With the 1980s many new things were introduced to Americans: Ronald Reagan,
             "Dukes of Hazard," and Atari were all brought about. With these new things came
             something completely different, something that was somewhat of a mystery at the time. A
             new virus was spreading. The rate of infection was growing at a horrifying rate, and
             medical experts had no idea of its origin. Research was done repeatedly and still the world
             was baffled. "What is this disease?" people asked. Little did they know that this was the
             beginning of the world's deadliest virus: AIDS. Even today, there is a level of mystery
             behind AIDS, and many researchers are doing their best to find a cure. AIDS has rapidly
             increased over the past twenty years, causing a race to find a solution.
             AIDS stands for Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome, which is caused by the
             HIV virus. The abbreviation HIV stands for the information denoting a virus that attacks
             white blood cells (T-Lymphocytes) in human blood (Kroop 3). When the AIDS virus enters
             the body, it first attacks the T-Lymphocytes. As a reaction to this attack, the body begins to
             make antibodies, which will try to fight the virus. The AIDS virus, however, cannot be
             destroyed. The virus will attack a cell, introduce its DNA, or deoxyribonucleic acid, into the
             cell. The virus replicates in the cell, soon overtaking it. The cell will burst, and the virus will
             The AIDS virus can be transmitted in three basic ways ("Learning" 9). The first is
             through direct contact with the blood stream. Hemophilia, which is a disorder in which a
             person's blood cannot clot, requires blood transfusions. In the early 1980s, the spreading
             of AIDS was not yet linked to blood, so the blood supply was not properly tested.
             Therefore, AIDS quickly began to show up in hemophiliacs. Intravenous, or IV, drug users
             also were at risk to contract AIDS thro...