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Jasmine Gregory
Jessica Morton
UWRT 1101-048
19 November 2014
The Underestimated Controversy
It is bad enough that people are dying of AIDS, but no one should die of ignorance
-Elizabeth Taylor
Most people go into a state of shock and think they need to keep their diagnosis a
secret. They contemplate feelings of abandonment from those around them with questions
such as, who is going to love me now. Am I going to die? While there is a large number of
homosexual males with his particular virus, HIV is not a gay males' disease although HIV
is a chronic disease the likelihood of dying from it is smaller. People are no longer dying of
HIV because it is a manageable condition and it effects everyone.
HIV stands for human immunodeficiency virus. Unfortunately once someone is
infected with the virus, they cannot get rid of it. According to the CDC, HIV is a virus that
spreads through the body and affects certain cells of the immune system. The T-cells to be
exact. It is known that HIV can hide for long periods of time in cells of your body and it
attacks a key part of your T-cells. Your body has to have these cells to fight infections and
disease, but HIV invades them, uses them to make more copies of itself, and then destroys
them. Consequently if a person is HIV positive that does not always mean that they have

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AIDS. Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, or AIDS, is an aggressive progression of

HIV after it has destroyed a vast amount of T-cells it can restrict the body from fighting off
infections. The main risk factor of HIV, if it stays in the body for a long period of time
without treatment is death. Human Immunodeficiency Virus is a lot like other viruses,
including those that cause the flu or common cold but there is an important difference.
Over time your immune system can clear most viruses out of your body. Unfortunately that
is not the case with HIV the immune system can't seem to get rid of it. Scientists are still
trying to figure out why.
Although there is not a cure, it can be controlled. Treatment for HIV is often called
antiretroviral therapy or ART. It can dramatically prolong the lives of many people infected
with HIV and lower their chance of infecting others (HIV Basics). The treatment can
result in a person living a relatively normal life and the prevention of transferring the virus
onto someone else. HIV and AIDS grew rapidly due to the lack of knowledge of the
disease. It started in the 1980s, when homosexual men started to get it. At first people
believed that only gay men could get it, because at the time, they were the only ones
contracting the disease. This belief was a reason why other people were not being cautions.
Furthermore, there was no advanced medical research in the 1980s therefore, doctors could
not effectively detect it. Each year about 50,000 people get infected with HIV. Millions of
people in the United States alone are living with the virus. It has been a major cause of
death in the world and it continues to be a public health concern. While a few do not know
they are even infected, a person who is infected with HIV will sometimes not experience
any symptoms for ten years or maybe even longer.

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Today many people around the world are infected with a serious disease called
AIDS. Unfortunately, the disease has led to many deaths worldwide and yet it still remains
untreatable. Presently there has been numerous speculation about where HIV originated
from, but scientists have discovered a type of chimpanzee in West Africa as the source. The
virus that is within the chimpanzees blood, SIV (simian immunodeficiency virus), is the
progenitor of HIV. The interaction of the virus might have been when people hunted and
ate the meat of the chimpanzees. Studies have showed that there is a striking similarity
between SIV in chimpanzees and HIV in humans. Just as chimps acquired viruses from
two different sources, humans are infected by two distinct AIDS viruses: HIV-1 and the
less virulent HIV-2 (Lovgren). But scientists do not know how the chimpanzees acquired
the disease in the first place. SIV is carried within many types of monkeys in Africa.
Studies have also shown that chimpanzees acquired the virus more recently. SIV increased
in chimpanzee after repeated interactions of marauding the red-capped mangabey and
greater spot-nosed monkey.
There are a large group of people throughout history that have helped shine a light on
HIV/AIDS such as:
Mary Fishers who single handedly presented a speech in front of the 1992 National
Republican Convention aiding to the awareness to the epidemic that is HIV. She was able
to give a sense of awareness as well as the ability to open the eyes of America and speak
for and to the HIV-Positive community. According to Mary, There is no family or
community, no race or religion, no place left in America that is safe. Until we genuinely

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embrace this message, we are a nation at risk (Fisher). She wanted to help other with
HIV/AIDS by stopping the silence and the fear that is associated with it. Within the years
of 2009-2010, Polls show most Americans no longer consider AIDS a major problem.
They're wrong. New infections continue to soar. Over half are in men who have sex with
men, but 31% are in heterosexuals (History of HIV/AIDS Slideshow).
Many people have been infected with HIV, but transmitting the disease is not that
common or easy. Someone who is HIV positive cannot transmit the virus by coughing,
kissing, or shaking hands. Certain body fluids from an HIV-infected person can transmit
HIV (How Do You Get HIV or AIDS?). Which includes but not limited to blood, breast
milk, and vaginal/rectal fluids. Another way to transmit the virus is through drug use.
Being stuck with an HIV-contaminated needle or other sharp object can increase the risk
factor of getting infected. One less common but still relevant case of becoming infect is
being born to an infected mother. HIV can be passed from mother to child during
pregnancy, birth, or breastfeeding.
Additionally, People are no longer dying of HIV because it is a manageable condition.
When a person test positive, it is not the end of the world. They are going to live a full life
but experience some health issues. People take different types of medication depending on
the severity of the virus. The treatment and medications that are used to help manage the
virus has dramatically changed over the decades compared to the 1980s, when HIV was
first announced to the public. Being HIV positive and having AIDS are two different
things. Being HIV positive means that the virus is in you but it hasn't reached the

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infectious stage of having AIDS yet. An AIDS is the disease that destroys the bodys
immune system. Some ways you can treat aids is with a special drug. Some people who
have HIV can prevent themselves from getting AIDS by taking this drug. Sadly the drug
doesn't work for all people. Each person needs a different treatment. Although they have
found a drug to prevent it, it's not possible to diminish the disease or cure it. You'll be with
it for the rest of your life if you do get it.
Finally, the most important reason HIV is not a gay males' disease because it effects
everyone. There is a diverse set of individuals that are affected by the disease. Education is
the key to opening the minds of individuals who have little contact with people that have
HIV/AIDS. The publics knowledge of the disease is gender-biased. Most people are under
the impression that it still is a gay mans. HIV/AIDS has affected all ages, every race, and
social circumstances in every country. Knowledge through programs that put the spotlight
on who is affected will give people a better idea on how to help. It was best said be Mary
Fisher in her speech given at the 1992 Republican National Convention We may take
refuge in our stereotypes, but we cannot hide there long, because HIV asks only one thing
of those it attacks. Are you human? (Fisher). It is stereotypical to say that only
homosexual males can obtain this disease such as it is stereotypical to assume that you
have to be a size two to be considered beautiful.
Throughout a variety of diseases worldwide, AIDS stands at one of the deadliest.
Many people are unaware of the consequences they will face by being infected by AIDS.
Currently AIDS is the sixth leading cause of death and has killed around 25 million people

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since the start of this epidemic. By spreading more knowledge about this treacherous
disease, people will become aware of how it destroys the immune system, how it is
transmitted, and how to avoid it. Maybe one day, with time and research, a cue for HIV
will be found and that will secure that AIDS will no longer exist. Until then, the smartest
thing to do is know the facts and avoid putting people at risk. Instead of being ignorant as
Elizabeth Taylor says we should be aware of what is going on in the lives of the people
around us. Hopefully, things will be different in the United States as the advancement of
our medical research and equipment increases.

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Works Cited
Fisher, Mary. "American Rhetoric: Mary Fisher -- 1992 Republican National Convention
Address ("A Whisper of Aids")." 1992 Republican National Convention Address.
Texas, Houston. 19 Aug. 1992. American Rhetoric: Mary Fisher -- 1992 Republican
National Convention Address ("A Whisper of Aids"). Web. 25 Sept. 2014.
<http://www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/maryfisher1992rnc.html>.
"History of HIV/AIDS Slideshow: A Pictorial Timeline of the AIDS Pandemic."
WebMD. Ed. David T. Derrer. WebMD, 23 Mar. 2014. Web. 22 Oct. 2014.
<http://www.webmd.com/hiv-aids/ss/slideshow-aids-retrospective>.
"HIV Basics." Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention, 14 May 2014. Web. 19 Sept. 2014
<http://www.cdc.gov/hiv/basics/index.html>
"How Do You Get HIV or AIDS?" AIDS.gov. U.S. Government, 16 June 2014. Web. 27
Oct. 2014. <http://aids.gov/hiv-aids-basics/hiv-aids-101/how-you-get-hiv-aids/>.
Lovgren, Stefan. "HIV Originated With Monkeys, Not Chimps, Study Finds." National
Geographic. National Geographic Society, 12 June 2003. Web. 27 Oct. 2014.
<http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2003/06/0612_030612_hivvirusjump.htm
l>.

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Jasmine Gregory
Jessica Morton
UWRT 1101-048
19 November 2014
Reflection
This was a long writing process that required me to do additional research on my
topic. It was not easy writing about because I did not want to get too scientific with this
essay by listing the stages of HIV and such. Looking back I realized that the last page or so
was the hardest for me to write because I had already said everything that I wanted to say.
So I had to go back through my paper and figure out where I might have left out certain
pieces of information out. It was not hard in a sense that it was a lot of research and typing
but it was hard in pick and choosing what information and how much of it that I wanting in
my paper. I helps that I was able to write about a topic that I was interested in and felt
strongly about.