Truth: Aids "next few" day(s) - Trends

For the next few weeks, I would like to take the time to educate us on something that many are aware of but very few are educated about, H.IV and Aids. Why? Personally, given the stories on the news, the results of nation wide surveys and judging by the lifestyle of many people, it seems as though the reality of Aids has yet to hit home.

Sometimes, it takes for the individual to come to a close a situation or for something to happen to them for something to click in the brain. Regrets can come about, tears will fall but their is nothing you can do. At the moment, it is something that scientist have yet to cure.
In order to understand its current status, let us begin to understand what this ACTUALLY is. Let us start with the beginning: (Before you begin reading, understand that I am not a qualified doctor, but that I am obtaining information from sites I deem to be repeatable.)

Human immunodeficiency virus, or HIV, is the virus that causes acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS). The virus weakens a person's ability to fight infections and cancer. People with HIV are said to have AIDS when they develop certain infections or cancers or when their CD4* count is less than 200. CD4 count is determined by a blood test in a doctor's office. ( http://www.webmd.com/hiv-aids/guide/sexual-health-aids)

* CD4 Cells - These are T-cells (T-cells are specialized white blood cells that play an important role in the body's immune system.) These have molecules called CD4 on its surface. These "helper" cells initiate the body's response to invading micro-organisms such as viruses. http://aids.about.com/od/newlydiagnosed/qt/cd4.htm

AIDS is the final stage of HIV infection. When the immune system CD4 cells drop to a very low level, a person's ability to fight infection is lost. In addition, there are several conditions that occur in people with HIV infection with this degree of immune system failure -- these are called AIDS defining illnesses. (http://www.webmd.com/hiv-aids/guide/sexual-health-aids)

World Wide Statistics as of end July 2007: (published by UNAIDS)
First column shows the estimated amount and the second column indicates the range.

People living with HIV/AIDS in 2007	33.0 million	30.3-36.1 million
Adults living with HIV/AIDS in 2007	30.8 million	28.2-34.0 million
Women living with HIV/AIDS in 2007	15.5 million	14.2-16.9 million
Children living with HIV/AIDS in 2007	2.0 million	1.9-2.3 million
People newly infected with HIV in 2007	2.7 million	2.2-3.2 million
Children newly infected with HIV in 2007	0.37 million	0.33-0.41 million
AIDS deaths in 2007	2.0 million	1.8-2.3 million
Child AIDS deaths in 2007	0.27 million	0.25-0.29 million

Global Trends

The number of people living with HIV has risen from around 8 million in 1990 to 33 million today, and is still growing. Around 67% of people living with HIV are in sub-Saharan Africa.

Regional statistics for HIV & AIDS, end of 2007

Region	Adults & children living with HIV/AIDS	Adults & children newly infected	Adult prevalence*	Deaths of adults & children
Sub-Saharan Africa	22.0 million	1.9 million	5.0%	1.5 million
North Africa & Middle East	380,000	40,000	0.3%	27,000
Asia	5 million	380,000	0.3%	380,000
Oceania	74,000	13,000	0.4%	1,000
Latin America	1.7 million	140,000	0.5%	63,000
Caribbean	230,000	20,000	1.1%	14,000
Eastern Europe & Central Asia	1.5 million	110,000	0.8%	58,000
North America, Western & Central Europe	2.0 million	81,000	0.4%	31,000
Global Total	33.0 million	2.7 million	0.8%	2.0 million

* Proportion of adults aged 15-49 who were living with HIV/AIDS

During 2007 more than two and a half million adults and children became infected with HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus), the virus that causes AIDS. By the end of the year, an estimated 33 million people worldwide were living with HIV/AIDS. The year also saw two million deaths from AIDS, despite recent improvements in access to antiretroviral treatment

Truth: It is not something that does not reside on our front/back door. It does.
You may know someone living with it. It doesn't make them the bogey man/woman and at the same time, it doesn't mean that they will drop dead next week. Remember, without being insensitive about it, tomorrow is promised to NO ONE.

According to Advert.Org, the statistics are changing and numbers are increasing. The people who are affected are diverse in number, culture, class and sexual orientation.
Please be mindful of this virus and please get tested. I am a strong believer in abstinence, simply because that's how God wanted it to be. Absinence takes away from the nerves you feel when one visits the doctor for their yearly tests.

This series will continue for the next few days. I hope you have learnt something today.