Sean Wotring - HIV/AIDS Pandemic

HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus) causes AIDS (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome). The virus will attack the body’s immune system, the body will then be unable to resist other sicknesses or diseases. The disease is transmitted through direct sexual exchange, not through casual contact such as handshakes. 

There are 42 million people worldwide who are HIV positive. The majority of these people are from Africa. In the United States, African Americans account for thirteen percent of the population, they’re also responsible for thirty-eight percent of the population. Researchers estimate that about 1 in 50 African American men, and 1 in 160 African American women are infected with HIV.

There’s no cure to AIDS yet, so many programs have been endorsed to help prevent the spreading of the virus. However, there is treatment available if the virus is recognized early. Treatment can inhibit the viruses ability to replicate. The downside is the treatment is expensive so many Africans can’t afford. Treatment cost about $20,000 dollars a year. Experts have been emphasizing behavior modification to slow the spreading of the disease. They emphasize safer sex, through condom use, or abstinence from sex completely.

It’s important to find a cure so we don’t have millions of people in the hospital with AIDS or HIV. If the number of patients with the virus increases in the hospital then it will put an unecessary strain on the health care system. It would increase health care premiums, and health care premiums. 

This entry was posted on 16. November 2009 at 23:54 and is filed under Social Problems. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response or trackback from your own site.