Human Immunodeficiency Virus ( Hiv ) - 2920 Words

Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) describes a particular disease that can only infect human beings. HIV weakens one’s immune system by destroying necessary immune system cells that fight infections and other foreign attacks. When an immune system is defective or impaired, the entire body will begin to cripple as the infection takes over. The virus reproduces itself by assuming control over a cell in the body of its host- similar to a parasite. HIV’s signs and symptoms are comparable to those that cause the flu or the common cold. However, over time, the body’s immune system can heal most viruses out of the body. Inside a body infected with HIV, the human immune system cannot seem to find an antidote for it. Once the body has HIV, it is†¦show more content†¦ART is the use of HIV medicines to fight HIV infection and it involves taking a combination of HIV medicines every day. These HIV medicines can control the virus so that a patient can live a longer, h ealthier life and reduce the risk of transmitting HIV to others. Before the introduction of ART in the mid-1990s, people with HIV could progress to AIDS in just a few years. Today, a person who is diagnosed with HIV and treated before the disease is far advanced can have a nearly normal life expectancy. Although no safe and effective cure for HIV currently exists. From the beginning of human history, man has encountered various diseases, illnesses, and infections. Among these many infections is the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), a rampant lentivirus that has infected about 938,000 Americans since its discovery (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2013). A lentivirus is a genus of viruses known for their long incubation periods (The Aids Institute, 2012). Lentiviruses are a classification of Retroviruses, a virus that duplicates itself into a host cell’s Deoxyribonucleic Acid (DNA) through a process known as Ribonucleic Acid (RNA) reverse transcription (Kimball, 2011). HIV weakens the immune system by destroying the necessary cells that fight disease and infection, and reproduces by controlling cells in the body of its host (Planned Parenthood, 2014).