There is a slight difference between HIV and AIDS. HIV is the abbreviation for Human Immunodeficiency Virus and it is basically when the person is considered a carrier of the virus. When a person obtains this disease, it can never be rid of it, and therefore, carries the virus for his/her entire life. This virus attacks the T-cells of the body, and when too many T-cells are destroyed, it is considered AIDS. AIDS is the abbreviation for Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome, and it is the final phase of HIV. (AIDS, 2014)
This viral disease is transmitted primarily through the contact with body fluids during sexual intercourse, sharing hypodermic needles, and by the utero during pregnancy. The virus enters through the …show more content…
The person with AIDS may develop Mycobacterium avium, Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia and Cytomegalovirus. Moreover, the person can have chronic diarrhea, memory loss, severe depression, and intense night sweats. There is also a condition called Kaposi’s sarcoma, which is a blood vessel cancer. (Neighbor & Tannehill-Jones, 2014)
Prognosis
In the 1980’s the prognosis of HIV was not at all favorable, because it was a 100% fatal disease. With the development of technology and research methods, the prognosis of surviving HIV was increased, although there is still no cure for HIV. It is estimated that 33% of people that have HIV do not receive treatment because of the treatment’s high cost, or because they are diagnosed too late. This infectious disease is still considered pandemic because 30 million people have died of AIDS throughout the world. (Neighbor & Tannehill-Jones, 2014)