Ans. AIDS: A Sexually Transmitted Disease
The most serious and challenging health problems faced by the world today is AIDS. It is also a sexually transmitted disease. AIDS stands for Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome. It is caused by human immune deficiency virus (HIV). The virus destroys white blood cells, which results in loss of resistance against infections. It is a fatal disease.
Mode of Transmission: It spreads through transfer of body fluids such as blood and semen from an infected person to a healthy one.
Causes: The main causes are unprotected sexual activities, use of infected needles or transfusion of infected blood.
Status of AIDS in Pakistan: According to the United Nations Programme on AIDS i.e. UNAIDS estimates, some 70,000 to 80,000 persons, or 0.1 percent of the adult population in Pakistan, are infected with HIV.