Parkway Central High School - Spur Yearbook (Chesterfield, MO)

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purette The Plagu 0f The 80' To many, the threat of AIDS is merely a frightening headline, a remote threat much similar to that of nuclear war. However, AIDS is no longer a problem of homesex- uals, bisexuals, or intravenous-drug users. It is a plague that can attack everyone, regard- less of age, gender, race, or place of resi- dence. However young people tend not to take AIDS seriously because the disease can take up to 10 years to show up. They are thinking of now, not the future. Acquired immune deficiency syndrome will become the biggest problem of the next decade. It is a transmitted virus through inti- mate sexual contact with an infected person or exchanges of blood, when one has AIDS. It hides it own recipe among ones genes, and enters the chemical sanctuary of the brain to cause a slow decline in mental acuity, even- tually it disables the very part of the body that fights disease, the immune system. In- Spurette W 1l 5i . fection with the virus leads to collapse of the immune system most of the time. After this collapse comes death. If a cure is not found immediately, statis- tics show that within five years, more than 250,000 Americans will have died from aids. Figures also show that 1.5 million Americans have AIDS but 9070 of these people don't know it. These unknown carriers are the biggest threat to the world because they are the ones who will spread the disease. The scariest statistic of all is that by the end of this century, 100 million people will have AIDS. It is already present in 85 countries. Experts feel that in some of these countries, 2501: of the population may be wiped out. AIDS has already wiped out the midsection of Africa, and there is an equal number of homosexuals and heterosexuals infected there. People are waiting for a miracle cure to appear, however we are a long way from one. It is different from cancer and other diseases because it involves sex, and other people and their emotions. Scientists are try- ing different ideas and theories but are get- ting discouraged. AIDS brings out some serious questions. What right do AIDS patients have. Right now they are being denied education, hous- ing, medicine, insurance, and jobs. The sad factor of these problems is that by the time these problems and cases are solved, the people will be dead. All these questions and problems will play a major part in the 1988 election. Some key issues that will be discussed are: should there be mandatory testing Sex education on condoms AIDS funds, and mandatory testing for marriage licenses. These are the problems of the next decade. .5 It has industri where. public. ' his fam well-km Liben and he candel pointe told hi Libe accept Uflf went o