AIDS in America
AIDS is a devastating disease that has ravaged our world over the past twenty years. The issue of AIDS in America is one of much debate that continues to challenge the medical community. The purpose of this discussion is to examine the epidemic of AIDS in America. Our research will provide an in depth analysis of the most infected portion of our society and the tactics that are being implemented to stop the disease from spreading. Let's begin our discussion by defining the disease known as AIDS.
Definition of AIDS
According to the Gale Encyclopedia of Alternative Medicine,
Acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) is an infectious disease caused by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). It was first recognized in the United States in 1981. AIDS is the advanced form of infection with the HIV virus, which may not cause disease for a long period after the initial exposure (latency). Infection with HIV weakens the immune system which makes infected persons susceptible to infection and cancer." (Rowland 1996)
The article goes on to explain that AIDS can be transmitted in several different ways, which include; needle sticks among healthcare workers, sexual contact, transmission during pregnancy and through exposure to contaminated blood. (Rowland 1996) The disease usually attacks the body in one of three ways; autoimmunity, nervous system dysfunction and immunodeficiency. Autoimmunity causes the body to produce antibodies that work against the body's own cells. Nervous system dysfunction causes AIDS related dementia in patients. Immunodeficiency makes AIDS patients more susceptible to several illnesses including herpes and cancer. (Rowland 1996)
American AIDS Statistics
The American Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that the number of Americans currently living with AIDS is around 400,000. The CDC also concedes that there are approximately 200,000 individuals that were diagnosed with AIDS in 2002 and about 80,000 AIDS deaths in the United States in the year 2002. The CDC also reports the following about the status of AIDS in America,
Since the use of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) became widespread during 1996, trends in AIDS incidence have become less reflective of underlying trends in HIV transmission. AIDS incidence increased throughout the 1980s, declined from the mid-1990s through 2001, and increased 2%...
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