HIV Vaccine Study Promising in Preliminary Trial
What is HIV, AIDS? Vaccine may Stop HIV Transmission in Men & Women
Sep 25, 2009
According to the World Health Organization, the AIDS pandemic is the fourth leading cause of death around the world. Studies for a vaccine to prevent HIV infection have been tried on numerous occasions, some with devastating results. In the USA Today article “HIV Vaccine Pair Shows Promise”, correspondent Steve Sternberg noted that a preliminary vaccine that was introduced two years ago by Merck & Co. actually increased the cases of HIV infection, rather than curbing it.
A more recent study in Thailand, with 16,000 volunteers, combined two HIV vaccinations in the effort to reduce the number of infected people. In this study, a 31% effectiveness rate was reported. HIV and AIDS can be devastating and fatal. Although a cure is not foreseen in the near future, researchers have found ways to prolong and improve the quality of life of those infected. A vaccine may be the next step to help curb this deadly disease.
Difference Between HIV and AIDS
Although the two terms tend to be used interchangeably, HIV is actually the virus that leads to AIDS, which is an acronym that stands for Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome. If the HIV virus develops into AIDS, the immune system in the infected person’s body becomes compromised, leading to the increased risk of complications of other viruses or illness, such as the swine flu, pneumonia, tumors, and numerous others.
HIV Transmission
HIV is transmitted through fluid-to-fluid contact, such as any form of intercourse, intravenous drug users who share needles, as well as other more uncommon ways. In the 1980s, the famous case of Ryan White, the young hemophiliac who contracted HIV through a blood transfusion, led to more awareness of how HIV was transmitted in other ways. The chances of contracting HIV through blood transfusions and other medical procedures are now extremely rare.
HIV and AIDS Facts and Statistics
- AIDS is the number one cause of death in Africa, and the fourth in the world
- One person is infected with HIV every nine minutes in the United States
- African Americans account for 46% of HIV-infected cases
- 20% of the 1 million Americans infected with HIV are unaware of it
- Nearly 20 million people worldwide have died due to AIDS since the start of the epidemic
HIV and AIDS Testing and Awareness
Any person who is sexually active, shares needles, or has any concerns whatsoever about the possibility of HIV should be tested as soon as possible. It is important to note that HIV may not show up in a blood test for up to six months after infection, so regular testing is encouraged.
Drugs that suppress HIV are available, leading to longer, more productive lives of HIV patients, and treatment is sometimes successful enough to help prevent or delay the onset of AIDS. Awareness of HIV and AIDS are the key to help reduce this worldwide pandemic, and the promise of a possible vaccine may open many doors to the future of suppressing the fatal disease.
Sources: World Health Organization, USA Today, Center for Disease Control
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