Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) is the end stage of a disease that begins as a virus known as the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). It attacks the immune system, making you more susceptible to infections such as pneumonia, cancer and even the common cold. The causes of AIDS are the same causes of HIV, as they are essentially one in the same. And while there is currently no cure, knowing the causes of transmission can significantly reduce the spread of the disease.
Sexual Tranmission
Sexual transmission is one of the most common means of speading this illness, and thus a major cause of AIDS. Whether you participate in oral, anal or vaginal intercourse, your risk factor remains the same, as the virus is contained in the vaginal and semen secretions, as well as the blood of your partner.
When engaging in intercourse, small tears are created in the vagina or anus. It is through these tears that the virus enters and is spread from one partner to another. It may even be spread when using sexual devices if these devices have not been properly cleansed, or are not covered with a condom, as they contain the secretions from previous sexual activity.
Those who are at the greatest risk are people with another type of STD (sexually transmitted disease), or women who use the spermicide, nonoxynol 9. According to the Mayo Clinic, this spermicide irritates the vagina, creating the small tears through which the virus can enter easily.
Mother to Child
More than 600,000 infants are infected each year, as stated by the Mayo Clinic. This is due to the pregnant mother being infected with this disease during her pregnancy. While it is usually routine for expectant mothers to be tested for HIV while pregnant, should her test return positive, the risk of passing the virus to her unborn child can be greatly reduced by receiving treatment before the baby is born.
Another option is to perform a Cesarean section when it comes time to deliver. This prevents the baby from coming into contact with the mother's bodily fluids. Yet another means of protecting the baby is for the mother to bottle feed her baby with formula rather than breast feed.
Sharing Needles During Drug Use
Drug users are at a greater risk for infection simply because they tend to share needles when using injectable drugs such as heroin. When an infected person shares with an uninfected person, he is essentially injecting his infected blood into another person's arm.
The greatest form of prevention is obvious--do not participate in drug use. However, there is another option, and it is recommended by the Mayo Clinic. Find a program that allows you to exchange your used needles and syringes for those that are sterile. This prevents sharing and helps reduce the risk of transmission.
Blood Transfusions
Some cannot prevent becoming infected with AIDS and are considered innocent victims of this disease. They are people who require blood transfusions to save their lives.
In some cases, the blood used during these transfusions is contaminated with the HIV/AIDS virus. But in 1985, hospitals and blood banks across the nation began implementing stricter rules regarding who could donate blood, the methods used to recruit blood donors and the methods used to test the blood donated. These rules have greatly reduced the number of people infected by blood tranfusions.
