| AIDS,
an acronym for acquired immune deficiency syndrome, is the terminal stage of a
disease that affects the immune system by wearing down its defenses against
other illnesses, making even mild conditions such as the common cold potentially
fatal. Since the first reported cases in the mid-1980’s, the spread of the virus
has reached pandemic proportions, especially among the populations of developing
countries whose people lack access to health care and education. Though infection results strictly from the exchange of or contact with body fluids, the lack of preventative measures and treatments for people who are HIV-positive helps this terrible affliction gain momentum in its proliferation. World AIDS Day is an observance whose main target is to bring focus to the disease and its manifestations and to continue with renewed strength the educational and medical efforts, which will bring about the end of the devastating effects of AIDS on the world. traditions |
facts
Every minute, six people under the age of 25 are infected with HIV. Though the transmission of HIV was long associated with homosexual activities, an overwhelming majority (more than 80 percent) of people infected is in fact heterosexual.
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