deficiency Syndrome, or AIDS. It was not until 1984 when the CDC named Human Immuno-deficiency Virus, or HIV as the virus which causes AIDS.
The question of how HIV/AIDS crossed over into the human population is still argued. However, most concur that the disease originated in a species of chimpanzee. It then spread to the human through blood exchange, probably occurring while hunting or prepping the animals.
HIV/AIDS has existed in Africa since 1977, and sub-Saharan Africa continues to bear the greatest burden of this disease. AIDS runs rampant in the southern countries of Africa; it is estimated one in four people there has AIDS. Sub-Saharan Africa has been impacted so severely by AIDS that US statistics pale in comparison. It is the number one killer disease in Africa, surpassing malaria. There are 3.2 million people in Africa living with AIDS, and 2.3 million African citizens die from the disease each year. By the end of the decade, the age expectancy in Africa will be thirty years old.
The problem in Africa lies with the lack of health care and the misinformed citizens. Without appropriate health care, AIDS cannot be contained or prevented properly. This health care cannot improve without greater funding. There needs to be millions of dollars in funding designated for health care in Africa. Without this funding, the health care cannot improve. Without this advancement, AIDS will continue to rein as the top killer of African citizens.
What sets the AIDS epidemic in Africa apart is the unparalleled impact on regional development. Millions of children are orphaned because their parents died from the disease. Adults in their prime working years are falling victim which in turn eradicates the work force. This leaves the culture in a state of ruin. Due to the lack of appropriate health care and the required awareness, Africa is filled with incapacitated citizens, broken families and millions of orphaned children.
With the proper knowledge, the determent of AIDS can be perpetuated. When first diagnosed with HIV, one may not know. There is a window period of twelve weeks in which the virus develops. This is why being tested for AIDS every six months is dire. If infected with HIV, the symptoms appear to be flu-like, though magnified. If a person has possibly been in contact with the HIV virus and develops these symptoms, they should be tested immediately. It takes between eight and eleven years for the HIV virus to become an official AIDS diagnosis.
The manners in which HIV/AIDS is transferred are riddled with myths. Many believe they can become infected by simply touching something an infected person touches. This is not the case and leads to the ostracizing and prejudice of those living with AIDS. There are four very certain and specific ways in which HIV/AIDS can be transferred.
HIV/AIDS is transmitted through blood, semen, vaginal secretions and breast milk. Therefore it is passed through unprotected sex, direct blood contact and from mother to baby. It cannot be transmitted through kissing, touching or using the same toilet seat as someone with AIDS.
The prevention of AIDS starts with safe practices. Always practice safe sex. Condoms are highly effective in preventing the spread of the disease. Know your partner's sexual history and request they get tested. It is also one's responsibility to be tested for AIDS regularly. Never touch or use needles or syringes that are contaminated or dirty. Although blood transfusions can pass the virus, it should be known that the US blood supply is the safest in the world.
Finally, the biggest factor in AIDS prevention is awareness. Keep yourself and those around you informed of the HIV/AIDS virus. Don't discriminate or outcast those infected with AIDS. Offering your support and compassion can help to diminish some of the prejudice that exists with AIDS. Dismiss myths about AIDS and HIV transmission. Knowledge is power when it comes to this epidemic. Always practice safe acts and use your discretion. See what you can do about the AIDS crisis in Africa because every little bit can help. Without immediate help, Africa is sure to continue down this deadly path. It is now said a child born in Zambia or Zimbabwe is more likely than not to die of AIDS. This statistic is crippling and something must be done. As the slogan goes, “It is time for action, not silence.”
AIDS.org. 2006. 5 October 2006. www.aids.org.
Aids and Africa. 9 August 2006. 5 October 2006. www.aidsandafrica.com
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