The saddest incurable disease facing the world today is cancer. But the scariest is the HIV/AIDS virus. It is scary because it is a disease that humans can protect themselves from and for the most part choose not to. HIV stands for human immunodeficiency virus and it attacks the T cells in our bodies. HIV interferes with our body's ability to effectively fight viruses that cause diseases. HIV virus leads to AIDS acquired immune deficiency syndrome, which is a chronic and life threatening condition.
             Nationally HIV/AIDS became known in the early 1980's but studies have shown that HIV/AIDS has been around since the 1950's. It is said that AIDS originated in Africa. For the most part it is a disease that originated from monkeys. There are many stories of how this virus came about. One story rumored is that a monkey in Africa, infected with the HIV virus, stepped on a rock and slit the bottom of his foot leaving infected blood on the rock. Then a man walking the same path stepped on the same rock and the original blood mixed in his wound. No one really knows how it all started; the best explanation the book gives is human consumption of animal meat. Nonetheless HIV/AIDS is a serious disease that is killing America little by little. HIV/AIDS is a preventable disease, which is that everyone, if given the right education, can protect himself or herself. HIV is transmitted through heterosexual and/or homosexual contact with an infected partner; through intravenous drug use; (although less likely today) through blood transfusion, and lastly from mother to baby by crossing placenta during pregnancy or breast-feeding. The best protection during sexual contact is not to have sex, but if sex is happening the most effective protection is condoms. For intravenous drug users the best protection is to stop using drugs but if that's not possible then clean needles should always be used and no needle sharing should ...