Essay, Research Paper: Aids

AIDS and HIV are becoming more and more of a problem in the world. In
Canada there have been "14,500 AIDS cases reported and "50,000 Canadians"
have come in contact with the virus. "5000" people become infected each
year.(The Canadian AIDS Society 1997 [poster]) AIDS and HIV can affect
people of all ages, whether they are "old, young, male, or female" (Basic facts
about AIDS/HIV). People of all ages should have a general knowledge of AIDS
and HIV. They should be fully aware of how to protect themselves of this disease,
what the disease can do to their bodies, and how to go about testing for the HIV
virus.
AIDS, which stands for acquired immunodeficiency syndrom, is the most
developed stage of HIV (Griege 1987, p.22). HIV cannot cause harm unless it
enters the bloodstream. If the HIV virus was to enter the body's bloodstream, it
would destroy the white blood cells called "helper-T cells". This would affect the
body's "immune system" because the role of the white blood cells is to protect the
body from diseases. The immune system would not be able to perform without the
white blood cells (Griege 1987, p. 22). AIDS causes infections to occur that is not
normally seen in "normal individuals". This is true because the immune system is
so weak that it can not prevent these infections (Collier's Encyclopedia 1984,
p.241).
AIDS is not the disease that is being transmitted from person to person, it is
HIV. HIV can be transmitted in a few different ways. One way that it can be
transmitted is through "sexual intercourse" without the use of a condom. It can be
transmitted through the "vagina or the anus" if the penis was to enter either one.
The disease is transmitted easier through "anal intercourse" than through vaginal
intercourse because "of the thin lining of the rectum". The sharing of sex toys is
also another way of catching HIV virus. The virus can be also transmitted through
the sharing of needles, with an infected person, for drug use (Canadian AIDS
Society 1997, p.1-26). If someone catches HIV through injecting drugs,
themselves and their sexual partners have a higher risk of developing AIDS.
These people hold the highest percentage of AIDS (Levy 1998, p.776). Tattooing
and skin piercing with dirty needles is also a risk of catching HIV. This happens
because HIV is transmitted through blood. There is a possibility the HIV can
passed from mother to fetus or if the mother was to become infected after the baby
was born, it could be past through breast feeding the baby (Canadian AIDS
Society1997, p.1-26).
Traces of HIV have been found in saliva; However, HIV cannot be
transmitted through kissing but heavy kissing should not to be practiced. It has
been said that there is a slight possibility that HIV could be passed from a bite
from one human to another. These two statements are still being discussed
between the experts (Landau-Staton and Clements 1993, p. 174-175). Blood
transfusions were once a risk of getting HIV but is not anymore because HIV test
are done on all blood that is donated. HIV cannot be transmitted through the air or
by touching an infected person. Also insects, such as mosquitoes, cannot infect a
person with HIV. When the HIV virus is outside the body it is very weak and
cannot be transmitted through the water. Drinking or eating from an infected
person is not a way that HIV can be transmitted, neither is using the same
washroom (Canadian AIDS Society 1997 p.1-26 ).
There are ways in which a person can protect him or herself from catching
of transmitting HIV. One way is, not to have sex at all. This is the only hundred
percent way of not catching the HIV virus. Another way is to have sex with only
one partner that is very faithful. Using a latex condom during sexual intercourse is
one way to reduce the risk of catching or transmitting the virus, but it is not a
hundred percent safe. Condoms have to used right in order to provide protection.
The use of lubrication with a condom, helps prevent the condom from tearing and
therefore provides more protection. Also, for oral sex practiced on a man, use a
latex condom over the penis, and for a woman cut a condom open and place it over
the vagina. Practicing safe sex reduces the risk of HIV in a society. Using clean
needles and not sharing them with someone else, while injecting drugs, provides
protection from coming in contact with HIV (Canadian AIDS Society, 1997 p.2-
4).
If HIV was present in the body, the body would then produce "antibodies"
to try and delete the virus. These antibodies however, is not able to get rid of the
virus. There is a test that can be done to see if there are HIV antibodies present in
the blood. This test is called the "Elisa test". In order for the "Elisa test" to detect
the HIV antibodies in the blood, there has to be enough antibodies available.
There is a waiting period of about fourteen weeks, from the time of contact with
the virus, for the body to produce enough antibodies for the test to detect. Any
doctor can do this test. The test results could be negative or positive. If the test
turns out to be negative, it means that there are no HIV antibodies present in the
body. If the test turns out to be positive, it means that HIV antibodies have been
detected in the body (AIDS PEI, pamphlet).
It is still questionable about where the HIV virus has come from. Some
experts have ideas about where the virus came from, but they do not know for
certain. Some scientists think that the virus has been around for a while, but has
just recently, become more serious and destructive. It is also believed by some,
that there is a possibility that the virus came from monkeys transmitting it to men
in Africa. Some tests were done on the monkeys and it showed some similarities
to HIV but was different in the cause of AIDS (Greig 1992, p.23-24).
Right now, the highest group of people that has HIV/AIDS is homosexual.
However, the population of homosexuals that has AIDS and HIV, is slowly
declining, and drugs users and heterosexuals is increasing. This means that HIV
transmission has become greater with the heterosexuals (Kelly 1995 p.7).
AIDS and HIV have become a very big concern in the world. In
order to keep AIDS and HIV from infecting more people than it already has, is to
provide plenty of information of how to protect themselves from this deadly
disease. There should be television ads about AIDS and HIV on every channel.
Everyone should have the opportunity to know all the general facts about this
disease.