The Continuing Threat of the Human Immunodeficiency Virus

The Human Immunodeficiency Virus, or HIV, is the virus that causes AIDS, the Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome. Over 1.1 million people in the United States are living with HIV, and almost a fifth of HIV infected Americans are unaware of their status. Even though there have been key enhancements in the prevention and treatment of HIV, we continue to see too many new HIV infections accompanied by many AIDS deaths. Nearly every HIV infected person will ultimately develop and die from AIDS, if the virus is untreated. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that 70 million people have been infected with HIV and 35 million people have died of AIDS since the beginning of the pandemic. Sub-Saharan Africa resumes being the most affected region, given an account of an average of 1 in 20 adults living with HIV. 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