What Is HIV

Better Essays

Open Document

Open Document

View Writing Issues

1777 Words

Grammar

Grammar

Plagiarism

Plagiarism

Writing

Writing

Score

Score

What Is HIV

HIV
What is HIV/AIDS?
HIV stands for Human immunodeficiency Virus. This virus weakens a person 's ability to fight infections. During HIV infection, the virus attacks and destroys the infection-fighting CD4 cells, a type white blood cell. The loss of CD4 cells makes it difficult to fight infections, and so, one would be most susceptible to any and every illness. A person with the loss of 200 and more CD4 cells is said to have the more advanced stage of the HIV infection, acquired immunodeficiency syndrome or AIDS. This is the stage at which all of a person’s ability to fight infections is lost.

Having HIV does not always mean that you have AIDS. It can take many years for people with the virus to develop AIDS. HIV and AIDS cannot be cured. However, with the medications available today, it is possible to have a normal lifespan with little or minimal interruption in quality of life.
How is HIV transmitted?
HIV is transmitted (spread) through the blood, semen, genital fluids, or breast milk of a person infected with the virus. The virus can enter the blood through linings in the mouth, anus, or sex organs (the penis and vagina), or through broken skin.
Anyone can get HIV if they engage in certain activities.

Common ways people get HIV
Have unprotected sex. This means vaginal or anal intercourse without a condom or oral sex without a latex barrier with a person infected with HIV.
Share needles to inject drugs or steroids with an infected person. The disease can also be transmitted by dirty needles used to make a tattoo or in body piercing.
Receive a blood transfusion from an infected person.
Are born to a mother with HIV infection. A baby can also get HIV from the breast milk of an infected woman.
A person cannot get HIV from:
Touching, shaking hands, closed mouth kissing or hugging someone who has HIV/AIDS
Public bathrooms (toilet seats), doorknobs or swimming pools
Sharing cups, utensils, or telephones with someone who has HIV/AIDS
Bug bites

Symptoms of

Bibliography: http://aidsinfo.nih.gov/contentfiles/hivanditstreatment_cbrochure_en.pdf http://www.webmd.com/hiv-aids/guide/sexual-health-aids http://www.webmd.com/hiv-aids/tc/human-immunodeficiency-virus-hiv-infection-prevention http://www.amfar.org/worldwide-aids-stats/ http://www.healthline.com/health/ebola-hemorrhagic-fever#Causes2 http://www.cdc.gov/vhf/ebola/about.html http://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/ebola-fever-virus-infection

Continue Reading

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

Better Essays
Unit 9 Assignment 1: Sexually Transmitted Infection
- 1942 Words
- 8 Pages
Unit 9 Assignment 1: Sexually Transmitted Infection

There is no cure for this disease, but medical advancements have produced treatments and therapies that allow infected individuals to function fairly normally and extend life expectancy. AIDS can be spread through any sexual contact as well as through blood via transfusions or needle sharing and from a mother to fetus or newborn. Initial infection may present flu-like symptoms. These include: diarrhea, fever, headache, sores, muscle soreness, rashes, sore throat, night sweats and swollen glands. However, many diagnosed with HIV/AIDS may present with no symptoms. In addition, it can be as long as 10 years before the virus is detected after infection. Most who become infected with HIV will develop AIDS eventually. Once the virus had progressed that far the immune system is significantly compromised and the individual is susceptible to many other threatening illnesses, particularly opportunistic infections. The long term effects of this syndrome include a plethora of medication and therapy to attempt to protect the body from illness and infection. Also, it is important for the individual to be aware and careful to prevent infecting others (HIV/AIDS…
- 1942 Words
- 8 Pages
Better Essays

Read More
Satisfactory Essays
Nt1310 Unit 1 Exercise 2
- 459 Words
- 2 Pages
Nt1310 Unit 1 Exercise 2

HIV is spread by an infected person to someone else when there is an exchange of semen, vaginal fluids or blood. This happens during sexual intercouse, through the sharing of needles for injection or from an infected pregnant mother to her child at or about the time of birth.…
- 459 Words
- 2 Pages
Satisfactory Essays

Read More
Good Essays
Implecations of Hiv and Aids from the Perspective of Hipaa Confidentiality
- 1732 Words
- 7 Pages
Implecations of Hiv and Aids from the Perspective of Hipaa Confidentiality

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is what causes AIDS. HIV destroys CD4 helper lymphocyte in the body which is a defense cell. The body’s immune system which helps fight off infections contains the CD4 lymphocytes. As HIV destroys the CD4 lymphocytes in the body, people start to get infections that they normally would not get. Once the HIV has destroyed the immune system the patient has acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS).People with AIDS cannot fight off infections. There are several ways that HIV can be transmitted, such as; body fluids, breast milk, shared needles, from an infected person through semen, blood, and from infected mother to her baby during childbirth (Teens Health, 2009).…
- 1732 Words
- 7 Pages
Good Essays

Read More
Good Essays
Pdhpe Sexual Health
- 606 Words
- 3 Pages
Pdhpe Sexual Health

- HIV: (human immunodeficiency virus), Weakens ability to fight infection/disease e.g. Cancer. There is no cure for HIV. AIDS occurs as the final stage of HIV, it is when your body can no longer fight fatal infections.…
- 606 Words
- 3 Pages
Good Essays

Read More
Powerful Essays
How Hipaa Violations Affect the Medical Billing Process
- 1639 Words
- 7 Pages
How Hipaa Violations Affect the Medical Billing Process

AIDS is caused by a retrovirus known as HIV, which infects and kills the T-cells of the body’s immune system. HIV destroys CD4 cells, which is a type of white blood cells that helps the body fight diseases. The more CD4 cells that die, the weaker your immune system will be. As the CD4 cells are destroyed by HIV, the body will begin to develop other infections that would not normally affect it therefore making those who suffer from AIDS unable to fight off infections. In order to become infected with HIV, vaginal secretions, semen, or infected blood must enter your body. A person can’t catch HIV from ordinary contact such as hugging, kissing, or even shaking hands. HIV can also not be transmitted through, water, air, or even a mosquito bite.…
- 1639 Words
- 7 Pages
Powerful Essays

Read More
Powerful Essays
Hca 220 Final
- 1879 Words
- 8 Pages
Hca 220 Final

AIDS stands for acquired immune deficiency syndrome. It is related to HIV, but they are not the same at all. A person has AIDS only in the final stages of HIV, after the immune system becomes unable to defend itself against foreign invaders like bacteria, other viruses, and fungi, and allows for the development of certain cancers. As the virus (HIV) grows, it damages or kills most cells, weakening the immune system and leaving the individual vulnerable to various opportunistic infections and other illnesses, ranging from pneumonia to cancer. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) defines someone as having a clinical diagnosis of AIDS if they have tested positive for HIV. It is very important that you always protect yourself from these types of illnesses. Each day there are Americans who are affected with this virus due to not taking care of themselves or unprotected sex which is the main cause of this disease. One out of 250 people are affected with this disease. Most of the time people who carry it do not even know that they are carrying it. You must always go get checked to be safe and make sure that you are not a carrier of the disease. A person who is HIV-infected carries the virus in certain body fluids, including blood, semen, vaginal secretions, and breast milk. The virus can be transmitted only if such HIV-infected fluids enter the bloodstream of another person. This kind of direct entry can occur (1) through the linings of the vagina, rectum, mouth, and the opening at the tip of the penis; (2) through intravenous injection with a syringe; or (3) through a break…
- 1879 Words
- 8 Pages
Powerful Essays

Read More
Better Essays
Epidemiology Paper
- 1500 Words
- 5 Pages
Epidemiology Paper

HIV is spread through bodily fluids such as blood, seamen, rectal fluids, vaginal fluids, and breast milk. In order for HIV to be transmitted via bodily fluids it “must come into contact with a mucous membrane or damaged tissue or be directly injected into your bloodstream (by a needle or syringe) for transmission to possibly occur.” (What is HIV/AIDS? 2014) Mucous membranes is the soft moist tissues around areas that openings to the body, such as the mouth, opening of the rectum, vaginal cavity, and opening of the penis. The most common way HIV is transmitted is through unprotected sex with anal sex being the highest sexual risk. Other means of transmission is blood infusions, IV drug use, needle sticks (mainly a risk for health care workers), transmission from mother to infant, or direct contact with broken skin. There has been many myths on how HIV can be transmitted, it is important to know facts versus myths. Some common myths on transmission are HIV can be transmitted via touching, saliva, tears, sweat, air, water, and toilet seats. Once the virus is outside the body it doesn’t survive for long.…
- 1500 Words
- 5 Pages
Better Essays

Read More
Good Essays
Hiv/Aids and Homeostasis
- 431 Words
- 2 Pages
Hiv/Aids and Homeostasis

AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome) is caused by HIV (human immunodeficiency virus). HIV is transmitted usually through unprotected sex with someone who is already infected, but it can also be transmitted through infected blood. The immune system is greatly affected by the disease. Once it enters the body, the virus recognizes a protein on helper T-cells, called CD4 (Cluster of Differentiation Antigen No. 4), and it attaches onto that receptor to take over the CD4 cell. The result is a virus that looks and acts as a CD4 T-cell. In the first stage of HIV, the virus infects and kills a number of T-cells. B-cells then form antibodies, and the spread of infection stabilizes, and the symptoms disappear for a few months to several years. Your immune system uses B-cells, T-cells, and Macrophages to fight off pathogens and remember viruses for a stronger and quicker defense next time the virus enters the body, but during this time of stability, the immune system is less able to fight off other viruses. If a virus enters the body, the T-cells sent to fight the other virus may be already infected with HIV, meaning that the cells either die, or divide to make more cells, which will also be infected with the HIV virus. The virus slowly attacks the person immune system, making it unable to defend itself from viruses. A person can die from something as harmless as a cold, because as all the T-cells gradually die, the body can 't recognize foreign substances entering the body. The uninformed host with no symptoms spreads the virus to other uneducated people, uneducated in the sense that they don 't know that the person has the virus, nor do they know how to protect themselves from the virus. Our program will educate all of these people, it will show them that all of them are at risk to it, and a person may have it and not even know it. If we can teach this to them at a young age, they will know how to protect themselves and to stay away from the virus. With this program,…
- 431 Words
- 2 Pages
Good Essays

Read More
Good Essays
HIV/AIDS And African Americans
- 401 Words
- 2 Pages
HIV/AIDS And African Americans

“HIV is the virus that causes AIDS” (2010). The virus weakens the body’s defense system, this makes it hard on the body to fight off other health problems and as time goes by the body becomes less able to fight off diseases. In the United States there was one in four new cases, which women account for and two in three are African American women who got HIV from unprotected sex with a man.…
- 401 Words
- 2 Pages
Good Essays

Read More
Good Essays
Germs Research Paper
- 936 Words
- 4 Pages
Germs Research Paper

HIV works by weakening the immune system. HIV is spread in many ways. This can include having unprotected sex, receiving transfussions of unscreened blood, contaminated needles, and from a mother to her child during pregnancy, childbirth, or breastfeeding. Once a person is infected with HIV, they have the virus for life. An infected person may not know that they are infected and look and feel healthy for many years, although they can still transmit the virus to others unknowingly. The only way that a person can find out for certain if they have the virus or not is through a lab test that searches for the virus. A person can be given antiretroviral treatments to slow down the process of the HIV infection. The medications given during antiretroviral treatments are expensive and not available to many people in the developing world. When a person is left untreated, there is about eight to ten years between the time of infection and the virus developing into AIDS. Once the virus develops into AIDS, many people do not live longer than two years after it has…
- 936 Words
- 4 Pages
Good Essays

Read More
Powerful Essays
epidemiology HIV
- 1204 Words
- 5 Pages
epidemiology HIV

The human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is a virus that attacks the body by weakening the immune system. Once people get infected by the virus it remains in the body for life; some of the symptoms that can be expected are diarrhea, fever, headache, mouth soar, night sweat, and swollen lymph nodes, followed more serious illness with progression of the virus. However, many people reported having no symptoms and don’t even know they have the virus until they are diagnosed. After the patient is diagnose the patient can lived for a number of years before experiencing severe health issues, during this period the person with the disease could transfer the virus from one person to another. The virus is transfer from one…
- 1204 Words
- 5 Pages
Powerful Essays

Read More
Good Essays
Sub Saharan Africa Research Paper
- 1099 Words
- 5 Pages
Sub Saharan Africa Research Paper

So what exactly is HIV/AIDS? HIV stands for Human Immunodeficiency Virus which can eventually lead to the…
- 1099 Words
- 5 Pages
Good Essays

Read More
Better Essays
concepts of epidemiology (HIV)
- 1714 Words
- 6 Pages
concepts of epidemiology (HIV)

References: Albright, K.S., Gavigan, K. (2014) Information Vaccine: using Graphic Novels as an HIV/AIDS prevention resource for young adults. Journal of Education for Library & Information Science; Spring 2014, Vol.55 Issue 2, p178-185. Retrieved from GCU library.…
- 1714 Words
- 6 Pages
Better Essays

Read More
Good Essays
Explain Why You Should Test For Hiv During Pregnancy
- 1165 Words
- 5 Pages
Explain Why You Should Test For Hiv During Pregnancy

HIV, human immunodeficiency virus, is the retrovirus which causes AIDS, acquired immunodeficiency syndrome. AIDS destroys the immune system - a complex set of glands, organs and tissues that help protect against and fight off diseases. HIV is blood borne and it can only be transmitted via bodily fluids such as blood, semen and vaginal mucus. It is, therefore, sexually transmitted but can also be passed on by sharing hypodermic needles or needle stick injuries, tattoo needles, etc. Perinatal transmission of HIV is passing on the infection from mother to baby during labour and through breast milk. This is one of the reasons that pregnant women are encouraged to be tested to establish their HIV status.…
- 1165 Words
- 5 Pages
Good Essays

Read More
Powerful Essays
AIDS Case Study
- 2212 Words
- 9 Pages
AIDS Case Study

In infected people, infectious HIV is present only in cells and in some bodily fluids. HIV can be isolated easily from blood, semen and vaginal/cervical secretions (including menstrual fluids). Blood and semen are the cells that are most likely to carry HIV. HIV has also been isolated from breast milk. With much greater difficulty, the virus has on…
- 2212 Words
- 9 Pages
Powerful Essays

Read More

Related Topics

AIDS
HIV