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Hiv/Aids

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Over the years, HIV and AIDS has been a growing epidemic. More and more people are being diagnosed with these life-threatening viruses. HIV, which stands for human immunodeficiency virus, is a virus that attacks the body’s immune system. In other words, it interferes with the body's ability to fight the organisms that cause disease (“HIV/AIDS,” 2014). AIDS, which stands for acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, is the last stage of HIV infection. Like in the name, AIDS is acquired; meaning it is not inherited, but is something obtained. People with HIV usually get AIDS in the last stage of the infection (2014). Many people with both of these viruses cannot live a healthy life due to their weak immune system, thus leading to death. This is why this disease is one of the most life-threatening and people should become more educated about it. When people hear the word “HIV,” they automatically associate it with AIDS. What a lot of people do not realize is that you do not automatically have AIDS if you have HIVS. There are actually quite some differences between HIV and AIDS. To start off, HIV is a virus, while AIDS is a disease. According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, a virus is “an extremely small living thing that causes a disease and that spreads from one person or animal to another,” while a disease is “an illness that affects a person” (2015). Another main difference between the two is that some of the patients show symptoms and others do not. A victim of HIV is asymptomatic, which means they show no signs of the virus. A victim of AIDS shows many signs of the disease. With that fact, victims of HIV may feel and look healthy, but a victim of AIDS may feel weak and sick (“Path”, n.d.). There are many myths to how HIV is transmitted; some are true and some are false. One false myth that people believe is true about HIV transmission is that you can get it if

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