Honorable Mention!
Human immunodeficiency virus and its Impact in the Latin American Community (El Virus de la Inmunodeficiencia Humana y sus efectos en la comunidad latina), Cantu, Eddie; Bostic, Nickalus; Maradiago, David; Perez, Rosemary
School of Humanities
Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) has been a target of constant study due to its highly infectious and pathogenic nature being the cause of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). Ultimately AIDS is the primary reason most people infected with the HIV virus die due to a suppression of the body immune system. Studies regarding a cure are currently under investigation but due to the nature of the HIV virus no definite cure is available. The only way of protection against this virus is prevention, but some parts of the population in the United States like for example the Latin American community has limited access to information regarding the prevention in order to avoid infection with the HIV virus and is being affected by the virus effects.
Latin Americans currently are the third most infected among all ethnic populations. Most Latin Americans infected acquired it because of lack of information due to barriers in language, poverty, or illiteracy. Most of the cases of infection are caused via sexual transmission; and methods of protection can lower the risk of being infected or abstinence can be practiced in order to avoid infection with the HIV virus. Other ways of being infected can involve the use of drugs in which people will share needles for the use infection via this method can be avoided by cleaning the needle or simply using a new one. Being infected with of drugs; the HIV virus will surely lead to the development of AIDS since the body suffers a suppression of the immune system; making the body susceptible to opportunistic diseases that will lead to death of the person infected.
A research of data and information regarding HIV virus has been collected to inform and alert the Latin American community on how to prevent new infections and further spreading of the HIV virus.
