AIDS In Africa

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AIDS in Africa

Spreading rampant throughout the African continent, AIDS is killing any and all who cross its path. “As the death toll from AIDS recedes in America, Africa is reeling from an epidemic of Biblical proportions. South of the Sahara, AIDS is worse than anywhere else in the world, and this catastrophe is transforming the continent forever” (Schoofs part 5). Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome, better known as AIDS “is a virus that weakens the immune system and subjects the patient to opportunistic diseases such as pneumonia and tuberculosis. The virus is transmitted through the exchange of body fluids, primarily semen, blood, and blood products…it can be prevented by having protected sex…AIDS is a problem throughout the world, especially in sub-Saharan Africa” (DeSalle 238). It is an unbiased killer that threatens the African population. With very little education, parentless children, and cultural and societal beliefs, AIDS continues to run havoc on the continent of Africa.

“Only 10 percent of the world's population lives south of the Sahara, but the region is home to two-thirds of the world's HIV-positive people, and it has suffered more than 80 percent of all AIDS deaths”…Last year, the combined wars in Africa killed 200,000 people, and in sub-Saharan Africa alone 3.8 million people became infected with the disease while another 2.4 million died; totaling 25.3 million people who are living with AIDS in Africa (Schoofs part 1, Carey). One main reason for the severity of these numbers is due to the lack of education of the African people. With little or no education, people do not truly understand the consequences of unprotected sex and sex with multiple partners. African girls are not sent to school because it is too expensive and most are only going to get married and have children. The males who go to school learn that they are the breadwinners of the family and that they control what goes on in the house.

The lack of education poses an astronomical problem in Africa and is the major reason for the spread of AIDS. Since people are uneducated about birth control, they do not use condoms; those who are aware of it either do not have access to condoms or cannot afford them. Without education or access to condoms, AIDS will continue its devastation throughout the African continent. “In apartheid South Africa, blacks were either not educated at all or taught only enough to be servants.

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