Introduction
Human immunodeficiency virus, also known as HIV, is a retrovirus that causes progressive failure of the immune system. The HIV virus has a world wide spread; almost 0.6% of the globe’s population is infected with this virus. AIDS it’s a recently discovered virus and since 1981 was the cause of more than 25 million casualties.
Patients with HIV have a great reduction of CD4 cells in their blood. The CD4 cells are also called T cells and they help the body to fight all kinds of infections.
History
To make sure you don’t have HIV or AIDS you must take a blood test. The first blood test to determine whether or not you have AIDS was invented in 1985. The test traces HIV antibodies in your blood, the antibodies usually appear after sever weeks of infection.
The main cause of spreading is through sexual contact, HIV can be transmitted through sex and it can be transmitted from men to men, women to women, men to women. To avoid getting infected with HIV both partners must have proof they are not HIV carriers.
Another cause of HIV spreading is sharing needles. This is mostly associated with drug abuse. It is sometimes common for drug addicts to share the same needle when it comes to getting high. There are a few numbers of cases where the cause of HIV contact was an infected blood transfusion, but now blood is tested before transfusion so the risk of contacting HIV is very small.
Kissing is not considers a cause of spreading HIV, the only situation when this might happen is if there are open wounds or blood in the mouth. There is no proof that HIV can be transmitted by the simple presence of an HIV infected person in the room. Many people still think that having their child around a person with HIV will make their child catch the virus. HIV is not spread by air or water it’s only transmitted trough blood and ejaculatory fluids.
Features
Still the main cause of HIV spreading is sex and the disease makes a lot of victims in poor countries from Africa and parts of Asia. If you are uncertain of your partners HIV status use a condom every time also if you are a drug abuser make sure your needle is sterile and seek help for your problem.
If you are pregnant and you have HIV the infection could pass to the baby, go and get medical attention right away because you can reduce the risk of passing the disease to your baby by two-thirds.
HIV is a serious disease and must be treated right away, if you have HIV don’t worry your sex life and social life are not over. There are many programs for HIV infected persons. Maybe in the future human kind will find a cure for this horrible disease. No matter the cause of infection HIV is present in our world and we must try to eradicate this disease.
