History+of+AIDS

Brittney Rentz

**History of AIDS ** = =

**Overview of HIV/AIDS** Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome, or AIDS, is a global medical outbreak that is caused by the Human Immunodeficiency Virus, or HIV. HIV targets the immune system, which makes it difficult for an infected person to fight off diseases that he/she would normally be able to avert with a healthy immune system. (“HIV,” n.d.) According to the Mayo Clinic (2010), years may pass before HIV damages the immune system to the point that the infected person acquires AIDS. Once a person gets to this point of having AIDS, his/her immune system is too weak and he/she cannot fight off other infections. (“AIDS,” n.d.) The two types of HIV are HIV-1 and HIV-2. (“HIV types,” n.d.) The variations between the two are minimal. The main differences are: HIV-2 is not transmitted as easily as HIV-1 and the time between the primary infection and illness is longer for those that have HIV-2. (“HIV types”) HIV-2 is the less common form and is usually only found in west Africa. (“HIV types”) By and large, when a person refers to HIV without noting the type, he/she usually means HIV-1 because it is the most dominant form. (“HIV types”) A person can contract the virus through a number of ways that include unprotected sex with an infected person, contact with an infected person’s blood, use of infected blood products, using the same drug injecting equipment as an infected person, and from an infected mother to her child. (“HIV”) It is important to know that there is no universal cure for HIV/AIDS, but there are drugs available to help control the virus. The antiretroviral drug treatment, which is the main type of treatment for those infected by HIV/AIDS, keeps the amount of HIV in the body low so the immune system can recover from any damage the virus has caused and can help the immune system work successfully. (“HIV”) If a HIV infected person is not treated, he/she will most likely develop AIDS within ten years or so. (Mayo Clinic Staff, 2010) Though treatment is effective, it is not widely available in many underdeveloped countries and can be very expensive for those without health insurance. Knowledge about the transmission and prevention of HIV is important in order to prevent falling victim to the virus and acquiring AIDS.

**Origin** Although there is debate surrounding the origin of the HIV/AIDS pandemic, it is universally received that the virus, HIV, originated in Africa. (“Origin,” n.d.) Also, the closely related SIV, or Simian Immunodeficiency Virus, found in primates was contracted by humans, and therefore was the source of the virus in our species. (“Origin”) In their research, Paul M. Sharp and Beatrice H. Hahn (2010) attempted to uncover the origin of HIV-1 and AIDS. They concluded that the virus in chimpanzees living in west central Africa was the source of HIV-1. (Sharp, 2010) SIV in sooty mangabeys is said to be the cause of HIV-2. (Sharp) So, how and why did this virus transfer over to humans in the twentieth century and why did it have such a dire effect? Brian Martin (2010) explains two theories in his article called //How to Attack a Scientific Theory and Get Away with It (Usually): The Attempt to Destroy an Origin-of-AIDS Hypothesis//. The theory that is most popular among scientists is called the natural transfer theory, a cut-hunter theory, or the bushmeat theory. (Martin, 2010) The basis of this theory is that a human was infected with SIV, and then transferred the disease along to others. (Martin) “Various transmission routes have been proposed: a chimp might have bitten a human; chimp blood might have been injected during sexual rites; a hunter, in butchering a chimp, might have got chimp blood in a cut; or undercooked chimp flesh might have been consumed.” (Martin, p. 222) The second theory asserts that the polio vaccine, which was given to nearly a million central Africans during the time period from 1957-1960, was the culprit for how the SIV was passed to humans. (Martin) It is not rare, especially during this time, for polio vaccines to be cultivated in chopped-up monkey kidneys. (Martin) Also, it is important to note that monkeys containing the virus do not show signs of illness. (Martin) It was not until 1985 that SIV was discovered, so scientists did not test for the virus in these monkeys. (Martin) Hence, according to this theory, it is possible that these monkeys harbored SIV and thus tainted the vaccines. (Martin) Theories for how HIV was passed along so quickly from human-to- human are the contaminated needle theory, the colonialism theory, and the increase in travel. (“Origin”) The theories presented are sensible and probable. Consequently, a widespread agr  eement on which theory is correct will be hard-pressed.

**Timeline** **&** **S** **t** **atistics** The first documented cases of AIDS were among homosexual men and injecting drug users in the United States during the early 1980s. (Osmond, 2003) However, scien tists in later years found instances of HIV/AIDS before the 1980s. (“Origin”) Two of earliest identified cases containing the HIV infection were located in the Democratic Republic of the Congo in the late 1950s. (“Origin”) In 1987, a female from West Africa was thought to contain the first known case of HIV-2. (Osmond) In 1986, 85 countries had reported close to 40,000 AIDS cases. (“Timeline,” n.d.) After the outbreak of HIV/AIDS cases, community organizations and governments around the world drastically intervened in the prevention of the disease. Uganda, in 1986, urged its citizens to change their sexual behavior and, in 1988, the United States government implemented a national education campaign to inform Americans on AIDS. (“Timeline”) These are just two examples of an arr ay of attempts from organizations and governments to educate the public. Also, medical innovations were created to treat those infected by HIV. In 2003, the first  HIV vaccine was attempted, but proved to not show any benefits. (“Timeline”) In 2009, the number of people living with HIV/AIDS worldwide was estimated at 33.3 million. (“Worldwide,” n.d.) That number includes the 2.5 million children that are infected. (“Worldwide”) Out of all people living with the disease, 68% are located in sub-Saharan Africa. (“Worldwide”) Another alerting statistic is the number of people contracting HIV in Eastern Europe and Central Asia has almost tripled since 2000. (“Worldwide”) Since the early 1980s, approximately 25 million people have died as a result of having AIDS. (“AIDS”) HIV/AIDS prevention and education programs are important to help raise awareness, especially for those groups that are highly at-risk. Those that are knowledgeable on the topic are more likely to take precautions to avoid the virus and, if they are infected, take precautions so to not pass the virus along. As we have learned, testing for HIV can be life-saving. It is crucial that people know this and know where to go to get the test, so they can be treated if need be. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> **<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">Bibliography ** <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">AIDS. (n.d.). //AIDS & HIV information from the AIDS charity AVERT//. 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Retrieved April 10, 2011, from http://www.avert.org/worldstats.htm <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"> <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"> <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">*Image retrieved April 10, 2011 from, http://www.topnews.in/health/diseases/hiv-aids <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">