The AIDS Epidemic: Elliot Gonzalez
I. Introduction:
It was not too long ago, where the United States population were in a state of panic, of this new lethal disease that was spreading across the country. Doctors had never seen anything like it, studies were showing all types strange features. This was the AIDS epidemic and today we can still that it is an epidemic. Luckily doctors reacted quickly to the situation and began supplying treatments for patients. Even though many people died, the nation and the world began to learn how we can prevent this horrible disease. Countries have been affected, and families have been affected. The AIDS epidemic is truely one of the greatest threats to mankind, and as we learn more about the disease, we can prevent and save lives.
II. Discovery:
In 1981, there was a horrific and deadly disease that was discovered, when a mass quantity of gay men in New York and Los Angeles were having symptoms that the doctors were not familiar with especially in patients with a healthy immune system. The information from the doctors were reported to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and they did their studies there.The CDC is a branch of the United States government that works on how to control disease outbreaks in the United States. Many new cases were discovered soon after, and what they conlcuded was that there was a disease that would breakdown the body's immune or natural defense system, which is what we know today as AIDS. There was confusion,fear and much denial about the new killer disease that was spreading the United States in a rapid pace, and it was a mission to find out what the cause was.
III. AIDS:
"Statistics for the end of 2009 showed that around 33.3 million people are living with HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. Each year around 2.6 million more people become 
infected with HIV and 1.8 million die of AIDS."(AIDS & HIV Information from the AIDS Charity AVERT). People live with HIV/AIDS in places you would even imagine. It is affecting areas all over the world, but the worst affected area by HIV/AIDS is sub-Saharan Africa. One in every five people are living with either HIV or AIDS in Sub-Saharan Africa. "The epidemic is spreading very quickly in Eastern Europe and Central Asia, where people living with HIV has increased by 54.2% between 2001 and 2009." (AIDS & HIV Information from the AIDS Charity AVERT). According to Avert, AIDS particulary target adolescents and young adults. When these young adults die, it puts a trememndous amount of stress on the families, it puts alot of pressure on the workforces, and children would have to be orphaned.
IV. Treatment:
HIV/AIDS is not one hundred percent preventable, but we can reduce the impact of AIDS in such a big way. Changing sexual transmission will be very helpful towards sexual desires that people may want at sometime, which means a later first sex, partner reduction and condom use. Sex isn't the only transmission for HIV/AIDS; drugs and blood transfusions are also a main factor for receiving HIV/AIDS. Injecting drug use can be slowed down just as much as sexual transmissions, since needle exchanges are available and access to drug substitution treatment are feasible if prescribed by a doctor. Something that not most people know is that breastfeeding can lead to infecting an infant with HIV. That could also be prevented through medicines and avoiding to breastfeed.
The cure for AIDS has yet been to be discovered, but treatment for people living HIV has been excellent for the past twenty years, and people could live a normal life without even developing "full blown" AIDS, where during before the 1990's days they did not know how to even treat the disease. Antiretroviral drugs are the best source of treatment for people who are lving with HIV, as long as they keep taking the drugs every day, it would will be a slim chance to develop AIDS.
AVERT's HIV & AIDS Universal Access video
Many people do understand the importance of AIDS and how to prevent it, but very few people have access to the services that give these treatments. Botswana, Cambodia, Cuba and Romania, are the countries that have been most successful on accessing treatments for their people who are living with HIV/AIDS. People who are living under the middle income and that are receiving the anti-AIDS drug is only 36%.
(HIGHLY RECOMMEND WATCHING THIS VIDEO!!!!!)
V. Journal Article:
The journal article that I have chosen is about Carole Campbell and her take on AIDS in America, she targets women living with HIV/AIDS and America's perception on AIDS. It specifically talks about Carole Campbell who does her own research about women. She worked for the Center for Disease Control and the Health Department in Clark County, Nevada. She lays a foundation by demostrating the existence of the disease among women and children. Her statistics show that women were only a 3% of all AIDS adult cases in the early 80's and in the 90's it went up to 16%. More alarming is her report that 38% of all cases involving 13-19 year old females. America's perception on AIDS now a days are much more serious. There have been more educational prevention methods that the society has introduced. It seems that Americans has been more aware of there surroundings and the desicions they make.
VI. Conclusion:
As I said in the beginning, AIDS was a huge threat back in the 80' and 90's and it still is. AIDS does not only breed upon people witha specific race or religion, it threatens people who decide to have unprotected sex, or uses drugs. Prevention of AIDS is our own responsibility, and we have already done so much to help our world fight the disease. Education is the a main key to our success in the near future, even we teach those who are young to becareful with sex and not take drugs, there will be a better chance to reduce the impact. We must support and care for the people with HIV / AIDS with love and understanding.
VII. List of References:
Introduction to the AIDS epidemic. (n.d.). AIDS & HIV information from the AIDS charity AVERT. Retrieved January 6, 2011, from http://www.avert.org/aids-hiv.htm
BBC World Service BBC World Service Aids Season. (n.d.). BBC - Homepage. Retrieved January 6, 2011, from http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/specials/1329_aids_season/page10.shtml
Institute, S. I. (n.d.). Discovery Health "HIV/AIDS". Discovery Health "Health Guides". Retrieved January 6, 2011, from http://healthguide.howstuffworks.com/hiv-and-aids-dictionary.htm
References
Ponticelli, C. M. (2001). Women, Families, & Hiv/aids: A Sociological Perspective on the Epidemic in America. Journal of Comparative Family Studies, 32(3), 457. Retrieved December 13, 2010, from Questia database: http://www.questiaschool.com/PM.qst?a=o&d=5001041834
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