Hiv and Aids Essay

Hiv and Aids Essay Hiv and Aids Essay Sylvia Jefferson Psych 2301 Prof Hasley April 15, 2013 Chapter 11 â€Å"Health, Stress and Coping† During my learning experience in Chapter 11, â€Å"Health, Stress and Coping†, the section that was most interesting to me was the section titled â€Å"STD's And Safer Sex-Choice, Risk and Responsibility.† The paragraph in particular which grasped my attention above others was the subject of â€Å"HIV/AIDS†. The disease HIV is a condition caused by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). The condition gradually destroys the immune system, which makes it harder for the body to fight infections. AIDS on the other hand is (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome) is the final stage of the HIV disease, which causes severe damage to the to the immune system. There are millions of people living with living with living with this disease today. Some people were born with this disease, some people contracted the disease carelessly via drug needles or unprotected sex. Eithe r way this disease has and will change individuals lives forever. Being that it has been said that there is no cure for this disease, numerous people have lost their lives from this disease both diagnosed and undiagnosed. Sadly to say, the babies born into the world with the disease was never given the the chance to protect themselves from the disease by making the choice to protect themselves by using condoms to have safe sex or choosing to say no to drugs in order to prevent contracting this disease through needle sharing during drug use. I can relate to the subject of this disease because a close friend of mine contracted this disease by way of choosing not to protect herself during sexual intercourse, she was initially diagnosed with the early stage of the â€Å"virus† but chose to ignore her diagnosis and did not get any treatment. Continuing to possibly spread this disease to others, she resumed her same lifestyle as she was not infected. Later in her life she was she b ecame very ill and was forced to be transported to the ER where she was then diagnosed with the full blown AIDS virus and had no choice but to take this disease serious and be treated for this disease , with the thought in mind of her 3 young children at home that needed her to remain healthy enough to take care of them. I found an article in â€Å"USA TODAY†, titled â€Å"HIV Entrenched In South's Poorest Counties†. This particular article was in great relation to the knowledge in which I obtained from the book within the topic â€Å"HIV/AIDS†. It was mentioned in the article that â€Å"HIV† is tightly entwined in poverty. Southern counties that have the greatest rates of HIV infection are among the poorest in the nation, USA TODAY's