Jennifer Vallecillo PAS 115 Dr.

Tom Spencer-Walters 14 November 2013

Aid for AIDS AIDS is not a topic taken lightly. It was discovered in the early 1980s when some gay men seemed to have a very stubborn illness that would not go away. Later on, it was recognized as the Human Immunodeficiency Virus, or HIV. HIV is the first stage, which then turns into AIDS. But what exactly is HIV? According to a website, HIV is a lentivirus, and like all viruses of this type, it attacks the immune system. (Avert) HIV then turns into AIDS, which stands for Acquired Immuno Deficiency Syndrome. This is the last stage of the infection and when people get to this stage it means that theyre immune systems are already badly damaged and theres a high chance that they might catch infections that can kill them. HIV came from a chimpanzee in Africa. There are many theories to how humans got infected but the most popular one was that humans came to contact with the disease when they hunted the animal and ate it. Theres also an explanation to how it was spread so fast. The most known type of contact is sexual contact. According to AIDS.gov, HIV lives and produces in blood and other body fluids. The following fluids contain high levels of HIV: blood, semen, pre-seminal fluid- vaginal fluids- and rectal mucous.(AIDS) Another way that it can be transferred is by

pregnancy, breast-feeding, injection drug use (needles that are not thrown away), and occupational exposure. Now, how can you tell if you have been infected? Well most people dont notice the signs in the early stages. People could be living with HIV and not know. But to those that show symptoms early heres what you can expect: fever, chills, night sweats, rashes, sore throat, fatigue, swollen lymph nodes, and ulcers in the mouth. The AIDS websites says, People can experience an acute illness, often described as the worst flu ever. This is called acute retroviral syndrome.(AIDS) As they get closer to the AIDS stage they start feeling even worse and experience these symptoms 100 times worse. The spread of this disease at the beginning spread drastically. Today, more than one million people are living with HIV in the U.S. and every 9.5 minutes someone in the U.S. is infected with HIV. (AIDS) HIV mostly affects African Americans, and this could be because its origin came from Africa. The next group affected by HIV is Hispanics/ Latinos. The rapid spread of HIV is the reason why you should get tested regularly after having unprotected sex with a new partner. As a favor from a close friend that works at a clinic I was able to interview two patients, one with HIV and the other with AIDS. The first was a girl, at the young age of 22. The first question that I asked her is when she found out that she had HIV. Her response was that she found out when she was 20. I then asked how did her life change when she found out that she would have to live with this illness. She told me she felt as if her life was ending. She fell into a great depression and even contemplated ending her life. I was afraid about what people were going to say

when they found out. I didnt want anyone to know, I even kept it from my family for a very long time, until I felt like I really needed support. I then asked her how it has changed her life now and she said, Ive accepted it and now Im not 100% happy with my situation, but I have help and Im told if I take care of myself right I will live a long life. Im just scared about my future. Will I have a family? Will I get married? Its just something I think about. Not many people are accepting. My next interview was with a 36 year old women who had been living with AIDS for 3 years now. I asked her the same questions like when she found out she had contacted HIV. She said she found out she had HIV at the age of 30 but they had estimated that she had it for over 6 years already. She hit the stage of AIDS shortly after that. I asked her how this has impacted her life, to which she responded, I had a little bit of time to think about it. It was all a shock. I instantly wished I could have found out earlier. I was depressed for a very very long time. I asked her how her life was now, and she said, God works in mysterious ways. I tried to be at peace with living by myself but I found someone that accepted me and weve now been married for 3 years. Im content with my life. AIDS can be a threat to anyone if they arent protected. It doesnt choose race, gender, or age. It can affect anyone. That is why I chose to write about this topic. A lot of people arent educated enough and have sex as if it were nothing. They dont know the danger that they put themselves. Even if you know the person for a long time, they might not even know that they have HIV or AIDS. It is very important to get tested and have your partner get tested.

I also decided to write about this is blog form because I feel like today the internet is used more and more. I also know that many teens are too afraid to go to the doctor to ask questions and seek information online. My blog gives links to websites where they can help and it gives information about HIV and AIDS that can help you understand the subject more. I also wanted to do a blog because I feel like pictures are worth a thousand words, posting interviews can be very helpful and this essay that I will post can also give a lot of information to someone who is completely clueless. I also think that health teachers can use it as a reference to give a lecture on AIDS or HIV. And although I have many reasons, its main purpose is to help those who are already going through the first or final stages of this disease. I want it to be a safe haven for someone who doesnt feel safe in his or her own skin. My blog is designed for awareness and for aid.

Works Cited

"Origin of HIV & AIDS." HIV and AIDS Information and Resources. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Nov. 2013.

"What Is HIV/AIDS?" What Is HIV/AIDS? N.p., 6 June 2012. Web. 14 Nov. 2013.