1. By David Velasquez Mr. Ippolito Biology Per. 8-9

2. AIDS is an STD (sexually transmitted disease) that kills people by destroying their immune system. There is no cure for the virus but scientists have been recently researching for a more effective treatment and a vaccine.

3. HIV is what starts AIDS. Aids is treated by antiviral therapy. This suppresses the replication of the HIV virus in the body. Another type of treatment is known as reverse transcriptase inhibitors. This interrupts an early stage in the growth (replication) cycle of the virus. This slows the spread of the HIV virus in the body and delays the start of more infections. There are still more treatment being developed for the virus.

4. There are many AIDS cases in which many have died. For example, in 2003, the amount of people estimated that died due to AIDS was 18,017, with 17,934 being adults and adolescents, and 83 being children under the age or 13. The cumulative number of deaths of people with AIDS through 2003 is 524,060, 518,568 being adults and adolescents, and 5,492 being children under the age of 13.

5. Aids cases and deaths between 1981-2003 Result of the AIDS virus and how many people died

6. AIDS was first discovered in the mid-1970’s. Scientists still don’t know where the virus originated from. They only that a person was infected at this time. Later on, scientists’ theory was that it came from chimpanzees.

7. A person can only get AIDS through sex. This is why AIDS is an STD (Sexually Transmitted Disease) If a person has sex with another person that has the virus, that person will become infected. Before having sex, a person should know if they have the virus. They should also be aware if their partner has the virus too, it’s a good precaution.

8. A person can take steps in order to protect themselves from the AIDS virus. The greatest method of protecting yourself from AIDS is abstinence. Abstinence is when a person does not have sex until they are married. A person can also use a condom. There are still chances of the person getting AIDS though. This is why abstinence is the best method of being protected from the deadly AIDS virus.

9. Can kill a person within months after being diagnosed AIDS is a viral infection and has no cure yet Once a person gets the virus they are dead unless they get treatment for it A person should check themselves with a doctor before and after having sex with a “diagnosed” person Scientists have found out that a frog in South America has something in its cells that helps fight off the virus.