STD

AIDS

AIDS is a dreaded sexually transmitted disease that has alarmed the world because of its lack of known cure.

AIDS is acronym for Acquired immune deficiency syndrome or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome and is actually constituted by several symptoms and infections. The disease is caused by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) resulting in the weakening of the person’s immune systems. Once the immune systems weaken, the attack of bacteria, fungi, parasites and viruses cause severe damages of the body organs leading to death.

The HIV is acquired during vaginal, oral and anal sex through direct contact of the bloodstream or mucous membrane. Body fluids like semen and breast milk common conduits of the virus.

The first reported case of AIDS was in five homosexual men in June 5, 1981 in Los Angeles. But the earliest known HIV infections are from a plasma sample of an adult man from the Democratic Republic of the Congo in 1959; a tissue sample from an African-American teenager who died in 1969 in St. Louis; and from a Norwegian sailor who died in 1976.

Systematic symptoms are common cases with AIDS. These symptoms include Fever, wieght loss, excessive night sweating, chills and swollen glands.

Opportunistic infections are the effect of weakened immune system and cause by organism that do not normally cause major trouble with healthy immune systems. These infections develop into major pulmonary illnesses like Pneumocystis pneumonia and Tuberculosis; major gastro-intestinal illnesses like Esophagitis, Unexplained chronic diarrhea; major neurological illnesses like Toxoplasmosis, Progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML), AIDS dementia complex (ADC) and Cryptococcal meningitis; and major HIV-associated malignancies like Kaposi's sarcoma (KS), High-grade B cell lymphomas and Cervical cancer.

Some treatments can slow the progression of the HIV but up to know, there is no known effective cure or vaccine. HAART (highly active antiretroviral therapy), has helped many aids patients since it was first introduced in 1996. This method includes taking drugs to treat infections cause by retroviruses. There are different classes of antiretroviral drugs for different stages of the viral life cycle.

There are also available alternative medicines which have helped alter the disease’s course. Many of these alternative medicines are untested by experts. These include stress management through massage, acupuncture and herbal remedies.

It is estimated that more than 25 million people have died from AIDS since 1981. It is one of the biggest medical killers in history. In 2005, AIDS claimed the lives of 2.8 million people including 570,000 children.

There are currently around 40 million living with HIV in the world today with Sub-Saharan Africa having the most number of about 25 million people. South and South East Asia ranked second. India accounts for two-thirds of HIV infections in Asia with about 5.7 million cases.

AIDS has already caused economic catastrophe around the world. An estimated $27 billion is needed to help save 30 million people from infections by 2010.

The HIV can be avoided by avoiding random or multiple sex partners, using protection like condoms, and avoiding infected needles.