Abstrait

The global HIV/AIDS epidemic: Challenges and opportunities for progress.

Rebecca Wilson

HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus) is a virus that attacks the immune system and can lead to AIDS (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome). HIV is primarily spread through unprotected sexual contact, sharing needles or syringes, and mother-to-child transmission during pregnancy, childbirth, or breastfeeding. The virus attacks the immune system, which can lead to a range of symptoms and illnesses, including opportunistic infections and cancers that are rare or non-existent in people with healthy immune systems. It has been one of the most devastating pandemics in recent history, having claimed over 36 million lives since its discovery in the early 1980s. While the epidemic has disproportionately affected certain populations, including men who have sex with men, people who inject drugs, and women and girls in sub-Saharan Africa, the virus has affected people of all ages, genders, and sexual orientations worldwide.