The mere mention of the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) is enough to instill a sense of near religious dread in the mind of most right thinking people, and there is a great deal of panic and misunderstanding about the disease. For many people, it is perceived as an omnipotent, unbeatable foe that simply targets people at random.

The fact that to date, there is no known cure for the disease does little to quell such concerns, but it is essential that we actually get the disease into the proper perspective. Not only is the disease easily prevented, the types of behavior which are likely to cause the disease by themselves carry only a small probability of the disease being transmitted.

Please note that this is not intended to belittle the pain and the suffering that people diagnosed with the condition endure, nor is it intended to advocate that people should engage in high risk activity which could leave them more vulnerable of acquiring HIV. The purpose of this article is to both inform, and help people in order to understand the infection, and to ensure that it does not rule their lives.

Too many people miss out on one of the most beautiful and wonderful gifts to mankind: sex. The reason for this is that they are so afraid of acquiring HIV that they decide to adopt an extreme and disproportionate response to avoid such a possibility.

With that in mind then, let us now consider the following facts about HIV.

Actual Numerical Values of Certain Relevant Activities
Read any medical journal article about HIV and they will identify the same basic issue: complacency plays a pivotal role in the acquisition of the disease. With that noted, consider the following numbers.

In the Western world, the rate of transmission of HIV between male and female partners who engage in penetrative vaginal sex, which is unprotected (without the usage of a condom) stands at 0.04%. What this means then is that a heterosexual man has a 0.04% chance of acquiring the disease if he has unprotected vaginal sex.

Due to the physical design of the vagina, the risk is much higher, and so in the same scenario, her risk is actually double.

Penetrative anal intercourse which is unprotected has been identified and recognized across the world as the most high risk sexual activity, and studies estimate this as posing 1.7% probability of the disease arising.

Other STDS Increase the Risk of HIV Infection
Please note that having unprotected sex is never a good idea because it leaves you wide open to the threat and risk of acquiring a STD such as Chlamydia or herpes. These are painful, but the reason that they are of particular concern is due to the fact that they leave the victim at a higher risk of acquiring the HIV infection.

Therefore, the figures identified earlier in the article are base figures used to refer to situations whereby the partners do not have a STD.

Author Bio: For more information please visit our HIPAA Training website – http://www.hipaaexams.com/hipaa-training.html or First Aid Training websites – http://www.firstaidexams.com

Category: Wellness, Fitness and Diet
Keywords: Human Immunodeficiency Virus,Chlamydia or herpes,