2008 Woodie Awards
December 1 declared World Aids Day.
Elliot Sadlon
Issue date: 10/19/06 Section: Campus News
The National AIDS Trust (NAT), a UK-based organization, has declared December 1 "World AIDS Day". NAT aims to prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS and to end the prejudices and stereotypes against those with HIV/AIDS.
What are HIV and AIDS? HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus) is a sexually-transmitted virus that attacks T-cells, a major component of the body's immune system. The virus injects itself into the T-cell, using it to reproduce until the T-cell dies. Once enough T-cells are destroyed, the patient is considered to have AIDS (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome). At this stage, the patient's body cannot ward off even the simplest viral infection, resulting in death from often overlooked ailments, such as a cold or strep throat.
Is there a cure? No. Not yet, at least. Those who test positive for HIV typically begin a daily drug cocktail, often consisting heavily of vitamin C. Medications do help rebuild T-cells, but they do not destroy the virus. Patients taking medication for HIV often have low fatality rates, though the side effects of the drugs are typically undesirable - nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea are the most common reported. There have been recent breakthroughs in post-exposure treatment. If a person may have been exposed to an HIV strand, drug regimens do exist that can reduce the chance of infection and completely remove the virus from the body.
I'm not gay - should I be concerned? Yes, and for many reasons. To begin, HIV is not a gay disease. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention first reported the virus in 1981 as Gay-Related Immune Deficiency (GRID). However, as more cases were reported, primarily in New York and California, researchers found that many of the patients weren't homosexual; intravenous drug use is thought to be the third most risky method of exposure, behind blood transfusion and childbirth. Though homosexual men typically have higher infection rates than other demographics, they are not the only people at risk. Which is one of the main reasons that NAT has decided to mark a day for bringing HIV/AIDS to the world stage. NAT says that about 40 million people are living with HIV and that globally only about 1.3 million have access to medication.
What now? The highest incidence of infection occurs in Africa; Swaziland has the highest in the world, says the BBC. Poverty often prevents people from getting treatment, or even from knowing if they are infected or not. Those in the States without health insurance face a similar problem - covering the hundreds of dollars every month. The most altruistic act would be to donate a little money to one of the many HIV/AIDS research initiatives to help cover the costs of medication and to encourage research towards a cure. On top of that, the best anyone can do is stay informed. This World Aids Day, relinquish any prejudices and recognize this as a problem affecting the entire human race.
For more information visit http://www.worldaidsday.org/
For HIV rapid-testing locations in New Jersey visit http://www.state.nj.us/health/aids/rapidtesting/location.shtml
What are HIV and AIDS? HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus) is a sexually-transmitted virus that attacks T-cells, a major component of the body's immune system. The virus injects itself into the T-cell, using it to reproduce until the T-cell dies. Once enough T-cells are destroyed, the patient is considered to have AIDS (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome). At this stage, the patient's body cannot ward off even the simplest viral infection, resulting in death from often overlooked ailments, such as a cold or strep throat.
Is there a cure? No. Not yet, at least. Those who test positive for HIV typically begin a daily drug cocktail, often consisting heavily of vitamin C. Medications do help rebuild T-cells, but they do not destroy the virus. Patients taking medication for HIV often have low fatality rates, though the side effects of the drugs are typically undesirable - nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea are the most common reported. There have been recent breakthroughs in post-exposure treatment. If a person may have been exposed to an HIV strand, drug regimens do exist that can reduce the chance of infection and completely remove the virus from the body.
I'm not gay - should I be concerned? Yes, and for many reasons. To begin, HIV is not a gay disease. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention first reported the virus in 1981 as Gay-Related Immune Deficiency (GRID). However, as more cases were reported, primarily in New York and California, researchers found that many of the patients weren't homosexual; intravenous drug use is thought to be the third most risky method of exposure, behind blood transfusion and childbirth. Though homosexual men typically have higher infection rates than other demographics, they are not the only people at risk. Which is one of the main reasons that NAT has decided to mark a day for bringing HIV/AIDS to the world stage. NAT says that about 40 million people are living with HIV and that globally only about 1.3 million have access to medication.
What now? The highest incidence of infection occurs in Africa; Swaziland has the highest in the world, says the BBC. Poverty often prevents people from getting treatment, or even from knowing if they are infected or not. Those in the States without health insurance face a similar problem - covering the hundreds of dollars every month. The most altruistic act would be to donate a little money to one of the many HIV/AIDS research initiatives to help cover the costs of medication and to encourage research towards a cure. On top of that, the best anyone can do is stay informed. This World Aids Day, relinquish any prejudices and recognize this as a problem affecting the entire human race.
For more information visit http://www.worldaidsday.org/
For HIV rapid-testing locations in New Jersey visit http://www.state.nj.us/health/aids/rapidtesting/location.shtml
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