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Speculative Causes Of The Spread Of Aids

It is undeniable that AIDS and other STDs have spread faster than wildfire throughout the world. Since the late 70's, almost every continent has somehow dealt with or seen the effects of the sexually transmitted virus. Lack of health care, money, and education hinder the healing process in Sub-Saharan Africa, drugs and the acceptance of homosexuality has affected AIDS in North America, and the poverty and disparity of people in China has the country scrambling to heal their wounds. There are millions of people worldwide who try to help stop the spread of this disease by contributing to charities that, in turn, pay for the medication for those affected with the virus. However, it is never enough, as there is no known cure and the inflicted population grows higher by the minute. What else can we do while others are dying?

AIDS, abbreviating Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome, is an epidemic of global proportions. This disease is an advanced form of HIV (human immunodeficiency), which gradually breaks down and destroys the immune system, leaving the body extremely susceptible to illness and unable to defend itself. Typical symptoms of AIDS include, but are not limited to, fevers, aches, weight loss, and chills. Commonly transmitted through sexual intercourse, whether homosexual or heterosexual, it can also be contracted by shared needles. The virus may also be obtained by mixing semen into the bloodstream. Although the origins of this disease are unclear, researches believe that it could have derived from chimpanzees in Africa. There is no known cure as of yet (CNN).

Over the past thirty years, over 47 million have been infected with AIDs and nearly 17 million have died as of December, 1998 (PBS, Nova Online). With 22.5 million of those stricken with the virus, the Sub-Saharan region of Africa is the center of activity in regards to the growing AIDS epidemic (PBS, Nova Online). In the province of South Africa alone, 4.2 million people including 42 thousand...