Aids Essays (2963 words) - HIVAIDS, Health, Medicine,

Aids Matchmaker.com: Sign up now for a free trial. Date Smarter! AIDS "Somewhere among the million children who go to New York's publicly financed schools is a seven-year-old child suffering from AIDS. A special health and education panel had decided, on the strength of the guidelines issued by the federal Centers for Disease Control, that the child would be no danger to his classmates. Yet, when the school year started on September 9th, several thousand parents in two school districts in the borough of Queens kept their children at home. Fear of plague can be as pernicious, and contagious, as the plague itself(Fear of dying 1)." This article was written in 1985. Since then much has been found out about AIDS. Not enough for a cure though. There probably will be no cure found in the near future because the technology needed is not available. AIDS cases were first identified in 1981,in the United States. Researchers have traced cases back to 1959. There are millions of diagnosed cases worldwide, but there is no cure(Drotman 163). There are about a million people in the United States who are currently infected with HIV(HIV/AIDS 1). It infects the population heavily in some areas of the country and very lightly in other areas. No race, sex, social class, or age is immune(AIDS Understanding 10). AIDS has killed more americans than the Vietnam War, which killed 58,000(AIDS Understanding 10). AIDS stands for Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome. Acquired means that it is not hereditary or introduced by medication. Immune indicates that it is related to the body's system that fights off disease. Deficiency represents the lack of certain kinds of cells that are normally found in the body. Syndrome is a group of symptoms and signs of disordered function that signal the diagnoses(Hyde 1). You don't catch AIDS, you catch HIV. HIV is the virus that leads to AIDS. HIV stands for Human Immunodeficiency virus. HIV severely damages a person's disease fighting immune system. There are two viruses that cause AIDS. They belong to a group called retroviruses. The first virus is HIV-1. It was isolated by researchers in France in 1983, and in the U.S. in 1984. In 1985, the second one was identified by scientists in France. It is closely related to HIV-1. It is called HIV-2. HIV-2 mainly occurs in Africa but HIV-1 occurs throughout the world(Drotman 163). There are three stages of the infection. The first stage is acute retroviral syndrome and asymptomatic period. This is the flulike or mononucleosislike illness that most people get within 6-12 weeks after becoming infected. It usually goes away without treatment. From this point on the person's blood tests positively for HIV. The second stage is symptomatic HIV infection. This is when the infected person's symptoms show up. It can last anywhere from a few months to many years. The third and final stage is AIDS. This is when the immune system is severally damaged and the opportunistic diseases set in. The progressive breakdown of the immune system leads to death, usually within a few years. HIV causes a severe "wasting syndrome." A general decline in the health and in some cases, death. The virus infects the brain and the nervous system. It may cause dementia, a condition of sensory, thinking, or memory disorder. Infection of the brain may cause movement or coordination problems(Drotman 164). HIV can be present in the body for two to twelve years without any outward sign of illness. It can be transmitted to another person even if no symptoms are present(Drotman 164). When HIV picks up speed, a variety of symptoms are possible. The symptoms include unexplained fever, fatigue, diarrhea, weight loss, enlarged lymph glands, loss of appetite, yeast infections of the mouth and vagina, night sweats lasting longer than several weeks, breathing difficulties, a dry cough, sore throat caused by swollen glands, chills, and shaking(Quackenbush 23). Pink or purple, flat or raised blotches or bumps occurring under the skin, inside the mouth, nose, eyelids or rectum are also symptoms. They resemble bruises, but don't disappear. They are usually harder than the skin around them. White spots or unusual blemishes in the mouth is another symptom(Quackenbush 24). There are two illnesses that commonly affect AIDS patients. One is a type of pneumonia called pneumocystis carinii. The other one is a type of cancer called kaposi's sarcoma, which attacks the skin(What are HIV/AIDS 1). Pneumocystis carinii is a yeast infection in the esophagus. It causes severe pain when swallowing which results in weight loss and dehydration. It is the leading cause of death among AIDS patients. Kaposi's sarcoma are tumors that look like

10 Facts That Private Schools Want Parents to Know

10 Facts That Private Schools Want Parents to Know If you are considering sending your child to private school, here are 10 facts about private schools which all prospective parents should know. The data and information provided here should answer most if not all of your biggest questions. 1. Private Schools Educate About 5.5 Million Students According to the National Center for Education Statistics, there were approximately 33,600  private schools in the U.S. in 2013-2014. Together, they served approximately 5.5 million students in grades pre-kindergarten through 12 and the postgraduate year. Thats about 10% of students in the country.  Private schools cover just about every need and requirement you can imagine. In addition to college prep schools, there are special needs schools, sports-focused schools, art schools,  military schools, religious schools, Montessori schools, and Waldorf schools. Thousands of schools focus on high school and offer college preparatory courses. About 350 schools are residential or boarding schools. 2. Private Schools Offer Great Learning Environments Its cool to be smart in a private school. The focus in most college preparatory schools is on getting ready for college studies. Advanced Placement courses are offered in most schools. You will also find IB programs in about 40 schools. AP and IB courses require well-qualified, experienced teachers. These curricula are demanding college-level studies which allow students with high scores in the final exams to skip freshman courses in many subjects. 3. Private Schools Feature Extracurricular Activities and Sports as an Integral Part of Their Programs Most private schools offer dozens of extracurricular activities. The visual and performing arts, clubs of all kinds, interest groups and community service are just some of the extracurricular activities you will find in private schools. Extracurricular activities complement the academic teaching which is why schools emphasize them - they are not something extra. Sports programs combine with academic work and extracurricular activities to develop the whole child. Most private schools require their students to participate in some sport. Teachers are also required to be involved in coaching a sport. Because sports and extracurricular activities are such an integral part of a private school program, you rarely see cuts in these areas as we have seen in public schools when budgets get tight. 4. Private Schools Provide Constant Supervision and Have Zero-Tolerance Policies One of the appealing aspects of sending your child to private school is that she cannot fall through the cracks. She will never be a number at a private school. She wont be able to hide in the back of the class. In fact, many schools use the Harkness style discussion format for classroom teaching. 15 students sitting around a table have to be involved in the discussions. Dormitories in boarding schools typically are operated family-style with a faculty member being the surrogate parent. Somebody is always around keeping a watchful eye on things. Another feature of private schools is that most have a zero-tolerance policy when it comes to serious infractions of their rules and codes of conduct. Substance abuse, hazing, cheating, and bullying are examples of activities which are unacceptable. The result of zero tolerance is that you can be assured that you are placing your children in a safe environment. Yes, she will still experiment but she will understand that there are serious consequences for unacceptable behavior. 5. Private Schools Offer Generous Financial Aid Financial aid is a major expense for most schools. Even in tough economic times, schools have made assisting families who want to send their children to private school a top priority in their budgets. Several schools offer a free education if you meet certain income guidelines. Always ask the school about financial aid. 6. Private Schools Are Diverse Private schools got a bad rap in the early part of the 20th century as being bastions of privilege and elitism. Diversity initiatives began to take hold in the 1980s and 1990s. Schools now proactively search for qualified candidates regardless of socioeconomic circumstances. Diversity rules in private schools. 7. Private School Life Mirrors Family Life Most schools organize their students into groupings or houses. These houses compete with each other for all kinds of things besides the usual sports activities. Communal meals are a feature of many schools. Teachers sit with students developing close bonds which are such a valuable feature of private school education. 8. Private School Teachers Are Well-Qualified Private schools value teachers who have degrees in their chosen subject. Typically 60 to 80% of private school teachers will have an advanced degree as well. Most schools require their teachers to be licensed to teach. Most private schools have 2 semesters or terms in their academic year. Many prep schools also offer a PG or post-graduate year. Some schools also offer study programs in foreign countries like France, Italy, and Spain. 9. The Small Size of Most Private Schools Allows Plenty of Personal Attention Most college prep schools have about 300 to 400 students. This relatively small size allows students plenty of individual attention. Class and school size matters in education, as it is important that your child not fall through the cracks and just be a number. Small class sizes with student-to-teacher ratios of 12:1 are fairly common. The larger schools usually include prekindergarten through 12th grade. You will find that they actually consist of 3 smaller schools. For example, they will have a lower school, a middle school, and an upper school. Each of these divisions will often have 300 to 400 students across four or five grades. Personal attention is an important part of what you are paying for. 10. Private Schools Are Sustainable More and more private schools are making their campuses and programs sustainable. It has not been easy for some schools because they had older buildings which were not energy efficient. Students in some private schools even compost waste food and grow some of their own vegetables. Carbon offsets are part of sustainability efforts too. Sustainability teaches responsibility within the larger global community.   Edited by  Stacy Jagodowski