VerifiedThe HIV and AIDS disease has been around for a long time but no one has been able to determine its origin. Many theories circulate around the medical world, but the most widespread theory "is that the virus first attacked humans in Central Africa 100 years ago" (Kelly 524). It is said that the virus remained mainly in this closed society until many years later. Many say the disease has spread as international travel has begun to increase. The HIV and AIDS viruses were supposed to arrive in the United States in the 1970s. It was a common disease between gay men and intravenous drug users. Now, it is well known that viruses have been sexually transmitted, sometimes through transplants of blood and organs.
The acronym HIV stands for Human Immunodeficiency Virus, where the acronym AIDS stands for Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome. When someone has contracted the HIV virus in almost every case, he produces the AIDS virus. Apparently, there has been a controversy over the fact that HIV is not really the cause of the AIDS virus, but careful research has proven beyond doubt that this is the cause. Socially, the production of viruses has caused a lot of hate, prejudice, racism and especially homophobia.
Many people only talk about the last stages of AIDS, but HIV does not always produce the AIDS virus. If the HIV virus is detected at an early stage, it is possible to obtain treatment and delay the effects of the AIDS virus. When an individual gets HIV, they can expect fever, swollen glands, and sometimes a rash. As the body system tends towards these symptoms, the HIV virus may still be undetectable. This first stage is called the primary HIV disease and then moves to a chronic asymptomatic disease. At this point, there is a decline in immune cells and often swollen lymph nodes. As time goes on the depletion of immune cells increases leaving the body open to opportunistic infection. This is where normal illness, disease and other things in the environment are now able to attack the body system. This stage is called chronic symptomatic disease. A very noticeable symptom is a thrush, which "is a yeast infection of the mouth ... " ( Kelly 532). Also at this stage there may be skin infections and also feelings of tiredness, weight loss, diarrhea , etc.
The actual period of the HIV virus really varies from person to person. Normally, in the space of a year or two, the stages of HIV service are established. At this stage of the victims ' lives, they are said to have progressed to Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome ( AIDS). This status is established when one or more diseases have accumulated in the victim system. Many victims often have lesions on their skin or begin to develop pneumocystic pneumonia . The last stage of the virus attacks the nervous system, "damaging the brain and spinal cord" (Kelly 532). This can lead to a number of problems in the body: blindness, depression, loss of body control, memory loss. This can often take months before the victim finally dies.
