Signs, Symptoms and Awareness for HIV/AIDS Patients

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Recommended: An essay on HIV/AIDS history

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is a slow moving retrovirus that eventually causes acquired immunodeficiency syndrome commonly called AIDS. This combo disease known as HIV/AIDS is labeled as a pandemic and has caused controversy throughout the whole world. The disease begins when a person infected passes on the HIV virus through sexual secretions, blood transfusions, and using dirty needles. The virus enters through vaginal or anal openings and through open cuts, once the virus enters a person’s blood stream they are infected with HIV however they may not necessarily have AIDS (WEBMD). Symptoms of HIV include lethargy or sleepiness, weight loss, and flu like symptoms after a while AIDS eventually develops and is the finally or most advanced stage of the disease the symptoms are the same as HIV and also includes vision loss, weight loss, memory loss, and eventually organ failure (AIDS.gov) The first reports of AIDS came from young gay men in New York and San Francisco.
(HRSA) What was first thought of as a gay disease quickly became noted as a disease anyone could get through having unprotected sexual intercourse or receiving blood that was from a HIV positive individual had it not been for eighteen year old Ryan White a hemophiliac who contracted AIDS after a blood transfusion the stereotype that it is a “gay” disease would still live on. With widespread panic and the public not having much knowledge of the disease an epidemic swept across the world in the early 1980’s and still continues today. Through much research, public explanation, films, and songs the world quickly understood more about the disease and AIDS victims now are not persecuted as much. In the 90’s a few musicians decided to educate the world through their mus...

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McEntire, Reba. Reba My Story. Chicago: Bantam, 1994. 0553572385. eBook.
Sawyer, Dianne, writ. Princess Diana's speech on HIV/AIDS. ABC NEWS, 1998. Web. 1 Apr 2014. .
Tennant, Neil, perf. Dreaming of the Queen. Prod. Chris Lowe. Kobalt Records, 1994. Web. 1 Apr 2014. .
Unknown, . "Latest UK Statistics ." NAT. National AIDS Trust, 15 Jun 2013. Web. 1 Apr 2014.
Unknown, . "Princess Diana." NAT HIV AWARE. National AIDS Trust, 12 Apr 2011. Web. 1 Apr 2014. .
Web MD, . "HIV and AIDS : Symptoms & Types."WebMD. Web MD, 25 Mar 2014. Web. 1 Apr 2014. .

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