What is Soil pH and Why is it important in farming? - Chemosmart

         HIV/AIDS             

          AIDS stands for Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome. 

          Human immuno deficiency virus (HIV) causes AIDS. The virus attacks the immune system and leaves the body vulnerable to a variety of life threatening infections. HIV has been found in saliva, tears, nervous system tissue and spinal fluid, blood, semen (including pre-seminal fluid, which is the liquid that comes out before ejaculation), vaginal fluid, and breast milk. 

HIV/AIDS

             However, only blood, semen, vaginal secretions, and breast milk generally tranmits infection to others.
 

The  virus can be spread (transmitted) :

1. Through sexual contact: including oral, vaginal and anal sex. 

2. Through blood via blood transfusions or needla sharing. 

3. From mother to child : (Transplacental) a pregnant woman can transmit the virus to her foetus through shared blood circulation, or a nursing mother can transmit it to her baby from her breast milk. 

             Other  methods of spreading the virus are rare include accidental needle injury, artificial insemination with infected donated semen, and organ transplantation with infected organs. 

              HIV infection is nit spread by : Casual contact such as hugging, mosquitoes, participation in sports, touching items previously touched by a person infected with the virus. AIDS begins with HIV infection. People infected with HIV may have no symptoms for 10 years or longer, but they can still transmit the infection to others during this symptom-free period. If the infection is not detected and treated, the immune system gradually weakens and AIDS develops. 

               Acute HIV infection progresses over time (usually a few weeks to months) to asymptomatic HIV infection and then to early symptomatic HIV infection. Later, it progresses to AIDS (advanced HIV infection with CD4  T-cell count below 200 cells/ mm³). Almost all people infected with HIV, if not treated, will develop AIDS. A small group of patients develop AIDS very slowly, or never at all. These patients are called nonprogressors, and many seem to have a genetic difference that presents the virus from damaging their immune system. 

Symptoms of AIDS:

                 The symptoms of AIDS are preliminary the result of infections that do not normally develop in individuals with healthy immune systems. These are called opportunities infections. People with AIDS have had their immune system damaged by HIV and are very susceptible to these opportunistic infections. Common symptoms of HIV/AIDS are: 

1) Chills.

  2) Fevers. 

3) Sweat (particularly at night).  

4) Swollen lymph glands.

 5) Weakness and weight loss. 

        

         So, this are the  command Symptoms of HIV/ AIDS.

Structure of HIV

               There is no cure for AIDS at present. However, a variety of treatments are available that can help to keep symptoms at bay and improve the quality of life for those who have already developed symptoms. Antiretroviral therapy suppresses the replication of the HIV virus in the body. A combination of several antiretroviral therapy (HAART), has been very effective in reducing the number of HIV particles in the blood stream. This is measured by the viral load (how much virus is found in the blood). 

             Preventing the virus from replicating can improve T-cell counts and help the immune system recover from the HIV infection. 
                
               With the spread of
HIV and AIDS there is increasing number of cases of discrimination against persons living with HIV and AIDS. The well known case is that of Chandi Brothers who were expelled from four different schools because their parents died of AIDS. 
    

                  In discussing such cases, certain degree of empathy and compassion can be developed among the young people. Empathy is the ability to put oneself in the situation of another person. It helps us to understand and accept others.