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In 1981, the scariest disease known to man revealed itself to the world, is the
AIDS virus.
Known as the gay cancer, homosexual and bi-sexual men began developing symptoms
of fatigue, fever, chills, and weight loss. The worst of it was they
developed deadly forms of pneumonia, that often claimed the lives of those once
typically healthy men. The virus is almost always transmitted
by the exchanging of infected bodily fluids, through sex, secretions, and yes
blood.
AIDS, or acquired immune deficiency syndrome, invades the bodies immune system
attaching itself to the white blood cells of the human body, called CD4 T cells,
which are the primary factors of the bodies immune system. As the AIDS virus
progresses, a persons T cells decline allowing the virus to spread into the
macrophages, which are responsible of attacking virus in the blood and fighting
them off. When the AIDS virus takes over these two important ingredients in the
blood, the body looses its ability to fight off infection. This allows
more deadly virus's like tuberculosis and pneumonia to gain access to the
body. And with the bodies inability to fight off infection, these virus's
become very deadly. It is these types of illness that are the killers of
full blown AIDS victims. Since the AIDS virus doesn't technically kill, it just
allows the other virus's to do its dirty work for them. They just helped
get them into the body so to speak.
The disease progresses very slowly in the body and usually takes up to 10
years before HIV is turned into to full blown AIDS, however, one can have the
HIV virus and never turns into full blown AIDS. You are considered a
carrier, and are still potentially dangerous. Many people who are HIV
positive feel fine, and are never under any medical care. With today's
technologies people live long healthy lives, and are able to keep it under
control for the most part. Some get a mutant strain of the virus that is
so weak it is harmless. There is a case where a child was born with it,
and by the time he was 1 year old the body had fought the infection and cured
itself so to speak. Researchers are trying to figure out how to fight this
deadly disease and millions of dollars in research are used every year to aid in
the fight against this deadly disease.
The best way to avoid getting the HIV virus is by using a condom during any
kind of sexual activity. This includes vaginal intercourse, anal sex, and
oral sex. The HIV virus is in the semen so where a condom when doing any
of these sexual activities. Since the virus is in the semen and the blood,
don't share razors, toothbrushes, needles, or anything that may transfer
blood. Yes brushing your teeth is a risk factor. You have never
brushed your teeth and your gums bled, well there is your risk factor, the blood
on the toothbrush has the potential of transmitting the HIV virus.
Abstinence is still the healthy, safe, and effective way to protect yourself
against the AIDS virus and practicing this until you are 100% sure you are
disease free, is the sure fire way to keep yourself safe.
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