The Immune System: HIV/AIDS

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HIV is a world pandemic that has caused the death of “30 million” (CDC – Statistics Overview – Statistics Center – HIV/AIDS, CDC) innocent lives. HIV is devastating virus that destroys people’s immune systems and leaves them vulnerable to other diseases. HIV is an acronym for Human Immunodeficiency Virus, which means that the virus is found only in humans and targets the immune system. The virus kills CD4 cells, cells in the immune system that fight off infections and diseases. HIV has been around since the “1950’s.” (AIDS, 6) About “34.2 million” (CDC – Statistics Overview – Statistics Center – HIV/AIDS, CDC) people are living with HIV today. Currently there is no way to remove HIV from your system, because there is no vaccine released to the public. A vaccine would be crucial for eliminating HIV. After more than “60” years of medical research, HIV/AIDS is still infecting people today.
HIV has been around for a long time. HIV occurred in the “1950’s” (AIDS, 6) with cases detected in Europe and Africa. The symptoms in these cases were strange infections that should not have been fatal but proved life-threatening. More and more of these unexpected cases kept reappearing across the globe. In “1982” (AIDS, 6), this mystery disease was named AIDS. Many people in the “1980’s” (AIDS, 6) ignored the disease and even protested against government funding for a cure Since the early victims were mainly homosexual men and drug users, many people thought these people of “deviants” and did not want these people to be cured. An example of this hatred is from a pastor named Jerry Falwell. Jerry Falwell said, “AIDS is a lethal judgment of God on America for endorsing this vulgar, perverted and reprobate lifestyle.” (AIDS, 6) Many people tha...

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...2014.
Signs & Symptoms. Department of Health and Human Services. December 19, 2013. January 24, 2014.
Vaccines. Department of Health and Human Services. February 9, 2012. January 28, 2014.
Nordqvist, Christian. What Is AIDS? What Is HIV? – Medical News Today. Medilexicon International Ltd. September 27, 2013. January 23, 2014.
What Is HIV/AIDS? Department of Health and Human Services, June 6, 2012, January 23, 2014.

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