BEWARE OF AIDS
Life is the greatest gift that one can have on this planet. We realize how delicate and fragile human life is when faced with a deadly disease like AIDS. We are distressed with the realization that a precious life may no longer exist.
Do you know what AIDS is?
AIDS is one of the leading life-threatening diseases of the 21st century. AIDS stands for Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome. It is caused by the Human Immunodeficiency Virus or HIV. By killing or damaging cells of the body's immune system, HIV progressively destroys the body's ability to fight infections.
Inadequate knowledge about AIDS, lack of self-discipline, and lack of knowledge are primarily responsible for the spread of the diseases on a large scale. Over the past 25 years, nearly 25 million people have died from AIDS. HIV/AIDS causes debilitating illness and premature death of people in the prime of their lives. It is also responsible for the devastation of a large number of families.
The young generation is highly prone to suffer from this disease. It seems that the future of the coming generation is in the doldrums. Preventive measures are very vital to stop AIDS from spreading. There are certain common and important facts about the disease that everyone should know to prevent this deadly disease.
Transmission and Prevention
HIV is spread most often through unsafe sexual relationships with an infected partner. Avoid such relations.
If HIV-infected blood is given to a normal person during operations or in severe blood loss due to accidents, the patient can become HIV positive. Hence whenever blood is required, always confirm the blood is HIV negative.
AIDS can be spread by using infected injection needles. Always ask the doctor to use disposable syringes. Never share razor blades and used or infected needles.
Women can transmit HIV to their babies during pregnancy or birth. Approximately one-third of all untreated pregnant women infected with HIV will pass the infection to their babies. HIV also can be spread to babies through the breast milk of mothers infected with the virus.
Early Symptoms
Many people will not have any symptoms when they first become infected with AIDS. They may, however, have a flu-like illness within a month or two after exposure to the Virus. This illness may include-
~fever
~headache
~tiredness
~enlarged lymph nodes (glands of the immune system easily felt in the neck and groin).
These symptoms usually disappear within a week or a month and are often mistaken for another viral infection. During this period, people become infectious as HIV is present in large quantities in their genital fluids.
Later Symptoms
More persistent or severe symptoms may not appear for 10 years or more after HIV first enters the body in adults or within 2 years in children born with HIV infection. This period is called the 'window period.' Some people may begin to have symptoms within a few months, while others may be symptom-free for more than 10 years.
As the immune system becomes more debilitated, a variety of complications start to take over. For many people, the first signs of infection are lymph nodes or swollen glands that may be enlarged for more than 3 months. Other symptoms often experienced months to years before the onset of AIDS include-
~lack of energy,
~ weight loss,
~frequent fevers and sweating,
~persistent or frequencies infections,
~persistent skin rashes or flaky skin,
~pelvic inflammatory disease in women that does not respond to treatment,
~short term memory loss.
The negative effects of AIDS are devastating in terms of lives lost, human suffering, shattered families and communities, lower economic productivity, and higher health care are lost.
AIDS is throwing a challenge before the world by the stigma attached to it, feeble evil prevention campaigns, and a lack of access to effective treatment. This is a disaster that is crippling many countries, but more than that, it's cutting down families.
So, let's beware of AIDS and take care of our lives!!
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