The Origin of HIV/AIDS Essay - 803 Words

Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) was once considered a taboo disease that made its appearance in the United States around the late 1970s. Little was known about the virus and it was originally thought to just be found in the gay male community. As more and more research has been done people now understand the virus and realize that it affects men and women as well as all races, ages, and sexual orientation. It is believed that HIV is a mutated form of the Simian Immunodeficiency Virus (SIV) that is found in chimpanzees. It most likely moved to the human population from people hunting monkeys, coming in contact with their blood, and eating their meat (The Origin of HIV/AIDS, 2014). Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) leads to the life†¦show more content†¦The first type of drugs that can be used are Nucleoside Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitors (NRTI). They work to inhibit the replication of HIV throughout the body. Each NRTI has different side effects; the most common ones include nausea, ulcers, headache, vomiting, and peripheral neuropathy. Another type of AIDS medication is Protease Inhibitors (PI). They will stop reproduction of the virus during later stages in its life cycle. PIs bring on many of the same common problems as NRTIs. There are other medications that are not as widely used which include Fusion Inhibitors that stop the HIV from fusing with a cell and reproducing, Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy (HAART) which are commonly called the HIV â€Å"cocktail† which combines medications to limit the amount of virus in the body, and Non-Nucleoside Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitors (NNRTI) which, like its name states, stops the virus fro m replicating by blocking infection of cells (AIDSTreatment, n.d.). In 2010 the average yearly cost for such treatment was around $23,000 meaning only those with the means to afford this treatment can reap the benefits (HIV cost-effectiveness, n.d.). As a NBA All-Star, Magic Johnson is one of the lucky few capable of acquiring the treatment necessary to combat this virus. In late 1991, Magic Johnson received a phone call that would change his life forever. His doctor informed him that he had contracted the HIV virus. At the time it was still considered what manyShow MoreRelatedThe Human Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome Essay770 Words   |  4 Pagesimmune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) is a retrovirus that is found in two forms HIV-1 and HIV-2. The AIDS virus is a relatively new virus receiving attention in the 1980’s. As quickly as it swept through the world, was as quickly it went to epidemic proportions. Acquired immune deficiency syndrome is a virus that enters and infects the body through sexual activity with an infected party. AIDS is a very infectious and dangerous virus that causes the death of many humans. 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