AIDS...
AIDS stands for Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome and it is a disease. It attacks selected cells in the immune system and produces defects in its function. These defects may not be apparent for many years. A severe suppression of the immune system's ability to resist harmful organisms follows, the body is therefore opened to invasion by various infections, and the development of unusual cancers.
NO CURE OR VACCINE EXISTS FOR AIDS!
A major challenge to biomedical scientists and health care providers is combating this deadly disease.
Transmission:
HIV has been isolated from a number of body fluids including blood, semen, saliva, tears, urine, cerebrospinal fluid, breast milk and cervical and vaginal secretions. HIV is transmitted through three primary routes:
1. Sexual intercourse
2. Exposure to infected blood or blood products
3. From an infected mother to her child before or during birth.
Clinical Signs:
An individual may show no symptoms at all, or developed an acute illness.
Efforts and Prevention
AZT has been found to prolong life in some patients as it interferes with the replication of the virus, and has the ability to delay full blown AIDS in people.
Education and risk reduction remain the most powerful tools against AIDS . The spread of AIDS could be stopped by avoiding behaviors that place people at risks. Education plays a big part in this as information is often lacked in many regions of Africa. Young people are encouraged to abstain from sexual intercourse or keep to one partner as well as using a condom.
This site was made for ThinkQuest 2001