'The Outbreak of the HIV Virus\r'

'Who would fork by ever thought that a disease, possibly brought to the States by give Afri fire monkeys, would affect the landed estate forever? This is exactly what happened in the late ordinal century when the Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome ( support) was introduced to America. The unpredictable pandemic caused a grand outrage for age to come. The extravasation of the humankind immunodeficiency computer virus virus, acquired immune deficiency syndrome, in the early 1980″s resulted in medical research, public misconceptions, and ultimately growing alertness. appear first unaccompanied in human creation men, acquired immune deficiency syndrome was an unfamiliar virus to the entire join States.\r\nReports of mystical and unexplainable symptoms caused much confusion among patients and horizontal posits. In 1981, the first reports explained that 41 homosexual men in the San Fransisco area had â€Å"… a rare and often apace fatal form of cancer† (Altman n. p. ). After eld of researching these cases and millions of others appearing later in the decade, scientists discovered that it was non cancer they were dealing with. They c tot each(prenominal)yed it human immunodeficiency virus (Human Immune Virus) which stretch forths to assist (Acquired Immune deficiency Syndrome) that â€Å"… rogressively destroys the body”s tycoon to fight infections and certain cancers” (ARIC n. p. ).\r\nWith minimal research there was nonhing to initially â€Å"combat” the virus; but, give thanks to time and funding, there were somewhat drugs that seemed to help free the spread of the virus in ones body. These anti-retroviral drugs salvage dont prove as cures ! for the virus, but withstand definitely helped and persist in to help patients live colossaler (ARIC n. p. ). Since a vaccine to â€Å"… evoke an immune system response that get out prevent infection or disease phylogenesis” still ha s non been found, other treatments energize been tested.\r\nAccupuncture, variant management, hypnosis, exercise, good nutrition, and an overall electropositive attitude all seem to alleviate symptoms even if they are not proven cures of the virus (Packer 78-88). Although assist is a liveness threatening disease, there were m each stack sustenance with it by keeping healthy and staying safe. Scott Fried had not tried any of the aniviral drugs; however, practices such as winning 80 herbs and vitamins a day, staying physically fit, visiting the doctor every three months, and existence happy ache kept him alive with the virus for thirteen days (Fried speach).\r\nMost victims have not lived as long as he which is why AIDS has lead to some extensive research. Investigators supported by backstage and public funds continued to search for a cure or even an explanation of HIV/AIDS for two decades because like the â€Å"b! need plague”, AIDS has killed off millions of peo ple in a short time. Also like the scandalous plague did, AIDS carried with it a long wander of misconceptions. In the Middle Ages anyone carrying the â€Å"black plague” was to be avoided. Similarly, the public would often avoid people with AIDS.\r\n there were fabrications that AIDS could be caught by another human being from sneezing, coughing, hugging, kissing or even any â€Å"casual contact” ; so, people stayed a right smart from those who were infected by AIDS. Another lie was that AIDS was caused by something magical or mystical (Taylor 23-24). Though some were overly sleepless of â€Å"catching” the virus, others were not careful enough. Since the initial outbreak was among gay men it was alone assumed that solely gay men could be touch. Then reports of IV drug users having the disease still seemed to eliminate the chance of the common person being infected.\r\nNext, hemophiliacs and people who had had blood transfusions were reported followed by b lacks, Hispanics, lesbians, hearty women and eventually white, heterosexual, males. Still everyone said â€Å"It can”t happen to me,” until it did (Fried speech). This assumption that AIDS only affected few amounts of people and only minorities was the basis of all misconceptions about that virus. People did not believe the virus could have any allude on their lives; but, it did impact everyones lives directly and or indirectly.\r\nNow that â€Å"AIDS is the jiffy leading cause of death in the United States among people aged 25 to 44″ (ARIC n. p. ), the misconceptions have been proven to be false. Although it was statistically correct that 66% of people infected by AIDS were homosexual males, 24% were IV drug users, and only 4% were heterosexual males or females (Packer 17) it was still a incident that AIDS can affect anyone. After years of research and statistical reports there were finally people relaying these messages to the public.\r\nMotivational speak ers, like Scott Fried, continue to reach out to teens and adults about AIDS and sex. Information about these subjects can also be found easily, not only at hospitals or doctors” offices; but in books, magazines, pamphlets, and even on the internet. Conducting a simple search on http://www. yahoo. com came up with 164 â€Å"category matches,” 1,206 â€Å" net site matches,” and 237,000 web page matches. This means that HIV/AIDS appears at least 238,370 times on th! e world wide web and it shows that AIDS in an important component of modern life.\r\nNot only are people becoming aware of the AIDS epidemic, but they are becoming aware of grammatical gender through learning about AIDS. Before the outbreak of this fatal virus sex was only speak about discretely. Now even kids are being made aware of the dangers of sex and spreading HIV. In this way HIV/AIDS had a positive affect on the country. People are aware of the facts and probably make better decisions. Some ex perts have said that AIDS will remain the way it is now and others predict it growing into a â€Å"huge epidemic” (Taylor 28).\r\nHopefully due to this expansion of experience and recognition, he AIDS virus will not spread as quickly and infect as many people as it has in the past. HIV positive, homosexual, male, Scott Fried, said, â€Å"Ironically one of the blessings that HIV/AIDS has brought me is the abundance of love. . . ” and perhaps that is true. Pertaining to the eighties and the early onset of the virus, AIDS caused much more commotion than love. However, every befog has a silver lining and the hysteria has finally cleared up some myths. It has opened up the public to not only HIV/AIDS awareness, but sexual cognizance as well.\r\n'