A minute has gone by; has anything changed? You may not see a sudden change but in that minute, six children became infected with HIV, which totals 8,500 children and young people becoming infected with HIV a day. HIV stands for Human immunodeficiency virus. A person who has HIV is susceptible to many different diseases and viral infections, because the virus gradually destroys the immune system. Once a person becomes infected with HIV, they will eventually enter the deadly last stage called AIDS.
When this happens, the person now has AIDS. Some people live for several years once they have AIDS, but it is always fatal. HIV is diagnosed with a blood test known as an HIV antibody test or HIV test. If the test shows that HIV is present, the person is referred to as HIV positive. It may take up to 6 months after contact to show up.
In second stage or Established Stage a person can go many years with out any other signs. HIV is suspected when several symptoms are present such as: confusion, diarrhea, dry cough, mouth sores, night sweats, shortness of breath, yeast infection of the mouth, fatigue, fever, loss of appetite, nail changes, pain when swallowing, and weight loss ( 4 ). In the final or Late Stage HIV progresses to AIDS. In other words AIDS is the last stage of HIV. This stage increases a person's risk of developing serious illnesses such as certain cancers and neurological disorders.
In 1989, a major breakthrough regarding this mysterious and intriguing disease occurred, the hepatitis C virus was identified. Now, most hepatitis C viruses are believed to be the viruses responsible for about 90 percent of all cases of NANB. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, approximately 1.8% of the U.S. population, or 3.9 million Americans, have been infected with this chronic blood-borne virus. About 50,000 new cases of hepatitis C are estimated to occur in the United States each year. Without proper and effective treatment the death rate is expected to triple in the next fifteen years (Turkington 9).
Many people who are infected with HIV do not even show signs for 10 years or more. The next stage is the “clinical latency” stage. During this stage, people who are infected experience no symptoms. If you do not take medication, this stage can turn into AIDS. Once the virus attacks all of your T-cells or CD4 cells, the infection can lead to AIDS.
AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome) is a disease in which the body's immune system breaks down and is unable to fight off certain infections. When a person is infected with HIV, the virus enters the body and lives and multiplies primarily in the white blood cells. These are the immune cells that normally protect us from disease. How quickly do people infected with HIV develop AIDS? Most people remain without obvious symptoms for 10 to 12 years and a few for much longer.
AIDS can cause a lot of different complications in the body. Some common signs include dry skin, fatigue, fevers, symptoms of infection like coughing or headaches, and weight loss. OIS, or opportunistic infections, occur when the body gets ill from something else because of a weak immune system. Pneumonia, fungal infections, and cancers also appear more in those with AIDS. People infected with HIV but not yet diagnosed with AIDS can also suffer from symptoms.
Of these, half are women ages 15-49. Over 40% of pregnant women are HIV-positive. The impact of AIDS in South Africa is overwhelming. The disease has orphaned 370,952 children 95,000 children have been infected with AIDS. The adult prevalence rate of HIV is 20%.
When the virus destroys a significant number of the cells, the body becomes unable to fight off infections and diseases. This leads to AIDS, a condition whereby progressive failure of the human immune system permits life-threatening opportunistic infections to thrive. Once is infected with HIV, the individual lives with it for the remainder of his or her life. Prevailing scientific knowledge demonstrates that the body cannot rid itself of HIV as it does with other viruses. Signs and Symptoms of HIV/AIDS Within two to four weeks of exposure to the virus, some people report having flu-like symptoms, which include: fever, enlarged lymph nodes, sore throat, and a rash (Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 2014).
AIDS The United Nations AIDS organization released disturbing estimates Thursday of the seemingly relentless expansion of the HIV pandemic. At a time when many Americans are increasingly optimistic that state-of-the- art drug therapy might eliminate the virus, HIV is taking a heavy toll worldwide. According to the agency, every minute of every day somewhere in the world, six people become infected with HIV: 7,500 adults per day and 1,000 children. About 30 million people have acquired the virus during the last 15 years; 6.4 million of them have died of AIDS. Behind this mounting death count are the signs of growing social disruption.