HIV

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Human Immunodeficiency Virus, in short, called HIV is a virus that attacks and weakens your immune system, which can later lead to the fatal stage known as Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS). Many people are uninformed of exactly how HIV is transmitted, but the most common route of transmission is through unprotected sexual intercourse. This is because body fluids such as semen that are infected with the HIV virus can enter another person’s body thus spreading the virus. Other routes of transmission include: infected mother to baby and sharing needles with an infected person (Centers for Disease control, 2001). Once the virus enters your body, it looks for it’s favorite cell, the T-cell, attaches its CD4 receptor to the CD4 cell (T-cell) and begins infecting the cell. In order for viruses to replicate they will have to hijack the T-cells, make viral cells, and then infect the rest of the cells in your body. After the virus has entered the T-cell, the T-cell will read it and order the cell to make more virus genes. Next, the cell begins to make virus capsids and genes; this is where all viral parts of the virus cells are made. The cell then begins to assemble the virus and after that the cell bursts open releasing the virus cells to start infecting the other cells (Phelan, 2010). It is a complete shock to discover that in fact there are people who are naturally immune to the HIV virus. This genetic mutation is rare and only about 1 percent of people are known to have this mutation. In order to be immune to HIV, a person must receive a pair of mutated genes but they must be inherited from both parents in order for the person to be immune to the virus (Pernicone, 2009). If the person only obtained the gene mutation from one... ... middle of paper ... ... sum dollars for a test that is probably not that accurate. According to the article, “This at-Home HIV Test Looks Simple, but Is It Accurate?” suggests that there may be some who end up resulting in a false negative. A trial of 5,000 people who could possible carry the HIV virus were tested and out of these people only 8 received a false negative (Shattner, 2012). Yes this is a small possibility but still those are 8 people who are carrying HIV and mindlessly going about their lives spreading the virus. Imagine being HIV positive and you take Oraquick to test for HIV and you get a false negative and you feel this burden lifting off your shoulder when in reality your living with HIV, your infecting others, and your not getting treatment. This can be very dangerous and may even cause more spread of the virus since some with get that false negative from time to time.

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