The Nature, Transmission, Prevention, And Treatment Of The HIV/AIDS Essay Example For Students

The Nature, Transmission, Prevention, And Treatment Of The HIV/AIDS Essay TheNature, Transmission, Prevention, and Treatment of the HIV/AIDSArthur Ashe is an admirable and well knownAmerican tennis player who won many championships. He became the firstAfrican American male to win the mens Wimbledon title in 1975. Also, hewas on the United States Davis Cup team from 1963 until 1984. Some of hisother major accomplishments include helping to form what is now the Associationof Tennis Professionals and winning the Australian Open, the United StatesOpen, and the French Open. Ashe lived a wonderful and successful life:however, in 1983, disaster struck! Ashe acquired an incurable disease througha tainted blood transfusion. This disease killed him in 1993. What is thisincurable disease that still haunts the lives of so many people? This isa disease known as AIDS. AIDS is a fatal disease without a cure and a diseasethat responds to little treatment. How can the spread of AIDS be stopped?This paper will discuss the nature of the AIDS virus, the transmissionand the pr evention of transmission, as well as the available treatmentsfor people with this disease. First of all, AIDS is an acronym for AcquiredImmune Deficiency Syndrome. AIDS is acquired which means that it is notpassed down from generation to generation through a persons genes. AIDSis a disease that attacks the immune system, a system in the body thatproduces white blood cells in order to fight off diseases. This diseasecauses the immune system to be deficient, or weakened, so that it cannotproperly fight off diseases. AIDS is a syndrome, or a group of illnesseswith many possible symptoms that can occur together in a weakened condition. AIDS is a pandemic, meaning that it can be found on all continents. Thedisease was discovered in 1983, by a French cancer specialist, Luc Montagnier,along with other scientists, at the Pasteur Institute in Paris. However,there were AIDS cases reported as early as the 1950s. The 80s will godown as the decade that AIDS began. We want to know, Why (Bevan 27)?One of the reasons is the promiscuity of sexually active people duringthe 1980s and the sharing of intravenous hypodermic needles and syringesby drug users. Secondly, AIDS is caused by the human immunodeficiencyvirus, or HIV. This virus attacks the antibodies in a persons immune system,thereby disabling that system. HIV works in an unusual way because it usesthe immune system to its advantage. Viruses cannot live unless they areinside of a living cell called a host. The virus uses the host cell toreproduce themselves, causing the cell to die in the process. The new viriiare then set free. The HIV virus attacks T4 lymphocytes, which are a specialtype of white blood cell. These cells are the bodys method of defense. Without them, humans are susceptible to disease and infection. It is notHIV that kills people, but the opportunistic infections people get becauseof a weakened immune system. Bevan characterizes HIV by saying, Its thesneakiest virus of all. It goes for the crucial link in the immune system,the cells at the heart of the fightback effort (Bevan 24). This is whyHIV is so dangerous. Being HIV positive does not mean that aperson has full-blown AIDS, and not everyone who gets HIV develops full-blownAIDS. When one fully develops AIDS, the signs and symptoms become moreevident. These symptoms include: a failing immune system, persistent swollenlymph nodes and opportunistic infections (Stine 114). A common exampleof a skin disorder caused by AIDS is Kaposis sarcoma. That is, a multifocal,spreading cancer of connective tissue, principally involving the skin;it usually begins on the toes or the feet as reddish blue or brownish softnodules and tumors (Stine 442). Lymph nodes are gland-like forms thathelp stop the spread of infection. When they become persistently swollen,one can develop lymphadenopathy syndrome or LAS. This condition can bringon mild symptoms of fever and weight loss. Other signs of full-blown AIDSinclude oral lesions such as thrush and hairy leukoplakia. People may alsodevelop kidney disorders and gastrointestinal diseases like severe diarrheathat can cause weight loss. Since AIDS is such a serious incurabledisease, it is important to know how the disease is transmitted. One methodof transmission is via bodily fluids by having sex. This includes all formsof sex: vaginal sex, anal sex, and oral sex. The transmission also occursin many other sexual activities. The human immunodeficiency virus can betransmitted through vaginal secretions in women to men by way of the bloodstream. In the same way, men can pass HIV to women in their semen. Men can alsopass it to other men by way of bodily fluids if the men are bisexual orhomosexual The more sexual partners one has, the greater the risk of contractingHIV. There is a saying, in terms of AIDS, that when you sleep with someone,you are in effect sleeping with all their partners over the past five years(Bevan 35). Another way that one can get HIV is bysharing hypodermic drug needles. Each time a person uses a needle andsyringe, a tiny trace of blood is left inside (Bevan 10). The blood thatis left inside of this needle could contain HIV. When the HIV infectedneedle or syringe is inserted into ones body, the virus is able to travelinto that persons bloodstream, thereby transmitting HIV. Even if the needleappears to be clean, it can still contain HIV infected blood. A drop ofblood too small to be noticed can contain thousands of viruses (Bevan11). Drug users have enough problems to worry about without having to worryabout getting AIDS. However, many drug users continue to share their needlesbecause of excuses, desperation, and because sharing needles has becomea ritual to develop closeness. Some people believe that if they injectthe needle into the right place and dont hit a vein that they will besafe. It doesnt matter where the needle is injected. As long as the needleis contaminated with HIV, there is a possibility of catching AIDS. Otherdrug users are so addicted and desperate that they would risk anything even their lives to get high. For some addicts, the chance of catchingAIDS seems less important than missing the next fix (Bevan 15). Finally,some users share needles in order to feel accepted into the group. Peoplewho use drugs are often looking for something to belong to, and they willdo anything to feel like they are part of a group. They feel that theyneed to share needles in order to experience a special bond between themselvesand others. It has become a ritual. However, no matter what the reasonis that one has to share drug needles, there is never a good one. Jamaica EssayFinally, in order to prevent the spreadof AIDS, one must be aware of the fact that it is possible for anyone toget HIV. Many people believe that AIDS is a disease for certain stereotypessuch as homosexuals and drug abusers. However, this is not true. Anyonecan get HIV, no matter who he is. As mentioned earlier, Arthur Ashe, oneof the worlds best tennis players, contracted HIV through a blood transfusion. He was not a homosexual and he did not share drug needles. However, hecontracted HIV and it killed him. Another devastating case of AIDS wasthe well known movie star, Rock Hudson. Hudson is, a Hollywood legendand undisclosed homosexual. He was the first major public figure to revealhe had AIDS. Hudson died in 1985 at age 59 (Stine 59). Hudson, unlikeAshe, could have prevented his contraction of AIDS, however, he was frivolousand therefore contracted AIDS. If you ever have sex, use drugs in non-sterileneedles, or come into contact with any form of bodily fluid, there is apossibility of contracting HIV. True, there are people who are more atrisk than others. These people are:Hemophiliacs who received contaminatedblood before 1985. People who have lived or traveled to Central Africa(over the last 15 years) and had sexual relationships there. Homosexualand bisexual men. People who share needles to inject drugs (Bevan 51). However, just because one does not participatein any of these risky activities does not mean that he should not be careful. As stated before, one cannot tell if somebody has AIDS by looking at him. Therefore, people must be careful and protect themselves. Now that we know the methods of transmission,and the prevention of AIDS, we need to know what kind of treatments areavailable in case AIDS is acquired. One way to treat AIDS is by using adrug called retrovir zidovudine or asizidothymidine, which is commonlyreferred to as AZT. As stated earlier, AIDS is an incurable disease. Thereis also no vaccine for AIDS. The drug AZT can delay the progression ofAIDS in some patients. Clinical benefits from AZT may be apparent withinsix weeks of therapy; and continued treatment prolongs survival (Stine131). Also, new research shows that women with AIDS who receive AZT drugtherapy during their pregnancies and give birth a C-section delivery maybe providing their babies the best protection against HIV infection. Unfortunately,the drugs capability to prolong the life of an AIDS patient declines withtime. Also, this drug does not stop the spread of HIV to other people. There are also other medicines available, and many are still in testing. Another form of treatment is alternatingtherapy. Alternating therapy consists of taking different drugs on andoff. It gives peoples bodies an opportunity to mend from the side effectsof each drug. Patients can alternate between AZT and other drugs. It ispossible in some cases, not to suffer any side effects if the alternatingdrugs are taken correctly. Side effects can also be stopped before theystart if alternating therapy is used. A further method of treatment for AIDSis treatment of the opportunistic infections caused by the breakdown ofthe immune system. Most commonly, people die from the cancers and otheropportunistic infections caused from AIDS rather than from the virus itself. The most common opportunistic infection seen in AIDS is Pneumocytis cariniipneumonia (PCP), which is caused by a fungus that normally exists in theairways of all people (Microsoft Corporation 4). This is a serious, life-threateningdisease. Therefore, the better the infections are treated, the longer theperson may live. The bad point of this is, treatment for an OI is lifelongbecause of relapse if it is stopped (Stine 116). Since the immune systemis what is being attacked, the body cannot fight off the disease withoutdrugs. If treatment for opportunist infections is stopped, a relapse isalmost definite. Some of the newest treatments include moreantiviral therapies, immune system boosters, and triple drug therapy. Theseare still in testing. Each new approach and drug must be extensively evaluatedfor safety and effectiveness. So far, the immune boosters are not veryeffective. These are used to help the immune system fight off HIV. However,the triple drug therapy, which consists of indinavir, zidovudine, and lamivudine,have been prosperous. Triple drug therapy, also known as cocktail therapy,can suppress HIV for at least two years. The main problem with these drugsis that testing is a long process. There have been many derogatory commentstowards the FDA, or Federal Drug Administration, concerning the lengthof testing. Therefore, policies have changed in order to give quicker approval. However, early availability of a drug entails the risk that it may beused in people before its toxicity and side effects are fully understood(Stine 337). However, many people with AIDS are willing to take this riskwith the hope that the drug may prove effective. In conclusion, AIDS is an incurable diseasewith few treatments, caused by HIV, transmitted by way of bodily fluids. AIDS is mainly transmitted through sex and sexual activities, and by sharinghypodermic drug needles. Sexual transmission is most dangerous if thereare many sexual partners, and if there is not use of a condom. Transmissionvia blood transfusions has become almost absent, thanks to blood screenings. Scientists are working hard on treatments and are working for a cure, however,it is lacking to be found. A World Health Organization official says, AIDSwilltest our fundamental values and measure the moral strength of our cultures(Bevan 6). We are the only ones who can stop this pandemic. There is away. Curable? No. Treatable? To a limited extent. Preventable? By a vaccine, no but by changing our behavior, yes. Thisis how we must fight AIDS. Prevention is better than cure. And whentheres no cure, prevention is all we have (Bevan 46, 56).