AIDS - Do You Know Everything You Need To

Apr 12
08:12

2011

Nick DAlleva

Nick DAlleva

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AIDS is a disorder that you may have from your body's defense against disease, which can cause death. There have been many tested treatments for this disease, but still no cure.

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AIDS is still an extremely serious disorder. AIDS results from severe damage to the body’s defenses against disease. It is fatal and often leads to death. AIDS stands for Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome and it affects the immune system. It was first identified in 1981 in the United States. AIDS is caused by one of the group of viruses called retroviruses. The AIDS virus was discovered by researchers in France in 1983 and researchers in the United States in 1984. The virus became known as human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).

The AIDS virus primarily attacks certain white blood cells that form a key part in the immune system. The destruction of these cells makes AIDS patients vulnerable to certain illnesses that are normally not serious. These illnesses are called opportunistic because they take advantage of damage to the immune system.

A test for detecting evidence of the AIDS virus in the blood became available in 1985. The test determines the presence of antibodies to the AIDS virus. The antibodies’ presence to the AIDS virus indicates infection with the virus. However,AIDS - Do You Know Everything You Need To Articles AIDS cannot be diagnosed with a blood test alone. A physician also must consider other information, such as the patient’s case history, to make a final diagnosis.

Many treatments for AIDS have been tried, but a cure for the disease or AIDS-virus infection has yet to be found. Researchers have studied several experimental drugs that stop the growth of the AIDS virus in laboratory cultures. One of these, the antiviral drug zidovudine, formally called azidothymidine (AZT) has extended the lives of some patients.

To prevent transmission of the AIDS virus, intimate sexual contact with anyone who is or might be infected with the virus should be avoided. The United States surgeon general has recommended that a condom be used if there is sexual intercourse and one or both partners may be at risk. Drug users should never use, or at least never share, hypodermic needles. Educating the public about AIDS and how the virus is transmitted has become very important in the prevention effort. Researchers are also working to develop a safe, effective, and economical vaccine against AIDS- virus infection.

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