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Hiv and Aids in African American Women

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Submitted By jenm
Words 1003
Pages 5
Jennifer McKinnon
HIV/AIDS Disease
University of Phoenix
HCS 245
Professor Tynan Weed
June 2, 2013

Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome also known as AIDS is the final stage of the disease known as Human Immunodeficiency virus. To understand AIDS we first need to discuss HIV. HIV compromises the body’s ability to fight off infections, bacteria and other harmful microorganisms that attack ones immune system, this is usually what causes AIDS. After the body’s immune system is compromised the ability to naturally fight off these things is weakened and the likelihood that it will be attacked is dramatically increased. As the body is defending what it can the possibility of certain types of cancer is also raised. The HIV and/or AIDS disease can go undetected with no signs or symptoms for up to ten years. Scientists believe that the disease came from a chimpanzee and humans acquired it or became infected with it when they would hunt and eat these animals. Some of the factors that put African American women at a more vulnerable state in being infected with HIV and/or AIDS are barriers to testing and treatment, including poverty, limited access to healthcare or prevention education. Studies have shown the direct link of poverty in African American women to be consistent higher HIV and/or AIDS infection rate. The environmental factors that make African American women more vulnerable to HIV and/or AIDS are poverty with limited education. The consequences of not a having primary or secondary prevention or intervention strategy leads to higher infection rates of African American women. There are several modes of transmission of the Human Immunodeficiency virus which can cause the Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome. The largest contributor to this is having unprotected oral, vaginal and anal sex. Other means of transmission can be men having sex with other men,

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