TOPIC :: HEALTH :: AIDS
Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) is a sexually transmitted disease. People with Aids acquire it through contact with the body fluids of an infected person. This may occur in several different ways, through sexual intercourse, blood transfusions and the sharing of syringes as is the practice among drug addicts. Some people are merely carriers and do not suffer from any of the symptoms associated with Aids. In others, the Aids virus lies dormant in their bodies for a period of several months before there are any outward signs of it's presence. In both cases, the disease is capable of spreading rapidly due to non-awareness.
Aids is particularly lethal, because the virus breaks down the natural immune defenses that the body has against other diseases, which may be common or otherwise. An Aids infected person with a case of the common flu may have it develop into something more serious and life threatening due to the absence of these defenses or anti-bodies. Such a person must be extra vigilant against any form of bacterial or viral infection. Our environment is saturated with these micro-scopic organisms and it would be practically impossible to avoid contact with them.
Perhaps what is more painful to these people is the way they are treated by ill-informed members of the public even their family and friends. Contrary to popular belief the disease does not spread by casual physical contact as the Aids virus cannot survive for long outside of a human host. The fear of contracting or even being close to the infected person causes people to generally shun these unfortunate sufferers.
The government aware of the very real threat the disease poses especially among young people, has embarked on various programs to educate the people. The best cure is prevention, casual sex with unfamiliar partners is to be discouraged. Regular tests to be taken for sexually active people to detect the disease at an early stage. To this end, all government clinics are equipped with this facility. People have to cooperate, if we are to eradicate the scourge of this incurable disease.
Aids is particularly lethal, because the virus breaks down the natural immune defenses that the body has against other diseases, which may be common or otherwise. An Aids infected person with a case of the common flu may have it develop into something more serious and life threatening due to the absence of these defenses or anti-bodies. Such a person must be extra vigilant against any form of bacterial or viral infection. Our environment is saturated with these micro-scopic organisms and it would be practically impossible to avoid contact with them.
Perhaps what is more painful to these people is the way they are treated by ill-informed members of the public even their family and friends. Contrary to popular belief the disease does not spread by casual physical contact as the Aids virus cannot survive for long outside of a human host. The fear of contracting or even being close to the infected person causes people to generally shun these unfortunate sufferers.
The government aware of the very real threat the disease poses especially among young people, has embarked on various programs to educate the people. The best cure is prevention, casual sex with unfamiliar partners is to be discouraged. Regular tests to be taken for sexually active people to detect the disease at an early stage. To this end, all government clinics are equipped with this facility. People have to cooperate, if we are to eradicate the scourge of this incurable disease.
For more details ::
- National AIDS Control Organisation, NEW DELHI, http://www.nacoonline.org/
- Andhra Pradesh State Aids Control Society, India official web site: http://www.apsacs.org/
