We see that each century witnesses a specific epidemic during the history. Plague in the 17th century, Scupper spread when the French army occupied Naples, Tuberculosis appeared in the 18th century… Cholera was a disease spread from Asia to Europe. Cancer was the troublesome disease of the early 20th century. Finally, AIDS appeared in 1980s.
It is known that approximately 42 million persons took the virus and 27 million persons died for this reason in the last 20 years since appearance of the HIV/AIDS being responsible for 1% of deaths throughout the world. Africa is the place where the virus spread most last year. There are 6 thousand 802 AIDS stage / HIV positive cases in Turkey 72 percent of whom are men.
Before start of the 21st century, the countries being a member of the United Nations promised world where poverty was eliminated achieving sustainable development in September 2000 and defined the “21st Century Development Targets” with eight main titles. The sixth one of these targets is struggle against HIV/AIDS, Malaria and other infections. In this scope, it is intended to prevent spread of the HIV/AIDS by 2015.
The 1st of December was accepted as the World AIDS Day in 1988. On this day, events are arranged in order to prevent spread of the disease, inform people about the AIDS, prevent exclusion of HIV (+) persons and raise awareness on this matter.
On the contrary to the scientific advances proven in respect of the HIV and AIDS, people have still non-current information. Persons living with the HIV suffer from discrimination due to lack of information of people despite the positive developments in their access to treatment and healthy and high quality life possessed by them thanks to treatment. In this sense, people living with the HIV are adversely affected by prejudices of people rather than this virus in fact.
The basic mistakes known about the HIV are that the disease is fatal and has no treatment; that those living with the HIV have unhealthy and short life; that the disease is infected through kissing; that they may not have sexual life, may not have a healthy and normal life and very serious treatments are applied to them.
What is AIDS?
HIV: Abbreviation of the words of Human Immunodeficiency Virus. AIDS: Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome. It is sufficient to say “AIDS table/stage” or “terminal period” instead of saying “AIDS Syndrome”.
AIDS means all of the diseases occurring in case of non-treatment after entry of HIV in the body.
