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Communicable Disease Essay

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Communicable Disease Essay

Shawna Bolin

HCS/457

June 22, 2015
University of Phoenix

Communicable Disease Essay

Every day we walk around amongst thousands of people, many of whom we will never meet personally but in the same sense can share something unseen. Every time we leave our homes we put ourselves at risk for catching the unknown. It could be as little as catching a cold to catching something more severe such as HIV/AIDS. Every time there is a fluid exchange, contaminated substance or close contact from traveling there is a risk of catching a communicable disease. According to the CDC, more than 1.2 million people in the United States are living with HIV infection and almost 1 in 7 are unaware of their infection (CDC, 2015).
What is it? Hearing the term HIV/AIDS can sound a little confusing and scary. Understanding what it is will not only help you understand the difference between HIV and AIDS but it will also help you learn how to prevent it. Although it can be easy to confuse the two it is actually pretty simple. HIV is a virus and particular exposure to it can lead to infection and AIDS is a condition or a syndrome that can be caused by having HIV (healthline, 2015). Understanding how to control and prevent HIV/AIDS is pretty easy. HIV can be spread through blood, semen, pre-seminal fluids, rectal fluids, vaginal fluids and using a contaminated needle. HIV can even be passed to a child during pregnancy, childbirth and even breast feeding. The use of condoms and clean needles will help control the spread of this deadly disease.
Environmental factors, lifestyles and management. Knowing who is more at risk will help target areas that need more help with prevention. There are many factors beyond having unsafe sex and using intravenous drugs. Living in poverty can cause limited access to health care, HIV testing and

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