Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS)

Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (also known as Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome or AIDS) is a serious disease that plagues the world, including the United States of America. AIDS itself does not spread from one individual to another, but the HIV virus (HIV stands for Human Immunodeficiency Virus) does. When an individual acquires HIV from another individual, the HIV virus eventually leads to AIDS (usually). HIV is a sexually transmitted disease, which means it is passed from one person to another during any type of sexual intercourse. However, AIDS can also be transmitted in other ways. For example, if people use dirty needles to inject something, those needles may contain the HIV virus. However, if someone injects another person with a bodily fluid, namely blood, that contains HIV, then the injected person can contract HIV.

HIV leads to AIDS, and AIDS are truly traumatic diseases. As a close reading of the full form of AIDS reveals, AIDS is a disease in which the HIV virus gradually weakens a person’s immune system. Because the immune system takes a beating from the HIV virus, a person with AIDS is attacked by a wide variety of viruses and germs. Even those viruses and germs that normally wouldn’t have caused any problems start to cause problems. Viruses like those that cause the common cold, for example, can cause severe weakness and even death. Also, other viruses and germs can lead to severe weight gain, skin rashes, respiratory problems, and many other problems.

Currently, there is no cure for AIDS. People who have the HIV virus are stuck with it for life. However, there are a number of drugs that help fight HIV and AIDS. People with AIDS usually have to take many drugs to fight the disease because the disease causes many other viruses and drugs to attack the human body. In addition to the emotional and psychological costs, the medical costs of doctor visits, medical treatment, and prescription drugs are enormous.

As mentioned above, HIV can be spread in a number of ways. Aside from sexual activity and needles, HIV can be spread through breast milk from mother to child at birth. HIV transmission is usually unintentional. Sometimes, however, some people choose to spread it intentionally. They may know they have HIV or AIDS and yet choose to have sex without telling their partner. Or, they may intentionally inject others with infected needles or needles that contain fluid that has the HIV virus on it.

For more information about AIDS (and about HIV), contact the Chicago personal injury attorneys at Friedman & Bonebrake. Call us at 312-466-8200 or send us a message from our website.

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