FRIDAY, DAY 5
SEXUALITY AND REPRODUCTION
Human immune deficiency syndrome is also known as acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) and is caused by the human immunodeficiency virus, or HIV. This virus, which affects nearly 40 million people around the globe, attacks the immune system, rendering the body less able to fight off infections, such as pneumonia, as well as certain cancers. In the early stages of HIV, infected people are often free of symptoms and their condition is known as HIV positive without AIDS.
HIV is most frequently spread through sexual intercourse, whether vaginal, anal, or oral. It can also be transmitted through blood transfusions or needle sharing, or passed from a mother to her fetus. Once inside the body, the virus lays siege against white blood cells known as CD4 lymphocytes. Like zombies in a horror film, HIV organisms inject their own DNA into the lymphocytes and destroy them. Eventually, the number of white blood cells—the immune system’s first line of defense—drops so severely that the body can no longer effectively fight off viruses and bacteria. This leads to the development of AIDS, a set of life-threatening infections.
Because of the virus’s complicated nature, there is no cure for it. Fortunately, however, there are a number of antiretroviral drugs that inhibit the formation of HIV. These medications can extend patients’ lives—and improve the quality of their remaining years. In many cases, though, after about 20 years, the body develops a resistance to the drugs, rendering them ineffective.