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Acquired immune deficiency syndrome, also called AIDS, is a virus that weakens a person’s ability to fight infections and cancer. AIDS is caused by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). HIV attacks and destroys a type of white blood cell called a CD4 cell. The CD4 cell’s main function is to fight disease, when the CD4 cell count gets low a person is more susceptible to illness. People get HIV first, and then when your CD4 level gets below 200 you are considered to have AIDS.

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that there are 1,185,000 people in the United States living with HIV/AIDS. In addition, about 25% of these people are unaware of the infection. HIV/AIDS is spread by contact with an infected person’s bodily fluids like blood, semen, vaginal secretions, or breast milk. The most common ways of contracting the disease is through unprotected sex or IV needle sharing with an infected person. People can also get it from blood transfusions before the 1990’s, and pregnant mothers can give it to their babies. HIV/AIDS is not gender, age, or race discriminate, so anyone can contract this disease.

The symptoms of HIV/AIDS are flu-like symptoms, yeast infections, thrush, pelvic inflammatory disease, fever, sweating during sleep, extreme fatigue, weight loss, and swollen glands. You can also have no symptoms for months or even years but still have the disease. This is why HIV testing very crucial. You can have a simple blood test to check for HIV. The CDC recommends that everyone is tested for HIV a least once a year.

There are treatments for HIV/AIDS but there is no cure. After you have been diagnosed with HIV, your doctor will put you on a drug regimen of several drugs. Combinations of these anti-HIV drugs are called HAART drugs. This drug therapy is not easy; they must be taken at exactly the correct times every day. There are also many side effects like diarrhea, nausea, and...