HIV/Aids is an Immune System Disorder in which the body's ability to defend itself against infections, is greatly diminished. HIV is spread primarily through sexual or blood-to-blood contact. To put this simply, in layman's terms, the HIV virus enters the bloodstream and attaches itself to the service of a white blood cell (the CD4 cell's receptors). The virus then changes its genetic information into that of the white blood cell. The virus cannot be recognized by other white blood cells and is, over time, able to replicate itself into hundreds of HIV viruses. When the HIV virus has used the cellular material of the white blood cell, this breaks open and the new virus can, and does, spread through the bloodstream.

A person infected with HIV can go through five stages of the disease:
1. Primary HIV infection stage
2. A symptomatic latent phase
3. Minor symptomatic phase
4. Major symptomatic phase
5. AIDS defining conditions; the severe symptomatic stage.

Symptoms of Stage 1 are:
• Sore throat, headache, mild fever, fatigue, muscle and joint pains, swelling of the lymph nodes, rash and mouth ulcerations. The CD4 cell count is approx. 800-1200 cells/mm3.

Symptoms of Stage 2 are:
• No symptoms occur as this is the latent stage. The CD4 cell count is between 500 and 800 cells

Symptoms of Stage 3 are:
• Swelling of the lymph nodes/glands in the neck, armpits and groin.
• Occasional fevers, recurrent chest infections.
• Shingles, skin infections and rashes.
• Recurrent mouth ulcers
• Weight loss up to 10% of the person's usual body weight.
• Prolonged, unexplained fatigue.
The CD4 count is between 350 and 500 cells

Symptoms of Stage 4 are:
• Persistent and recurrent oral and vaginal Candida infections (thrush)
• Recurrent herpes infections eg cold sores
• Recurrent shingles infections (herpes zoster)
• Recurrent bacterial skin infections and skin rashes
• Fever that lasts for more than a month, night sweats
• Chronic diarrhea that lasts for more than a month
• Significant and unexplained weight loss
• Abdominal discomfort, headaches
• Thickened white patches on inside of the tongue
• Persistent cough and reactivation of TB
• Opportunistic diseases of various kinds
The CD4 count is between 150 and 350 cells

Symptoms of Stage 5 are:
• Continuous diarrhea, nausea and vomiting causing weight loss.
• Persistent recurrent vaginal candidiasis.
• Cold Sores and oral thrush
• Severe and recurrent skin infections
• Respiratory infections causing persistent cough, chest pain and fever.
• Pneumonia
• Weigh loss, tiredness
• Severe shingles
• Body pains, numbness or ‘pins and needles'
• Memory loss, poor concentration, headaches or confusion.
• Cryptococcal meningitis, presenting with fever, headache, stiffness of the neck, mental state change
• Infection causing brain damage
• Painless reddish brown swelling on the skin and mucous membranes
• TB
• Other sexual transmitted diseases (STD)
The CD4 cell count is below 200 cells.

The three main modes/causes of infection are:
1. Unprotected sexual intercourse with an HIV infected person
2. Infection through contaminated blood or blood products
3. Mother – child transmission of HIV
via the placenta
during childbirth OR
through breastfeeding.

All these symptoms can be confused with many other illnesses, so the only way to be sure that you have, or have not, got AIDS is to be tested. If you are positive, then you can make a major contribution to your survival and quality of life by getting into an early treatment program in which Immune Enhancement is encouraged.

You probably know some of them. They have made HIV and AIDS the sole source of their income. Some are researchers into an HIV vaccine; others are home based care givers while the majority are teachers on behavior change, telling us what we can do to keep the virus at bay or if we are already infected, how we can live a healthy lifestyle.

There are millions of them out there. They are not living with HIV and AIDS; they are living on HIV and AIDS. They depend on this infection so much that they curse the day a cure will be found. They are leeches that make lots of money on HIV and AIDS, they have every reason to stop any vaccine that could cure or prevent HIV and AIDS!

Should we trust pharmaceutical companies and the researchers they fund to get a cure or a vaccine against HIV and AIDS? I don’t trust them to announce a major breakthrough that will make them jobless the next minute. They must remain at it for as long as they can until a chance intervention by nature itself saves the millions of suffering patients out there.

.Reference resource: Click Here.

Twenty years ago, the word “AIDS” struck terror in Americans. Death could hide in a drop of blood.

Today, the power of word has faded: Saying “AIDS” aloud makes most people uncomfortable, not afraid. Studies find fewer Americans see acquired immune deficiency syndrome as a grave national problem.

Yet the problem still sends more than 18,000 Americans a year to their graves.

Early in the epidemic, when HIV — the virus that causes AIDS — happened in this region, most didn’t hear about it. No longer: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says the highest number of Americans living with AIDS, the highest number of deaths among those with AIDS and the most new AIDS diagnoses are in the South.

In AIDS’ early days, it was confined to certain groups. Today, the virus’s reach is much broader. Though there still are some groups whose overall risk is greater, that varies by region: In East Tennessee, the gay white man is still overwhelmingly the face of HIV; in Memphis, blacks are four times more likely to be infected than are whites.

If anything positive could be said about such a destructive virus, it might be that it has united people of different backgrounds, races, religions and sexual orientations. But, as those affected will tell you, there’s still a long fight ahead.

.Reference resource: Click Here.

Over the years, cases of people living with HIV/AIDS have increased. Although treatment for AIDS and HIV exist, there is no known cure until today. People with AIDS are confronted with the problem of coping up with pressing health and income needs. They are also often placed in an uncomfortable situation by people who judge them based on their illness. Although there are only a few known ways of transmitting this disease, a lot of people are still unaware of this. As a result they shun away from them in times they are needed most. The worst part of having this disease is when family members or relatives are not able to give their support, be it financially or emotionally.

Hence, it is important to know that just like knowing that someone you care has cancer or deafness, having AIDS can let you know things about someone or about yourself that you haven’t really thought of. Who knows, you might actually learn something valuable about human nature from someone who has this disease.

AIDS can no doubt destabilize a society in various ways. It can change how society treats people with this illness, it can weaken the economy and it can shatter families and communities. AIDS can also financially injure you. So how can you comply with the complex and extensive treatment and cope with your daily expenses when you are physically unable to work? Fortunately, people living with AIDS can also claim for Social Security benefits. The programs that are often involved for people with AIDS are Social Security Disability Insurance Benefits (SSDI) and Supplemental Security Income (SSI).

Although medical eligibility for these programs is the same, there are some differences between these two. Basically, you pay for SSDI with your Social Security taxes when you work. The amount of your monthly benefit depends on how much you earned when you were working. On the other hand, people who do not qualify for Social Security or whose Social Security benefits are low may qualify for SSI if they have low income and limited resources.

You need to discuss this with your doctor, when you are thinking of applying for Social Security. If you think you are ready to file for benefits, you can begin the application by contacting the Social Security Administration. Social Security is there to help you manage financially and help you receive the medical care you deserve. But sometimes, Social Security rules and regulations can be confusing and complicated to understand. It is, therefore, sometimes okay and necessary to seek legal help. Lawyers who have knowledge of the Social Security law can help you go through the process confidently and smoothly as much as possible.

One of the more devastating moments in a person’s life is finding out that a spouse or partner has been diagnosed with HIV. In the end, such a diagnosis results in a whole host of considerations and concerns. Towards the top of the list is the issue of what can be done in order to be intimate and sexual with a spouse or partner that has been diagnosed with HIV. At the foundation of any sexual connection with a spouse or partner that is afflicted with HIV should be the proper use of condoms. In the end, condoms provide you with the best line of defense when it comes to preventing the transmission of HIV from partner to partner. With this in mind, there are some facts and factors that you need to keep in mind when it comes to using condoms to prevent the transmission of AIDS.

First, you need to make sure that you need use condoms consistently. You cannot use them occasionally or only for some types of sexual activity and not others. The bottom line is that you need to use condoms each and every time you have any type of sexual conduct or engage in any sort of sexual activity with an infected partner. Second, in addition to consistency, you need to make sure that you use condoms correctly. In this regard, you need to follow the directions made available to you with each condom package for putting on, using and then taking off a condom. The failure to follow these directions is the most significant reason why condoms fail to work correctly. Third, you absolutely must make certain that you use only those condoms that have not reached their expiration date. Condoms do not last forever and should never be used when they have reached their expiration date. Fourth, you need to make certain that you store condoms correctly as well. Once again, you will want to follow the directions that are set forth on the condom package when it comes to the storage of these products. Finally, if you have a partner that is infected with HIV, it is important that you obtain testing yourself to determine your own HIV status with regularity. While you can take all of the necessary safe sex steps to work to prevent the spread of HIV, nothing is 100% effective in this regard. Therefore, it is important for you to have an HIV test from time to time. Most medical experts recommend obtaining such a test every six months. By being tested regularly, you will be in the best possible position to proactively deal with an HIV infection should you ever face such a condition of your own.

Over the years, cases of people living with HIV/AIDS have increased. Although treatment for AIDS and HIV exist, there is no known cure until today. People with AIDS are confronted with the problem of coping up with pressing health and income needs. They are also often placed in an uncomfortable situation by people who judge them based on their illness. Although there are only a few known ways of transmitting this disease, a lot of people are still unaware of this. As a result they shun away from them in times they are needed most. The worst part of having this disease is when family members or relatives are not able to give their support, be it financially or emotionally. Hence, it is important to know that just like knowing that someone you care has cancer or deafness, having AIDS can let you know things about someone or about yourself that you haven’t really thought of. Who knows, you might actually learn something valuable about human nature from someone who has this disease.

AIDS can no doubt destabilize a society in various ways. It can change how society treats people with this illness, it can weaken the economy and it can shatter families and communities. AIDS can also financially injure you. So how can you comply with the complex and extensive treatment and cope with your daily expenses when you are physically unable to work? Fortunately, people living with AIDS can also claim for Social Security benefits. The programs that are often involved for people with AIDS are Social Security Disability Insurance Benefits (SSDI) and Supplemental Security Income (SSI). Although medical eligibility for these programs is the same, there are some differences between these two. Basically, you pay for SSDI with your Social Security taxes when you work. The amount of your monthly benefit depends on how much you earned when you were working. On the other hand, people who do not qualify for Social Security or whose Social Security benefits are low may qualify for SSI if they have low income and limited resources.

When you are thinking of applying for Social Security, you need to discuss this with your doctor. If you think you are ready to file for benefits, you can begin the application by contacting the Social Security Administration. Social Security is there to help you manage financially and help you receive the medical care you deserve. But sometimes, Social Security rules and regulations can be confusing and complicated to understand. It is, therefore, sometimes okay and necessary to seek legal help. Lawyers who have knowledge of the Social Security law can help you go through the process confidently and smoothly as much as possible.