- Published: November 17, 2021
- Updated: November 17, 2021
- University / College: The Australian National University
- Level: Masters
- Language: English
- Downloads: 5
The Disease of HIV/AIDS
HIV/AIDS HIV/AIDS is one of the most dangerous and fatal sexually transmitted diseases. This disease has a short history as cases of HIV/AIDS infection were rarely encountered before the mid 1970s. HIV/AIDS was a virus that was feared but was unknown and untreatable. The present pandemic in the HIV/AIDS commenced from the late 1970s. HIV/AIDS infection had spread to five continents till 1980 including North America, South America, Africa, Australia, and Europe. HIV/AIDS has spread all over the world. Its scourge is particularly devastating in South Africa and the sub-Saharan Africa. Number of patients of HIV/AIDS in the world is about 40 million, of which at least 1 million are located in the US (Nettleman, 2013, p. 1).
Prevention of HIV/AIDS requires understanding of all ways in which it is acquired. HIV/AIDS is acquired in different ways that include but are not limited to sexual encounter with an infected person and acquisition of infection from the use of a used syringe. Prevention of HIV/AIDS requires the use of contraception and ensuring that unused syringes are used.
Although HIV/AIDS cannot be cured, yet there are medications that can help fight the infection as well as the cancers associated with it. These medications are referred to as “ highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART)” (Nettleman, 2013, p. 6). The medical treatment of HIV/AIDS requires combining a minimum of three drugs to suppress the replication of the virus and to give the immune system a boost. The social treatment of HIV/AIDS requires counseling and behavioral therapy of the patient.
References:
Nettleman, M. (2013). HIV/AIDS. Retrieved from
http://www. emedicinehealth. com/hivaids/page6_em. htm#hivaids_treatment.
