The Staggering AIDS Statistics
AIDS is a disease that affects many people throughout the world. It was first formally recognized in 1981, and since then, millions of people have become infected with the HIV virus. In this article, we’ll offer some statistics regarding the disease known as AIDS so that you can get a better idea of how it affects us as a civilization.
-AIDS is a disease that is particularly threatening to male homosexuals. A study conducted in 2005 showed that out of 28,037 male subjects, a full 67 percent became afflicted with AIDS through male-to-male sexual contact. Heterosexual contact was found to be responsible for only 15 percent of the cases of AIDS in the study. The use of injection drugs was responsible for 13 percent of the cases. Females, on the other hand, were found to be most commonly infected with the disease through heterosexual contact. 80 percent of female cases of AIDS in the study were due to heterosexual contact, with injection drug usage surmising 19 percent of the cases. By the same token, males were found to be much more likely to become infected with AIDS. Out of 37,930 people infected with AIDS in a study that was conducted, 74 percent were males and 26 percent were females.
As far as race is concerned, African Americans have been shown to be diagnosed with the disease more commonly than any other racial group according to a study conducted in 2005. 49 percent of the cases in the study occurred in African Americans, with 31 percent of cases occurring in Caucasians and 19 percent in Latinos. Between the years of 2001 and 2005, the rates of AIDS infection in the United States have been on the rise. In 2001 there were 38,016 reported infections, with the number increasing until 2005 when there were 44,198 reported infections. In total, there have been 956,666 confirmed diagnoses of AIDS between 1981, when the disease was discovered and 2005. In all likelihood, the number of infections is higher, but many individuals fail to realize that they have the disease.
Did You Know?
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The AIDS epidemic is a horrible disease but it has given us a silver lining. Scientists and researchers have a new awareness of how important the immune system is to our body.
The public knows about the immune system and cares about the health of lymph nodes, vessels, and the rest of the system. Because there is a new awareness of the importance of the immune system, more research has been done on how to build it up so it can fight the advances of AIDS. People are aware of the danger of infectious diseases and are taking steps to stay healthier. They are eating healthier diets, exercising, and taking better care of their bodies.
The medical community has focused on researching vaccines and cures but has failed to explore the possibilities of bolstering the immune system. The best defense we have against infection is our body. The tragedy of that fact is that most drugs have serious side effects and only prolong life for a few more months.
Strengthening the body’s immune system is our best defense against opportunistic infections. One way to do that is to use homeopathy medicine. There is not one treatment or drug that will help every HIV infected person, but homeopathy is helping people with various stages of the disease. This is a different way of looking at the disease.
Instead of fighting the pathogens that cause the disease through conventional drug treatment, doctors are looking at alternative and complimentary ways of treating patients with HIV or AIDS. Doctors in the Netherlands are supporting the use of homeopathic medicine in treating AIDS patients.
Natural therapies, and alternative methods of treatment cannot only prolong the life of the AIDS patient, it can improve the overall quality of life they have. They do not provide a cure. |
One of the most important things to consider when it comes to preventing an infection of the HIV virus is practicing safe sex. The generally preferred method of practicing safe sex involves the use of a condom, which can prevent HIV or other sexually transmitted diseases from spreading. A two-year study gauging the effectiveness of condoms for preventing HIV transmission showed that a full one hundred percent of the test subjects successfully avoided spreading the disease by using condoms while having sexual relations. Worldwide, AIDS is reaching epidemic levels of transmission.
Current estimates place the number of individuals infected with AIDS at a full 38 million. As many as 24.5 million of these cases are believed to exist within Sub-Saharan Africa alone.
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AIDS Facts
Educating the population of the world to the dangers of HIV and AIDS and ways to prevent transmission of the disease is one of the key ways to prevent the spread of this disease.
Education about the dangers of AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases is needed to help people change their behavior and do more to protect themselves from this life threatening disease. |
Clearly, AIDS is a big issue that we are working towards tackling as a society. While advances have been made in AIDS treatments, there is still no cure for the disease. Hopefully, the rigorous research that is being conducted on the disease will bear fruit, but until then, you need to remember to take as many preventative measures as you can.
Important Information in AIDS and HIV Issues
08/27/2008
UNAIDS representative calls for more services for HIV/AIDS people (People's Daily)
Representative of the United Nations Program for HIV/AIDS in Angola Thmsir Sall here on Wednesday called for expanding coverage and access to the services given to the people living with HIV/AIDS. The global access to anti-retroviral drugs and the wide participation of the civil society in working out public policies is the key foundation for combat and prevention of HIV/AIDS, Thmsir Sall told ...
UNAIDS representative calls for more services for HIV/AIDS people (People's Daily)
08/29/2008
Zimbabwe: Don't Politicise Cash for HIV/Aids, Fund Told (AllAfrica.com)
The Global Fund for HIV/Aids, Tuberculosis and Malaria has been challenged to stop politicising HIV and Aids funding and distribute the amount due to Zimbabwe in time as is has done for other countries in the region.
Zimbabwe: Don't Politicise Cash for HIV/Aids, Fund Told (AllAfrica.com)
08/29/2008
First consultation on HIV/AIDS (Tobago News)
THA Chief Administrator Michael Keens-Dumas, who spoke on behalf of the Chief Secretary, stated that he fully supported the project and applauded the efforts of the NACC on placing the issues pertaining to HIV/AIDS on the front burner.
First consultation on HIV/AIDS (Tobago News)
08/28/2008
Coalition Of More Than 30 Groups Calls On Presidential Candidates To Develop National HIV/AIDS Strategy (Medical News Today)
A coalition of more than 30 HIV/AIDS advocacy groups representing minority communities in the U.S. has called on presidential candidates Sens. John McCain (R-Ariz.) and Barack Obama (D-Ill.) to develop a comprehensive national strategy to fight HIV/AIDS, VOA News reports.
Coalition Of More Than 30 Groups Calls On Presidential Candidates To Develop National HIV/AIDS Strategy (Medical News Today)
08/29/2008
UN study says polygamy main AIDS driver in Swaziland (AFP via Yahoo! News)
Traditional sexual practices including polygamy and promiscuity are driving rampant HIV-AIDS in Swaziland where nearly 40 percent of adults are infected, a UN study released Friday has found.
UN study says polygamy main AIDS driver in Swaziland (AFP via Yahoo! News)
08/28/2008
Human Rights Should Be Focus Of Efforts To Fight HIV/AIDS Worldwide, Editorial Says (Medical News Today)
The U.S. should shift its policy on fighting HIV/AIDS to a "fight for basic human equality, providing a basis for more realistic outreach," a Daytona Beach News Journal editorial says. According to the editorial, HIV/AIDS is "reclaiming a foothold" around the world among younger populations "who don't want to admit they may be vulnerable" or think of the virus "as something treatable.
Human Rights Should Be Focus Of Efforts To Fight HIV/AIDS Worldwide, Editorial Says (Medical News Today)
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