We’ve spoken many times on the importance of health insurance, and for good reason. Yes, it’s always a good idea to prepare for diseases and injuries that you’ve yet to contract or sustain, but there’s one more thing that health insurance can protect you from: diseases you don’t know you already have.
With over 1.2 million Americans currently suffering from HIV, one in seven Americans with the disease have no idea that they’re infected – and can unknowingly pass that infection onto others. Left untreated, HIV will develop into the life-threatening immune system shutdown known as AIDS, and with the emergence of a new strain, now is the time to be prepared.
Usually, the development of HIV into full AIDS can take years and years of a person having the disease, but a newly discovered strain of the infection found in Cuba is much more aggressive. This new strain, if left untreated, will develop into full-blow AIDS in just three years, and was discovered by U.S. researchers studying AIDS in the country.
Those infected have reported multiple sexual partners as well, heavily implying that the disease is now more widespread than originally thought. If you feel you may be at risk of developing HIV or any other diseases, free health quotes are available to help you find an insurance plan that’s right for you.
Lower your risk of contracting HIV by…
– Wearing a condom every time you have sex.
– Asking potential sexual partners if they might have the disease
– Using clean needles
– Getting tested regularly
– Talking to your doctor about preventative treatments and medications
The researchers who discovered this aggressive new strain are understandably worried about the dangers posed by this new development. These new mutations of HIV are extremely difficult to diagnose due to their constantly changing nature, and that same mutative factor will also make it extremely difficult for researchers to develop a vaccine for the new strain.
The Catholic University of Leuven’s own Ann-Mieke Vandamme was a part of the research team that went to Cuba prior to discovering this new strain. The study was conducted on a pool of 73 patients at the Institute for Tropical Medicine Pedro Kouri in Havana who had not been given therapy or tested positively for HIV less than three years prior to diagnosis. Of the 73 patients studied, 52 of them had since been diagnosed with AIDS.
After gathering the data needed, the research team cross-examined their findings with the results of blood samples taken from 22 patients who had developed AIDS after three years of having untreated HIV. While it is true that none of the patients studied were given treatment, the researchers concluded that this new strain of HIV was capable of consistently developing into full AIDS after just three years.
Are you worried about the risk of HIV or AIDS? Contact us today, and we can help you find a health insurance plan that’s perfect for you, providing priceless peace of mind. On an extremely tight budget? Consider applying for free government health insurance or inexpensive coverage.
How do you feel diseases like this should be treated? Is there more the CDC could be doing to prevent the spread of HIV and AIDS? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.
