Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS)

Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (aka Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome or AIDS) is a serious disease plaguing the world, the United States of America included.  AIDS itself does not spread from one individual to another, but the HIV virus (HIV stands for Human Immunodeficiency Virus) does.  When an individual acquires HIV from another individual,the HIV virus eventually leads to AIDS (usually).  HIV is a sexually transmitted disease, meaning that it is given from one person to another person during any type of sexual intercourse.  However, AIDS can also be transferred in other ways.  For example, if people use dirty needles to inject themselves with something those needles may have the HIV virus.  Or, if someone injects another person with a bodily fluid, namely blood, containing HIV, then the injected person can acquire HIV.

HIV leads to AIDS, and AIDS is truly traumatic diseases.  As a close reading of the full form of AIDS reveals, AIDS is a disease in which the HIV virus gradually weakens an individual’s immune system.  Because the immune system takes a beating from the HIV virus, someone with AIDS gets attacked by a wide variety of viruses and germs.  Even those viruses and germs that usually would not have caused any problems start causing problems.  Viruses like those that cause the common cold, for example, can lead to severe weakness and even death.  Additionally, other viruses and germs can lead to severe weight gain, skin rashes, respiratory problems, and a host of other problems.

Currently, there is no cure to AIDS.  People who have the HIV virus are stuck with it for life.  There are a number of drugs, however, that help fight HIV and AIDS.  People with AIDS usually have to take a lot drugs to fight the disease because the disease leads to so many other viruses and drugs attacking the human body.  Aside from the emotional costs and psychological costs, the medical costs of doctor’s visits, medical treatment, and prescription drugs is massive.

As mentioned earlier, HIV can spread in a number of ways.  Aside from sexual activity and needles, HIV can spread through breast milk from mother to child at birth.  Usually, transmission of HIV is not intentional.  Sometimes, however some people choose to spread it intentionally.  They may know that they have HIV or AIDS and and nonetheless choose to engage in sexual intercourse without informing their partner.  Or, they may intentionally inject others with infected needles or needles containing fluid that has the HIV virus.

For more information on AIDS (and on HIV), contact the Chicago personal injury lawyers of Friedman & Bonebrake.  Call us 312-466-8200 or send us a message from our website.