The Human Immunodeficiency Virus ( Hiv ) - 2527 Words

â€Å"Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), caused by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), is among the greatest threats to health worldwide. In 2005, an estimated 38.6 million people were living with HIV. During 2005 alone, about 4.1 million people became infected and another 2.8 million lost their lives.†1 â€Å"With around 15 percent of the population living with HIV. Zimbabwe is experiencing one of the harshest HIV and AIDS epidemics in the world. Between 2002 and 2006, the population is estimated to have decreased by four million people. The country is now seeing an annual growth rate of 2.2 percent. Average life expectancy is just under 53.7. By 2011, there were one million children living in Zimbabwe who had been orphaned as a result†¦show more content†¦This has decreased the number of new HIV infections. â€Å"However, it has been reported that the proportion of young women with multiple sexual partners has increased recently, suggesting that the p attern of safer sex practices is not all encompassing and education needs to continue to reach more young people. 75 percent of deaths among hospitalized adolescents are attributed to HIV and AIDS.†2 Although treatments can help improve the quality of life for many people, it cannot solve the long-term problems of HIV/AIDS. In sub-Saharan Africa, the attention is focused on young people who are having their first sexual encounters. â€Å"Not only are many young people engaging in sex, they often change partners as they experiment and seek life partners, clearly risky behaviors. Getting people, especially the young, to change their sexual behaviors is not a simple matter. Sexual behaviors are personal and private, far beyond most human discourse, exciting, prone to shame, susceptible to peer influence, and embedded in familial, religious, and cultural norms. How to reach young people in ways that persuade them to protect themselves is a major challenge.†3 â€Å"Richard Horton and Pam Das wrote, â€Å"The truth is that this pandemic will never be defeated without effective prevention. For the foreseeable future and beyond, prevention efforts that rely on multiple