HIV Research Paper

802 Words2 Pages

HIV Research Paper
There are several ways which Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) can spread from person to person. Sexual behaviors are on the top of the list for HIV’s routes of transmissions. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), HIV is primarily transmitted through contact with an infected person’s needle, blood, semen, pre-seminal fluid, or vaginal fluids (2014). Unprotected sex is the most common way of HIV transfusion because while the symptoms many have not yet emerged, the virus can still spread, stated the CDC (2014). Unfortunately, HIV can also be passed on to the fetus by an infected mother during pregnancy, delivery, or through breast milk, the CDC reported (2014). The CDC also asserted that HIV can be obtained through transfusions of contaminated blood and sharing contaminated needles because HIV is present in the bloodstream (2014). As soon as a person has contact with an infected person through any of these transmission routes, the virus enters the bloodstream and he or she is HIV positive. Once the virus enters the cell, there is no way the virus can be reversed. HIV is a powerful and clever virus. WebMD reported that this infectious virus destroys your immune system which impedes with your body’s ability to get rid of it; the virus targets the specific cells that are trying to destroy it (2013). As soon as the virus enters the bloodstream, HIV begins doing its job to survive and resist anything against it by depending on other cells to increase their population, WebMD stated (2013). HIV uses the immune system defenders called CD4 T-cells’ DNA to persistently replicate the virus and terminates the CD4 T-cells afterwards, WebMD specified (2013). The virus uses an enzyme called reverse...

... middle of paper ...

...rticles.latimes.com/2013/oct/23/science/la-sci-sn-baby-cured-of-hiv-report-20131023
McNeil Jr. D. G. (2012, July 3). Rapid H.I.V. Home Test Wins Federal Approval. The New York Times. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/04/health/oraquick-at-home-hiv-test-wins-fda-approval.html?_r=1&
WebMD. (2013). HIV and AIDS. Retrieved from http://www.webmd.com/hiv-aids/guide/sexual-health-aids
WebMD. (2012). HIV & AIDS Health Center. Retrieved from http://www.webmd.com/hiv-aids/guide/hiv-vaccines-where-are-we-now
WebMD. (2013). Understanding AIDS/HIV – Diagnosis & Treatment. Retrieved from http://www.webmd.com/hiv-aids/guide/understanding-aids-hiv-treatment?page=3
World Health Organization. (2013). HIV/AIDS. Retrieved from http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs360/en/
World Health Organization. (2013). HIV/AIDS. Retrieved from http://www.who.int/features/qa/71/en/

More about HIV Research Paper

Open Document