Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome, more commonly known as AIDS is one of the most dreaded diseases on the rounds. It is a collection of symptoms and infections in humans resulting from the damage caused by the immune system by the human immunodeficiency virus or HIV. This HIV is transmitted through direct contact of a mucous membrane or the blood steam through a bodily fluid containing HIV, such as blood, vaginal fluid and breast milk. This transmission can come from the sexual intercourse, blood transfusions, contaminated hypodermic needles, exchange between mother and child during pregnancy, childbirth or breastfeeding or any other exposure to one of the above bodily fluids.
AIDS is the most severe manifestation of infection with HIV. It is a retrovirus that primarily infects the
vital components of the human immune system such as CD4 T+ cells , macrophages and dendritic cells. It directly or indirectly kills the cells required for the proper functioning of the immune system. Due to this cellular immunity is lost, leading to the condition known ad AIDS.
Most researches believe that AIDS originated in sub-Saharan African during the twentieth century. It is a pandemic, with an estimated 38.6 million people living with the disease worldwide. By January 2006, an estimation provided by the Joint United programme on HIV/AIDS(UNAIDS) and the World Health Organization(WHO), stated that AIDS had killed more than 25 million people since it was recognized on 5th June 1981, making it one of the most destructive diseases recorded in history. Antiretroviral treatments reduces the mortality rate of this disease but constant access to the medicine is always not possible, and hence it's a big factor to the mortality rate. Apart from the actual symptoms of the disease, the stigma attached to it is more severe as it manages to extend from the actual providers to even the volunteers that are associated with the care of people infected with AIDS.
The Red Ribbon is internationally used as a symbol to fight against AIDS, and it first came to the limelight at the 1991 Tony Awards. It has been since then a powerful psychological component of AIDS. It was first created by the Visual AIDS Artists Caucus in 1991. The artists had wanted to create a symbol that would be the ideal for demonstrating compassion for people suffering with AIDS or living with it. The color red was chosen as it was connected to blood and passion as in love. It continues to be a powerful force to fight against AIDS. It is more important to fight against this dreaded disease than to be misinformed and scared of it. AIDS can be prevented if proper care and action is taken. It is purely a myth that sitting, living or being close with any person infected with AIDS is going to get the other person affected too. A healthy person is more susceptible to AIDS if he or she indulges in promiscuous sexual behavior, uses common hypodermic needles, or is exposed to infected blood. Although people involved in the study and prevention of AIDS is potentially under threat all the time, precaution such as usage of gloves, masks and goggles do offer some protection.
AIDS is a killer, a very silent killer, never to be known when it strikes. Hence it is always better to have prevention better than cure... in other words to be aware of the disease and to follow prevention measures to the maximum. A few steps to awareness and protection goes a long way in protecting a million of lives.
