Writing Assignment Disease Popularity: HIV/AIDS (Essay Sample)

Disease Popularity: HIV/AIDS
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Disease Popularity: HIV/AIDS
In its simple terms, a disease is simply a condition that poses a threat to the wellness of an individual, it does so by inflicting pain, dysfunction of body organs, distress and in an unfortunate case causes death. Diseases can also be ranked according to its prevalence, commonality and vitality (Schrijvers, 2009). As such, there are diseases, which are rampant, those that are common and the deadly ones (others do not have any known cure). HIV/AIDS is one of the diseases, which has gained popularity all over the world because of its mode of contraction, prevalence and the fact that it does not have any known cure. This essay highlights the history of HIV/AIDS, its prevalence rates, vulnerable group and the amount of efforts in terms of resource spend in research towards treating or curing the disease.
HIV/AIDS first came into the limelight in United States in the year 1981 through a clinical observation. The first incidences were identified from a group of drug injecting users and homosexuals. The victims had no known causes of impaired immunity but were presenting symptoms of Pneumocystis carinii Pneumonia (PCP), disease only known to affect people with very low immune systems. The case prompted attention from the center for disease control (CDC) who undertook several researches in to the disease including the possible name. In 1982, after several research and possible renaming attempts of the disease, they settled on AIDS. Research groups led by Robert Gallo and Luc Montagnier came up with HIV after associating the similarities of two viruses LAV and HTLV-111 that were closely associated with the disease and in 1986; the disease officially became HIV/AIDS (Engel, 2014).
Since the first case of HIV/ AIDS was identified, several other cases began to be reported from almost all over the world. In the case of United States, new cases of infection were reported almost every day. Statistics for the year 2015 indicate that 1.1 million of people aged 13 and above lived with the diseases and a further 650,000 people whose infection have not been identified or have not been recorded (Hall et al 2015). The initial reports of the disease identified some vulnerable group such as injection drug users and homosexuals, another research came with four vulnerable groups Homosexuals, Haitians, Heroin users and Hemophiliacs (the disease was in fact renamed the 4H disease). However, critical analysis and research disapproved that and indicated that everyone was vulnerable to the disease and that the disease was spread through exchange of fluids (semen or blood) with infected person. Everyone is therefore at risk of contracting HIV/AIDS including newborn babies if safe delivery is not procured well.
HIV/AIDS is an international disaster. It is among the top vital diseases that causes high death rates not only in the United States but also worldwide. HIV/AIDS claims almost 20 deaths each day in the United Sates, and the number is a bit higher in other countries. The number however is declining due to the prevention efforts (World Health Organization. 2010). The efforts are geared towards prevention, which is inhibiting new infection through awareness and provision of prevention measures such as the use of prevention. The other aspect is on research into possible ways of assisting those who are already infected to suppress the ...