HIV/AIDS
In Sub-Saharan Africa
Sub-Saharan Africa
What is HIV/AIDS?
Definition
HIV: a virus spread through body fluids that affects specific cells of the immune system, called CD4 cells, or T cells. Over time, HIV can destroy so many of these cells that the body can't fight off infections and disease.
AIDS: a disease in which there is a severe loss of the body's cellular immunity, greatly lowering the resistance to infection and malignancy
Facts
- About 90 percent of the people that have HIV in the world are in Africa
- Genetic research shows that HIV originated in West-Central Africa
- Since its discovery AIDS has caused about 36 million deaths worldwide
- It cannot be transmitted by casual, non-sexual contact
- many of the medications for HIV or AIDS comes with many side effects