The horror of the AIDS virusAIDS is a communicable disease that has the ability to damage the immune system. A communicable disease is a type of disease that can spread from person to person. The immune system is a structure that conducts various processes to avoid contracting a disease. “The origins of HIV date back to the late 19th or early 20th century in West Central Africa. AIDS and its cause, HIV, were first identified and recognized in the early 1980s” (What is AIDS… 1). AIDS is the final stage of HIV infection. The structure of the HIV virus is to have two single strands of RNA that are injected into the host cell. This retrovirus has a membrane-like outer covering known as an envelope. These types of viruses can only reproduce when they are attached to the host cell. The stages of HIV are initial exposure, early HIV infection, asymptomatic HIV infection, PGL, HIV, and then AIDS. The number of patients suffering from AIDS has increased over time due to a lack of information on the causes, symptoms and prevention techniques of this communicable disease. “Approximately three to six weeks after exposure to HIV, many individuals develop a flu-like illness” (Packer 42). Influenza-like illness is a type of illness that has the same symptoms as the flu. This flu-like illness is the first stage of HIV infection. “The virus uses important immune system cells called CD4 cells to make copies of itself and destroys these cells in the process” (CDC- What is HIV/AIDS 2). After this phase, the asymptomatic phase comes and could last ten years or longer. During this stage the disease is highly contagious due to the high levels of virus in a person's body. After the asymptomatic stage, PGL takes over (persistent generalized ly... middle of paper... T lymphocytes that protect the body from serious infectious diseases. The lack of information about AIDS is the reason why people tend to contract this communicable disease because they have absolutely no idea how badly they are harming their body, which can shorten their life in this beautiful world. The causes of AIDS are sexual intercourse, sharing needles, drug use and passing from mother to child The symptoms of this virus are similar to those of the flu symptoms such as fever, headache and etc. Prevention is only possible if people are intelligent enough to make the right choices because their one mistake could make them suffer throughout his life. If a person wants to have sexual intercourse, then he should feel comfortable asking his partner if his partner has AIDS. If a person is shy about doing so, then the right decision is to not have intercourse sexual.