Rodriguez1

GarielisRodriguez
Ms.Sroka
Writing
February20,2016
WhyHIVisOurBiggestProblem
I'vegotthousandsandthousandsofyoungfansthathavetolearnaboutwhat'sreal
whenitcomestoAIDS.Liketheothersbeforeme,Iwouldliketoturnmyownprobleminto
somethinggoodthatwillreachouttoallmyhomeboysandtheirkin.BecauseIwanttosave
[them]beforeit'stoolate"(EazyE).Thosewerethelastwordsfromthefamouslaterapper
EazyEwhodiedfromcomplicationsofHIVwhichturnedintoAIDS(23celebritieswho).
HIVstandsforhumanimmunodeficiencyvirus.Itisthevirusthatcanleadtoacquired
immunodeficiencysyndromeorAIDS.Unlikesomeotherviruses,thehumanbodycannotget
ridofHIV.Thatmeansthatonceyouhaveit,itissadlyforlife.HIVaffectsspecificcellsofthe
immunesystem,calledCD4cells,orTcells.Overtime,itdestroyssomanyofthesecellsthat
thebodycannolongerfightoffinfectionsanddisease.Whenthishappens,HIVinfectionleads
toAIDS(AboutHIV/AIDS).Thereareover36.9millionpeoplegloballyand2.6millionchildren
whoareinfectedwiththeHIVvirus.HIV,thevirusthatcausesAIDS,isoneoftheworldsmost
serioushealthanddevelopmentchallenges(GlobalStatistics).Fromwhatscientistfound,The
viruscamefromatypeofChimpanzeefromWestAfrica.TheybelievedthattheHumanskilled
theChimpanzeeandcameincontactwiththeirbloodwhichwascontaminatedwiththe
ChimpanzeeversionofthevirusnamedSimianImmunodeficiencyVirus.Overthedecades,the
virusspreadaroundAfricaandalldifferentpartsoftheworld(WhereDidHIV).Thisisour

Rodriguez2

worldsbiggestissuebecausesomanypeoplehavebeeninfectedandsomanypeoplehavedied.
Sincethebeginningoftheepidemic78millionpeoplehavebeeninfectedand39millionpeople
havediedeversince(HIV/AIDS).Also,becausesomanypeopleincludingpromiscuousteens
andoryoungadultshaveunprotectedsexualintercourse.Ifthegovernmentcanhelpandtry
hardertosolvethisproblemwecanhavegetridofAIDSandlowerratesofHIV.
HIVisspreadinanumberofdifferentways.Themostcommonarehavingunprotected
sexualintercoursewithapersoninfectedthroughvaginal,andanalintercourse.Also,sharing
needlesthatareinfectedwiththeviruswhichismostfrequentindrugusers.Lesscommonways
thatHIVisspreadisthrougharechildbirthandbreastfeeding.Inrarecasesthevirusisspread
throughbloodtransfusionsorreceivingoralactivitywithapersonwhohassoresorbleeding
gums.However,HIVisnotspreadeasily.Itisonlyspreadbyblood,semen,preseminalfluids,
rectalfluids,vaginalfluids,andbreastmilk.Thingssuchassharingglasses,closedmouth
kissing,orhuggingarewaysthatyoucannotcatchthevirusifyoudothemwithaninfected
person(Howdoyou).IntheearlystagesofHIV,peopleeitherdevelopnovisibleorflulike
symptoms.Thesesymptomsincludechills,fever,sorethroat,andfatigue.Asthediseasekeeps
multiplyingitselfinthehumanbodyHIVmovesontoitssecondstage,ClinicalLatencyStageor
ChronicHIV.Thisstagelastsaboutadecadeorlongerdependingonwhetheryourereceiving
treatmentornot.Thepeoplewhoareatthisstagestilldonthaveanysymptomsortheyhave
mildsymptoms.ThefinalstageofHIVisAIDS.AIDShasextremesymptomslikerapidweight
loss,Pneumonia,Soresinmouthorgenitals,andred,brown,pink,andpurplishblotchesonthe
skin.However,thesesymptomscanoccurwithotherillnessesaswellsotheonlywaytobesure
istogettested(SymptomsofHIV).

Rodriguez3

Anybodywhoisabletohavesexualintercourseandisengaginginriskysexualbehavior
canbeinfectedwiththevirus.Thethreemostvulnerablepopulationstogetthevirusare
AfricanAmericanmales,Homosexualmales,andpeopleaged1324yearsofage.Also,people
whohaveotherSexuallyTransmittedInfectionsaremoreatrisktocontractHIV.Eventhough
therearewaysmanywaystogetit,therearealsomanywaystokeepsafe.PracticingAbstinence
isoneofthebestwaystopreventHIVoranyothersexuallytransmitteddisease.Also,using
latexcondomsareoneofthebestwaystokeepsafe,lambskincondomsarenotgoodenoughto
protectyourself.Whenengaginginactivitywherethereisalcoholordrugsinvolved,stayaway
fromanysexualbehavior(WhatisHIV).
TherehavebeenattemptstocureHIVbuthavefailed.Thefirstattemptwasonababy
borntoHIVinfectedmother.ShewastreatedforthirtyhoursstraightwithHIVTreatmentsand
doctorsbelievedtheyfoundacureforbabiesbornwithHIV.However,withinamonthlater
therewasHIVfoundinherbloodandtheviruswasduplicating(HIVCure)Therewasno
knownreasontowhythetreatmentsdidntworkorwhyitcontinuedtoduplicate.Another
attemptwastheHIVOneVaccinewhichstopsthevirusfrommultiplyingitself(Vaccines).
Theattemptfailedbecauseeventhoughitincreasedthenumberofantibodiesinthebodytokill
thevirus,Itincreasedthenumberofbacteriaaswell.Thefailedattemptwillhelpwithfuture
treatmentorcuresforHIV(TreatmentNews).
TheworldwideratesofHIVhavegonedownby33percentsince2001.Inchildren,there
were260,000newinfections.However,thismaysoundbadbutitsgoodbecausetherehasbeen
a52percentdecreasesince2001.Also,pregnantwomenwhohaveHIVwhoaretaking
antiretroviraldrugshavedecreasedtransmissionthroughchildbirthbysixtytwopercent.

Rodriguez4

AIDSrelateddeathshavedecreasedby30percent,since2005whichwastheyearwiththe
highestAIDSmortalityrates(UNAIDS)Swazilandisthecountrythathasthehighest
percentageofpeoplewithHIVoutoftheentirepopulationwhichistwentysevenpercent.
However,Thailandonlyhasaboutonepercentofthepopulationwiththevirus(CIA).Whichis
greatbecauseThailandhasahadasignificantsuccessinHIVprevention.Nearlytenmillion
peoplehaveavoidedtransmissionsbecauseofearlyinterventionprogramsbetween19902010
(HIV&AIDSIn).InThailandduringthe90stherewasanewlawwhichenforced
commercialsexualencounterstouseacondombecausethatwaswheretheinfectionwasmostly
comingfrom.Thecondomusewithinfiveyearswentfromfifteenpercenttoninetypercent
whichledtotheinfectionratestodropsignificantly(HowThailands100).Ifwemakethis
lawworldwide,imaginetheresults.Themorecondomsusedthelessinfectionspread.Studies
haveevenshownthatthislawindeeddidgivepositiveresults.Inastudymadefromcountriesin
Africahaveshownthattheincreasedcondomratehasdecreasedtheinfectionandthatthere
shouldbemorecampaignsused(IncreaseinCondom).
AnewvaccineforSIVwhichisthemonkeyversionhasproventocurethediseasefor
monkeys(UNAIDS:HIVinfection..).Ifthereisnowacureforthemonkeyversion,thereshould
beaclinicalstudyissuedbytheNationalHealthDepartmenttoseeifthisnewvaccinecould
possiblycureHIVforhumans.
WorldwidedomesticspendingonHIVhasalsoincreased,eventhoughdonorfunding
hasremainedstagnantsince2008.About$18.9billionwasusedin2012towardsHIVrelated
resources,about$3to$5billionshortofthe$22to$24billionestimatedtobeneededby2015.
UNAIDSbelievesthatifallcontinuesandcountriescontinuetoincreasetheavailabilityofthese

Rodriguez5

medicationsandotherHIVrelatedresources,theworldmayreachthe2015targetofproviding
HIVtreatmentto15millionpeople.Notonlycanwemeetthe2015targetof15millionpeople
onHIVtreatmentwemustalsogobeyondandhavethevisionandcommitmenttoensureno
oneisleftbehind,"MichelSidibe,executivedirectorofUNAIDS,said(UNAIDS:HIV
infection).
Toconclude,everyyearweneedmoremoneytoprovidepeoplewithHIVwiththe
propertreatments.Ifgovernmentgivesusmoremoneytosolvethisproblemworldwidewecan
givethosepeopleinneedoftreatmentwhattheyneed.Eventhoughthereisnoknowncurefor
HIVtherearemanytreatmentsforpeoplewhohaveit.Ifweupholdthelawofcondomsneeded
tohavetohavesexualintercoursethiswillalsohaveagreataffectonrates.HIVisavirusthat
haskilledmanyandcontinuestokillifyoulistenandactonmyplanwecandiscardofitfor
good.

Rodriguez6

WorksCited
CentralIntelligenceAgency
.CentralIntelligenceAgency.Web.08Feb.2016.
"23CelebritiesWhoLostTheirBattleWithAIDS|Advocate.com."
23CelebritiesWhoLost
TheirBattleWithAIDS|Advocate.com
.23Dec.2015.Web.21Jan.2016.
"AboutHIV/AIDS."
CentersforDiseaseControlandPrevention
.CentersforDiseaseControl
andPrevention,06Dec.2015.Web.21Jan.2016.
"EAZYE.comTheOfficialRuthlessRecordsFanSite."
EAZYE.comTheOfficialRuthless
RecordsFanSite.
Web.21Jan.2016.
"GlobalStatistics."
GlobalStatistics
.Web.21Jan.2016.
"HIVCureSees'TheBeginningOfANewChapter'"
MedicalDaily
.29Aug.2014.Web.17
Feb.2016.
"HIVandAIDSinThailand|AVERT."
HIVandAIDSinThailand|AVERT
.Web.08Feb.
2016.
"HIV/AIDS."
WHO
.Web.02Feb.2016.
"HowDoYouGetHIVorAIDS?"
HowDoYouGetHIVorAIDS?
Web.01Feb.2016.
"HowThailand's100%CondomProgramShookupHIVPrevention."
About.comHealth
.Web.
08Feb.2016.
"IncreaseinCondomUseandDeclineinHIVandSexuallyTrans...:AIDS."
LWW
.Web.09
Feb.2016.
"SymptomsofHIV."
SymptomsofHIV
.Web.01Feb.2016.
"TreatmentNews:WhyOneHIVVaccineFailed."
TreatmentNews:WhyOneHIVVaccine
Failed
.Web.17Feb.2016.

Rodriguez7

"UNAIDS:HIVInfectionRatedown33PercentWorldwidesince2001."
CBSNews
.CBS
Interactive.Web.04Feb.2016.
"Vaccines."
Vaccines
.Web.17Feb.2016.
"WhatIsHIV?|IKnowHIV."
WhatIsHIV?|IKnowHIV
.Web.01Feb.2016.
"WhereDidHIVComeFrom?"
WhereDidHIVComeFrom?
Web.21Jan.2016.