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