ABSTRACT

AIDS stands for Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome. AIDS is a serious

condition that weakens the body’s immune system, leaving it unable to fight off illness.

When the immune system is missing one or more of its components, the result is an

immunodeficiency disorder. AIDS is an immunodeficiency disorder.

AIDS is the last stage in a progression of diseases resulting from a viral infection

known as the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV or AIDS virus). The diseases

include a number of unusual and severe infections, cancers and debilitating illnesses,

resulting in severe weight loss or wasting away, and diseases affecting the brain and

central nervous system.

There is no cure for HIV infection or AIDS nor is there a vaccine to prevent HIV

infection. However, new medications not only can slow the progression of the infection,

but can also markedly suppress the virus, thereby restoring the body’s immune function

and permitting many HIV-infected individuals to lead a normal, disease-free life. When

HIV is introduced into the body, this virus is too strong for the helper T cells and killer T

cells. The virus then invades these cells and starts to reproduce itself, thereby not only

killing the CD4 T cells, but also spreading to infect otherwise healthy cells.

Keywords: syndrome, immune system, illness, immunodeficiency, diseases, viral

infection, infections, virus, killer, cells, invade, reproduce, spreading

AIDS has now surpassed the Black Death on its course to become the worst

pandemic in human history. At the end of 2004, 20 million people had been killed by it,

and twice that number are currently infected with HIV. Barring a medical breakthrough,

it could claim the lives of some 60 million people by 2015. AIDS exerts a terrible toll on

societies, crippling their economies, decimating their labor forces and orphaning their

children.

Nine out of 10 people living with HIV are in the developing world; 60 to 70% of

those are in Sub-Saharan Africa. But the disease is spreading in every region, with

fierce epidemics threatening to tear through countries such as India, China, Russia and

the islands of the Caribbean. The statistics are sobering – in some Southern African

towns 44% of pregnant women are HIV positive, in Botswana 37% of people carry the

virus.

The human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is a retrovirus – a virus built of RNA

instead of more typical DNA. It attacks the very cells of the immune system that should

be protecting the body against it – T lymphocytes and other white blood cells with CD4

receptors on their surfaces. The virus uses the CD4 receptor to bind with and thereby

enter the lymphocyte. HIV then integrates itself into the cell’s own DNA, turning the cell

into a virus-generating factory. The new viruses break free, destroying the cell, then

move on to attack other lymphocytes.

infection, flu-like symptoms are experienced. Then the immune system kicks-in, and the

virus mostly retreats into hiding within lymph tissues. The untreated, infected individual

usually remains healthy for 5 to 15, years, but the virus continues to replicate in the

background, slowly obliterating the immune system.

Eventually the body is unable to defend itself and succumbs to overwhelming

opportunistic infections that rarely affect healthy people. Acquired Immune Deficiency

Syndrome (AIDS) is the name given to this final stage of HIV infection, and is

characterized by multiple, life-threatening illnesses such as weight loss, chronic

diarrhea, rare cancers, pneumonia, fungal conditions and infections of the brain and

eye. Tuberculosis has become especially prevalent in AIDS victims.

HIV is a virus that attacks the immune system, which is our body’s natural

defense against illness. The virus destroys a type of white blood cell in the immune

system called a T-helper cell, and makes copies of itself inside these cells. T-helper

cells are also referred to as CD4 cells.

As HIV destroys more CD4 cells and makes more copies of itself, it gradually

breaks down a person’s immune system. This means someone living with HIV, who is

not receiving treatment, will find it harder and harder to fight off infections and diseases.

If HIV is left untreated, it may take up to 10 or 15 years for the immune system to be so

severely damaged it can no longer defend itself at all. However, the speed HIV

progresses will vary depending on age, health and background.

Unprotected sex with an HIV-positive individual does not inevitably lead to HIV

transmission. HIV exposure is also extremely unlikely when there is not enough

infectious virus in sexual fluids due to successful antiretroviral treatment. Neither are

spitting, biting and throwing body fluids significant risks of HIV exposure.

The gulf between the criminal justice system's understanding of HIV-related risk

and risk based on the latest scientific evidence can be illustrated by two recent cases in

the United States. In one, during sentencing for a single one-off unprotected oral-sex

encounter between two men where the complainant was not infected, a United States

judge stated that the risk was "just like if you would have shot a gun". In another case

the prosecutor likened unprotected sex to "playing with a loaded gun, playing Russian
roulette". The comparisons between unprotected sex and Russian roulette are

inaccurate at best and inflammatory at worst.

This misunderstanding of risk may be understandable given the language of well-

meaning public figures who unhelpfully compare the risk of unprotected sex to Russian

roulette. For example, pop icon and HIV-awareness spokesperson for the MAC

Foundation, Lady Gaga, recently gave an interview where she said: "We all know that

having sex with a condom is a negotiation but it is Russian roulette."

However, in Russian roulette there is a one-in-six chance that a bullet will enter

your head. Here the risk of harm and the risk of death are closely allied. However, the

estimated average risk of HIV transmission during even the riskiest sexual act –

receptive, unprotected anal intercourse to ejaculation where the inserted partner is

neither wearing a condom nor receiving antiretroviral treatment – is 1-in-70. In addition,

should transmission occur, the most recent studies from high-income settings suggest

that, due to improved treatments, someone infected with HIV today would have a similar

life expectancy to their HIV-negative counterpart.

The risk of a single encounter of unprotected sex with an HIV-positive individual

on successful antiretroviral therapy is, in fact, even lower than the lifetime risk of being

killed by lightning. According to the United States National Safety Council, the lifetime

risk of dying after being struck by lightning is 1 in 81,701. According to the Swiss

Federal AIDS Commission, the per-act risk of HIV transmission for someone under
regular medical care, on antiretroviral with an undetectable viral load for longer than six

months and with no other sexually transmitted infections is around 1 in 100,000.

Once the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) enters your body, it launches a

direct attack on your immune system. How quickly the virus progresses will vary by your

age, overall health, and how quickly you’re diagnosed. The timing of your treatment can

make a huge difference. HIV targets the type of cells that would normally fight off an

invader like HIV. As the virus replicates, it damages or destroys the infected CD4+ cell

and produces more virus to infect more CD4+ cells. Without treatment, this cycle can

continue until your immune system is badly compromised, leaving you at risk for serious

illnesses and infections.

Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) is the final stage of HIV. At this

stage, the immune system is severely weakened, and the risk of contracting

opportunistic infections is much greater. However, not everyone with HIV will go on to

develop AIDS. The earlier you receive treatment, the better your outcome will be. Many

of the effects described here are related to the failure of the immune system in HIV and

AIDS that is progressing. Many of these effects are preventable with early antiretroviral

treatment, which can preserve the immune system.

A negative result doesn't necessarily mean that you don't have HIV. That's

because of the window period—the time between when a person gets HIV and when a

test can accurately detect it. The window period varies from person to person and is
also different depending upon the type of HIV test. Ask your health care provider about

the window period for the test you're taking. If you're using a home test, you can get that

information from the materials included in the test's package. If you get an HIV test

within 3 months after a potential HIV exposure and the result is negative, get tested

again in 3 more months to be sure.

If you learned you were HIV-negative the last time you were tested, you can only

be sure you're still negative if you haven't had a potential HIV exposure since your last

test. If you're sexually active, continue to take actions to prevent HIV, like using

condoms the right way every time you have sex and taking medicines to prevent HIV if

you're at high risk.

Early symptoms of HIV infection may be mild and easily dismissed. But even

without noticeable symptoms, an infected person can still pass the virus to others.

That’s one of many reasons why it’s important to know if you have the disease.

If you’re a woman, you may wonder how HIV symptoms for you might differ from

those for men. Many HIV symptoms are the same for men and women, but not all.

Here’s a list of 10 common symptoms, including those that are specific to women.

In the early weeks after becoming infected with HIV, it’s not uncommon for

people to be without symptoms. Some people may have mild flu-like symptoms,

including: fever, headache, and lack of energy. Often, these symptoms go away within a
few weeks. In some cases, it may take as many as 10 years for more severe symptoms

to appear.

Most people with HIV develop skin problems. Rash is the most common

symptom of HIV. In a person with HIV, the skin can become extremely sensitive to

irritants and sunlight. A rash may appear as a flat red patch with small bumps, and skin

may become flaky. Sores, or lesions, may form on the skin of the mouth, genitals, and

anus, and may be difficult to treat. People with HIV are also at increased risk of herpes

and shingles. With proper medication, skin problems may become less severe.

We all have lymph nodes throughout our bodies, including the neck, back of the

head, armpits, and groin. As part of the immune system, our lymph nodes fend off

infections by storing immune cells and filtering for harmful substances. As the HIV

infection begins to spread, the immune system kicks into high gear. The result

is enlarged lymph nodes, commonly known as swollen glands. It’s often one of the first

signs of HIV. In people infected with HIV, swollen glands may last for several months.

HIV makes it harder for the immune system to fight off germs, so it’s easier

for opportunistic infections to take hold. Some of these include pneumonia, tuberculosis,

and hepatitis C. People with HIV are more prone to infections of the skin,

eyes, lungs, kidneys, digestive tract, and brain. It may also be more difficult to treat

common ailments like the flu. Taking extra precautions, including frequent hand

washing and taking HIV medications, can help prevent some of these illnesses and their

complications.
 People infected with HIV may experience long periods of low-grade fever. A

temperature between 99.8°F and 100.8°F (37.6°C and 38.2°C) is considered to be a

low-grade fever. Your body develops a fever when something is wrong, but the cause

isn’t always obvious. Because it’s a low-grade fever, those who are unaware of their

HIV-positive status may ignore the symptom. Sometimes, night sweats that can

interfere with sleep may accompany fever.

Women with HIV can have changes to their menstrual cycle. Your period may be

lighter or heavier than normal, or you may not have a period at all. You may also have

more severe premenstrual symptoms. Bacterial and yeast infections may be more

common in women who are HIV-positive. They may also be harder to treat.

After the initial symptoms disappear, HIV may not cause any other symptoms for

months or years. During this time, the virus replicates within your body and begins to

weaken your immune system. You won’t feel or look sick, but the virus is still active.

You can easily transmit it to others. This is why early testing, even when you feel fine, is

so important. It may take some time, but HIV may eventually break down your immune

system. Once this happens, HIV will progress to acquired immunodeficiency syndrome

(AIDS), which is the last stage of infection. At this point, your immune system is

severely damaged, making you more susceptible to opportunistic infections.

Opportunistic infections are conditions that the body would normally be able to

fight off, but that can be life-threatening to people who have HIV. You may notice that
you frequently get colds, flus, and fungal infections. You might also experience the

following AIDS symptoms: nausea, vomiting, persistent diarrhea, chronic fatigue, rapid

weight loss, cough and shortness of breath, recurring fever, chills, and night sweats,

rashes, sores, or lesions in the mouth or nose, on the genitals, or under the skin,

prolonged swelling of the lymph nodes in the armpits, groin, or neck, memory

loss, confusion, or neurological disorders.

So far the HIV theory of AIDS has been sustained in the absence of proof by the

very fact it was sponsored and officially launched by the US Federal Government

agency, the National Institute of Health.

Amidst the spread of information and the awareness carried out by the

government and the health experts, a lot are still having confusions in their mind and get

the wrong perception of HIV and how it is being passed and even acquired.

I believe that proper knowledge and information dissemination about the

medications being developed to slow down the spread of the virus should also be

intensified. Aside from that, people who think they have been infected should also be

briefed about the terms of secrecy and that any conversation would remain with the

person concerned and the counselor.

People who think they have been infected should also be advised to get an HIV

Testing. Mere symptoms would not suffice to determine whether a person has been

infected unless they undergo a testing. The social stigma of being discriminated

because of the infection should be removed while they should also be encouraged to

consult experts regularly in case they have been detected. If they have been infected,

they should also be told that there is this called, Antiretroviral Therapy that comes in
combination and counseling to decrease the speed of the development of the virus.

Upon knowing this, they would be relieved that they could still live up to the shelf life of

an uninfected human being.

Ending the epidemic will require multiple prevention methods. A robust pipeline

based on new and combinations of drugs can help advance products with potentially

higher efficacy. Because it takes more than a decade for prevention products to go

through clinical trials and reach regulatory approval, research and development on

additional drugs must happen now.

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https://medlineplus.gov/hivaids.html

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https://www.hiv.gov/hiv-basics/overview/about-hiv-and-aids/what-are-hiv-and-aids

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 MANUEL S. ENVERGA UNIVERSITY FOUNDATION

COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING

“HIV/AIDS A MENACE TO SOCIETY”

Prepared by: Submitted to:

Felices, Hazel Mae M. MRS. ROSARIO RAGO

November 22, 2017