About Health And Aids

Introduction

AIDS (otherwise known as Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome) has become a widespread epidemic killing more than 28 million people that are known since it was first discovered in 1981 in Africa. Some cases have not been reported with the disease though still increasing steadily.

AIDS is caused by a virus called HIV which stands for Human Immunodeficiency Virus. There is no known cure for HIV. It is highly contagious and widespread with a high death rate. In the past there have been fatal diseases take many lifes such as the small pox and tuberculosis, but since than there have been vaccinations done to prevent any damage to our health.

 

 

How Is HIV Contracted?

You might be wondering how exactly HIV is spread. Through the years there have been many misconceptions about the virus and how a person can contract it. Simply touching a HIV infected person will not affect your health and cause you to get the virus. The virus spreads through the exchange of fluids, bodily fluids that is. A kiss though will not spread the virus not through saliva. Though it is noted there is a very rare chance of contracting through open mouth kissing and biting but this is quite rate. It is spread through full intimate sexual intercourse as well as through blood. People who have done drugs using needles or had a blood transfusion can be at an increased risk of becoming infected with HIV along with those people who have had multiple sex partners, and do not use any form of protection during sex. A mother who is infected with the virus can pass the infection to her baby if she is breastfeeding.

A person can not get HIV through germs, a cold or the flu. HIV does not last long outside of its cell host so this is the reason a person can not become infected through anything that is airborne. You can not get infected through tears, saliva, sweat, using the same toilet seat, insects, swimming in same pool as an infected person, hugging, touching or shaking hands, sitting next to someone.

 

What Does HIV Do To Your Body?

What HIV does to your health is it weakens your immune system. Once all of your immune cells lessens over time than AIDS will develop. When this happens, a person's health than deteriorates even more and is more likely to develop other illnesses and infections since their immune system has become so weak.

 

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