| HIV/AIDS continues to dramatically affect people | | | | AIDS has increased. This illustrates the |
| all over the world despite preventive measures | | | | improvements of drug therapy. Successful drug |
| such as educational awareness and testing | | | | regimes help contain HIV so that it does not |
| programs and treatment initiatives such as drug | | | | become AIDS and help the body fight off |
| research and development. Even in the United | | | | opportunistic infections - infections or diseases |
| States, where government funding, medical | | | | that can capitalize on a weakened immune |
| technology, and education would seemingly defeat | | | | system of an HIV/AIDS patient, but not in a |
| this disease, the epidemic continues. According to | | | | healthy person - which are normally the ultimate |
| the United States Center for Disease Control | | | | cause of death. |
| (CDC) over 1,000,000 people are living HIV/AIDS | | | | Thanks to these efforts and more, today's |
| in this country and approximately 40,000 new | | | | picture is brighter than the past. People with HIV |
| cases are reported each year. Although high, this | | | | AIDS are now living longer and healthier lives, but |
| is a significant drop from the new annual cases | | | | they still face serious health problems. These |
| reported during 1980's, which approached 150,000. | | | | complications include aversion to medicine, |
| The statistics from the CDC are an important | | | | afflictions stemming from a weakened immune |
| resource for tracking changes and measuring the | | | | system, and adverse effects of the infection |
| impact of efforts, whether focused on treatment | | | | itself. Because of these on-going vulnerabilities, in |
| or prevention. An overview of recent data | | | | 2004 HIV/AIDS was reclassified from an |
| reveals important trends. First, prevention | | | | infectious disease to a chronic disease. As such, |
| awareness and educational programs that aim to | | | | the treatment strategy, adopted from the Guide |
| inform and promote less risky behavior are | | | | to Primary Care for People with HIV/AIDS, |
| reducing the number of new cases within the | | | | stresses a comprehensive long-term model that |
| United States. | | | | involves clinical attention, proactive community |
| Second, despite the efforts of these programs | | | | groups, and self-management. |
| people are continuing to transmit HIV/AIDS. This | | | | Within this model, the contributions of community |
| is largely due to risky behavior revolving around | | | | groups provide HIV/AIDS patients with resources |
| drug use and unprotected sex, but continued lack | | | | and support to improve their lives. Services and |
| of HIV/AIDS testing is also to blame. It is | | | | direct care programs help patients with financial |
| estimated that close to thirty percent of people | | | | matters, housing, nutritional needs, counseling, |
| infected with HIV are asymptomatic and do not | | | | support groups, and transportation. Given that the |
| know it. Routine testing remains major priority, | | | | national budgets are invested in large-scale |
| and as such, officials have tried to institute these | | | | educational programs and research, individual |
| blood tests as a routine clinical procedure. | | | | impact is felt most strongly when contributions go |
| Third, while the number of new active cases has | | | | to organizations that provide services directly to |
| decreased, the number of people living with HIV | | | | individuals in need. |