Hiv/Aids
...led to prolonged fever, swollen lymph glands, immense fatigue and night sweats, if the person in question showed any symptoms at all. People began dieing unexpectedly. No one knew what was causing the people to die so rapidly.
In 1983 the virus that caused this disease was finally identified as LAV (lymphadenopathy-associated virus) in France. Around the same time, the Americans discovered a virus thought to cause the disease they had now discovered was AIDS. They dubbed it HTLV III (human T cell lymphotropic virus-III) or ARV (AIDS related virus). Upon closer inspection of both viruses, they found they were, In fact, the same virus. They named this new virus HIV (human immunodeficiency virus).
Now that the virus had a name, scientists needed more information about the virus. Scientist tested the virus non-stop. They discovered a number of things. Firstly, the virus was not hereditary, meaning it was not passed through genes to the youth. Secondly, they discovered the virus can be transmitted by four fluids: blood, semen, vaginal secretions, and breast milk. Once these modes of transportation for the virus were discovered, sexual contact was quickly named the main cause for HIV transmission.
The first known cases of AIDS were mostly in homosexuals. Naturally, the public began to call this virus a "gay related disease". This came down heavily on the gay community, as if the burden of the already shunned sexual preference wasn't enough. Many people didn't know what HIV stood, for. The H is for Human, meaning it's a human transmission and can not be transmitted by a different species. The I stands for immunodeficiency, or a problem, or weakening of the immune system. The V stands for Virus, or a microscopic organism that carries a disease.
After HIV works its way into your system, you begin to develop AIDS. The A stands for Acquired, meaning getting from some...
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