do we realy aware about HIV/AIDS ?

There still remains a great deal of misunderstanding and ignorance around the issue of HIV/AIDS. HIV is a virus which can be transmitted only through blood, intravenous drug use though shared needles, sexual intercourse and through a mother to her unborn child. The virus cannot be transmitted, as some people believe, through casual contact, such as kissing, using water fountains or public bathrooms. A person develops AIDS only when the HIV virus weakens the immune system to a severe degree, leaving it vulnerable to a host of other illnesses, such as pneumonia. The period it takes for HIV to develop into AIDS varies from six months to ten years. However, the new combination of drugs being developed has considerably extended the period in which a person can live with HIV before it develops into AIDS. While the number of new AIDS cases is declining, the number of people living with the HIV infection is increasing. This increased prevalence means that even more prevention efforts are needed. Individuals may be less concerned about becoming infected with HIV due to treatment advances such as protease inhibitors. However, the drugs do not work for everyone, and their long-term effectiveness is still undetermined. In addition, many cannot tolerate the side effects of the drugs or do not have access to the medications. From 1996 to 1997, the number of children (under age 13) who were diagnosed with AIDS decreased by 40%. This is thought to reflect successful efforts to reduce prenatal transmission through voluntary testing and zidovudine therapy (AZT) for pregnant HIV-infected women. People living with the disease are still subject to discrimination and humiliation, and those who advocate for them still fight against decreasing budgets. Misinformation about how HIV is transmitted and who acquires it has contributed to a heightened sense of fear and has caused many extremists to believe that the government must take drastic steps to protect the uninfected. Unfortunately, these steps have been translated into a barrage of legislation which discriminates against people with HIV/AIDS and violates many of their civil liberties, including their rights to privacy, a healthy life, and full employment.