HIV/AIDS Awareness

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The lack of knowledge in today’s world is a major issue. It is causing the spread of many dangerous health problems. One in particular is AIDS, which stands for acquired immune deficiency syndrome. Yes, people hear about it; however, the spread continues. With higher knowledge of everything that goes hand and hand with it, the spread can be put to a stop. HIV/AIDS Awareness is the most effective way to end the worldwide spread of this killer disease.

Before getting into the deep details of HIV/AIDS, one must know and understand the background behind it. AIDS was first known as an infection of chimpanzees and old world monkeys throughout the African rainforest; within the twentieth century, the virus eventually jumped from monkeys to humans (Pham-Kanter). Knowing that any type of disease that once only infected animals can also infect humans can make anyone terrified of life itself. Although this is the origin that many people believe to be true, the questions behind where it may really come from is the main reason people are not as interested as they should be to become aware. The first cases of AIDS in the United States were diagnosed in 1981 among homosexual men, in Los Angeles, due to them having opportunistic lung infections (Pham-Kanter). This is when things really began to hit home bringing great fear to many families throughout the U.S. It had traveled from undeveloped countries to the United States, which is a well developed country, making people both reluctant and fearful of even becoming aware of this killer disease. People of the U.S. often think that diseases as such cannot affect the United States; however, this is not the case, and the number of those infected in both the U.S. and other countries has r...

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... AIDS Test.” Washington Post 1 Dec. 2008: n.pag. Rpt. as “Mandatory HIV Testing Will Save Lives.” Opposing Viewpoints in Context. Web. 12 Jan. 2012.

“Legal Issues.” AIDS. U.S.Department of Health and Human Services. 28 July 2011. Web. 12 Jan. 2012.

Levie Eleanor. "The Right Is Wrong About Sex Education.” The Philadelphia Jewish Voice Sept. 2007: n.pag. Rpt. as “The Government Should Fund Comprehensive Sex Education Programs.” Opposing Viewpoints in Context. Web. 12 Jan. 2012.

McIntyre, Bradford. "HIV Disclosure." PositivelyPositive. Web. 17 Jan. 2012.

Pham-Kanter, Genevieve, Tish Davidson, and Rebecca J. Frey. "Aids." The Gale Encyclopedia of Medicine. Ed. Jacqueline L. Longe. 3rd ed. Detroit: Gale, 2009. Health and Wellness Center. Web. 12 Jan. 2012.

“Preventing HIV/AIDS." UNFPA. United Nations Population Fund. Web. 13 Jan. 2012.

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