In 2007, a reported 33.0 Million people in the world had HIV or AIDS, with the majority of these people living in Sub-Saharan Africa.

But, What is HIV? Scientists first discovered human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) in the 80's. The Virus gradually attacks the immune system. As the virus destroys the immune system, the person becomes more vulnerable to infections. HIV syndrome is the name of the early stage of HIV. when a person first gets HIV they experience flu-like symptoms such as: Sore throat, Joint and muscle aches, Diarrhea, Rash, Fever, A tired feeling, Swollen lymph nodes. HIV is a member of a group called retroviruses, while infecting human cells, HIV uses energy and nutrients from those cells to reproduce and grow.

What is AIDS? AIDS stands for Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome. This is a disease where the body's immune system eventually breaks down and is unable to fight certain infections. A person diagnosed with AIDS will develop an AID-related symptom or an opportunistic infection, this is an infection that takes advantage of the opportunity offered by a weakened immune system. On an Average, it takes about 10-12 years (or longer for some people) for HIV to develop into AIDS.

There are 4 ways HIV can be transmitted to another person.

( 1 ) Through unprotected sex (vaginal or anal)

( 2 ) Through unprotected oral sex.

( 3 ) Through sharing needles or syringes with some who is infected with HIV.

( 4 ) Mother to Infant Transmission through pregnancy, childbirth or breastfeeding.

HIV is not infected through casual contact, so you cant get infected by breathing, touching. It is very unlikely for someone to get infected while "French" Kissing but possible. Things like sweat, urine, vomit and feces do contain HIV, but have not been reported to transmit the infection. The blood, vaginal fluid, semen, and breast milk of people infected with HIV has enough of the virus in it to infect other people.

There is no cure for HIV, but there are drugs that can slow down the attacking of the immune system at an early stage but once you have got HIV there's no way that you can destroy it.

An estimated 25 million people have died from HIV since 1981.

Studies report that the first transmission of SIV (The HIV in monkeys) to HIV in humans was in 1940. Most people think that HIV was started because a man had sex with a monkey. This is wrong, HIV is not only transmitted through sexual intercourse so therefore that statement is incorrect. In Africa, people used to eat monkeys and a butcher could have got infected while handling the monkeys blood.

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