AIDS and HIV in Africa

These numbers, signal that social class and race affect the level of awareness and access to prevention methods.
             In 2010, around 217 children younger than the age of 13 were diagnosed with HIV all through 46 states of the US of which 162 of these children were perinatally infected with the virus. (CDC, 2014) Although 217, among millions of Americans suffering from other serious diseases is not a high number, perinetal transmission of HIV still exists and it is most definite that a child will be perinatally transmitted if the cure is not used.
             The number of women infected with HIV giving birth increased by 30% from 2000 to 2006. (CDC, 2014).
             Through 2009, nearly 5,626 people under the age of 13 diagnosed with AIDS died in 50 states combined, of which 4,986 of them were infected perinatally. (CDC, 2014)`.
             The data given based on the 50 states in the US show that the virus infected the majority of the children under the age of 13 perinatally. There is a negative correlation between the number of women infected with HIV giving birth, and number of perinatal infections. As the number of HIV infected women giving birth increases, the number of perinatal infection decreases.
              The large portion dedicated to perinatal transmission of HIV taken from children under the age of 13 (diagnosed with HIV) poses a great public health issue. Because vertical transmission of the virus has nothing to do with the actions of the child, it is up to the mother to possibly save her child from what might end up with AIDS.
             From the moment of the infection, to the progression to AIDS, HIV has three stages. The first stage is the Acute Infection. In this stage, the person starts to see flu-like symptoms within the first 2-4 weeks. These observable reactions are due to the rapid multiplication and spread of the virus to the different parts of the body. The transmission of HIV risk is higher in the first stage since the virus is rapidly moving and multiplying in the body, in an aggressive manner, so it is more likely that it could jump from one individual to another at the Acute stage.