In 2008, about 2 million people lost their lives to AIDS and about 280,000 of those were children, according to the World Health Organization. Once thought to be a disease affecting only gay men and drug users, AIDS affects heterosexual men, women and children with devastating consequence. This relatively new pandemic is still sweeping the globe, and new cases are being diagnosed every day.
History
AIDS was first identified in the early 1980s, according to the international AIDS charity, AVERT. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that more than 576,000 Americans have died from AIDS through the year 2007. More than 56,000 Americans are infected with HIV each year.
Cause
AIDS means acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, and it is caused by the HIV, or human immunodeficiency virus. HIV weakens the immune system, making the body vulnerable to infections and other illnesses. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control estimates there are more than 1 million Americans currently living with HIV.
Transmission
HIV is a sexually transmitted disease that can also be contracted by coming into contact with infected blood, semen, vaginal fluid or other secretions. These fluids must enter the body to cause infection. HIV is not transmitted by hugging, shaking hands or kissing. Mothers may pass it to their children during pregnancy, childbirth or while breast-feeding, according to MayoClinic.com. Intravenous drug users may pass the disease by sharing contaminated needles.
Symptoms
Symptoms of AIDS begin to appear about 10 years after infection with HIV. HIV makes the patient vulnerable to opportunistic infections, and the specific symptoms associated with AIDS will reflect those infections. These symptoms may include high fevers, soaking night sweats, cough and shortness of breath, weight loss and fatigue. The patient may also notice white spots on the tongue or in the mouth, skin rashes and diarrhea.
Diagnosis
The human body has special white blood cells that fight infection, called CD4 cells. HIV attacks CD4 cells, leaving the body vulnerable to infections. A blood test measures CD4 cells; AIDS is diagnosed if CD4 cells drop below 200.
Treatment
There is no cure for AIDS but there are treatments which slow the progression of the disease. These drugs come in several classes; treatments may combine two or more classes of medication to avoid creating strains of HIV that are immune to one single drug. Supportive care is also given, which means doctors attend to whatever conditions may co-exist with or have been caused by AIDS.
Risks/Prevention
More than 18,000 people die each year from AIDS, and the majority of those are men with a history of having sex with other men. The CDC adds that 31 percent of new cases are spread through heterosexual contact and intravenous drug users account for 12 percent of new cases of HIV.
HIV may be transmitted during sex, so avoiding unprotected sex can reduce the chance of acquiring AIDS. AIDS has a history in the United States of affecting men who have had sexual encounters with other men, so same-sex encounters can increase the risk of AIDS. Other sexually transmitted diseases may cause sores on the genitals, allowing HIV to pass more easily into the body.
