In 2004, 39.4 million people around the world were living with HIV/AIDS. More than 64.9 million people have been infected with HIV since the pandemic began. AIDS is the leading cause of death in Sub-Saharan Africa, and the fourth leading cause of death globally.

People living with HIV or AIDS need positive psychological environments just as much as they need the most advanced medical therapies. Many may also need assistance negotiating the complex web of needed services resources and entitlements for which they may be eligible. We recommend that people living with HIV and AIDS be treated the same as anyone else. There should be no fear in continuing social contact with friends who are living with HIV/AIDS.

Yes. The counsellors at Daystar group provide services for a wide range of people needs. Counselling for people living with HIV or AIDS is just one of the many areas our counsellors are trained to provide.

Approximately 95 percent of people living with HIV/AIDS live in developing countries. Sub-Saharan Africa is the hardest-hit region, but other regions face severe or rapidly growing epidemics in specific countries or areas. Parts of Asia and Latin America are experiencing severe epidemics at the national or local level. Eastern Europe and Central Asia is the region with the fastest growing HIV/AIDS epidemic in the world. Learn more about USAID's country and regional HIV/AIDS programs.

HIV (Human Immunodeficiency ["im-you-no-de-fish-en-see"] Virus -- is the virus that causes AIDS (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome). HIV attacks and kills the cells in our bodies that keep us from getting diseases. This makes people with HIV get illnesses that healthy people do not get. When a person with HIV gets very sick from pneumonia, some kinds of cancer, and other life-threatening diseases, they are said to have AIDS. AIDS is a fatal disease. Here is more information on HIV/AIDS.

Of the 40 million people living with HIV/AIDS worldwide, nearly 2.7 million are children under the age of 15, and 11.8 million are young people aged 15-24. An estimated 3 million people die from AIDS-related causes every year.

Since everyone is entitled to fundamental human rights without discrimination, people living with HIV/AIDS have the same rights as seronegative people to education, employment, health, travel, marriage, procreation, privacy, social security, scientific benefits, asylum, etc. Seronegative and seropositive people share responsibility for avoiding HIV infection/re-infection.

A variety of new medical treatments offer hope for many people with HIV. These treatments help slow the replication of the virus and help people live longer healthier lives. However some people have difficulty tolerating the side effects that are associated with these medications. It's also important to note that even with advances in medical management of HIV disease there is still no cure for AIDS.

Worldwide: UNAIDS estimates that as of December 2000, there were an estimated 36.1 million people living with HIV/AIDS (34.7 million adults and 1.4 million children under 15). Since the epidemic began, an estimated 21.8 million people have died of AIDS (17.5 million adults and 4.3 million children under 15). estimated 5.3 million new HIV infections occurred in 2000.

Yes, you can! ACAS recognizes the value of involving Asians living with HIV/AIDS at all levels of the agency from Board and Committee members to front-line volunteering. You may also volunteer to meet other people, actively participate in our communities, and learn new skills.

Globally, 45 percent of adults living with HIV/AIDS are women. By region, this percentage varies considerably, from 57% in Sub-Saharan Africa, to 28% in East Asia and the Pacific. In 2004, 17.6 million women were living with HIV/AIDS worldwide.

of 2003, approximately 15 million children have lost one or both parents due to HIV/AIDS. By 2010, this number is expected to increase to 25 million. Learn more about USAID's efforts to improve the lives of children affected by HIV/AIDS.

I - Immuno-deficiency: because the effect of the virus is to create a deficiency, a failure to work properly, within the body's immune system. V - Virus: because this organism is a virus, which means one of its characteristics is that it is incapable of reproducing by itself. It reproduces by taking over the machinery of the human cell.

Although there have been many advances in HIV treatments and therapies in recent years that have dramatically improved the quality of life and life expectancy of persons with HIV/AIDS in the US and other developed countries, there is, as of yet, no cure.

HIV/AIDS is treated with two groups of medicines. One group of medicines is used to slow the spread of the virus. The other group of medicines is used to fight illnesses that are caused by a weakened immune system. These medicines cannot cure HIV/AIDS, but they do help people live a healthier life for a longer period of time than if they did not take any medicine. Finding and treating HIV/AIDS early is the best way to take care of yourself.