HIV statistics have become sobering to say the least.

HIV statistics have become sobering to say the least.

• 4.9 million people were newly infected in 2005
• 40.3 million people worldwide living with HIV/AIDS.

And as the numbers continue to climb, work on an HIV vaccine has for the most part failed. Once thought to be "just around the corner" it has become obvious in 2005 that an HIV vaccine is still years away. Medication advances continue but long term side effects of HIV medication use are becoming more evident. So much so that experts now agree that for many patients, waiting to start HIV medications is the best course of action. Finally, 2005 saw a rise in HIV rates on college campuses and risky behavior among those people already infected is still a problem. Positive prevention messages are becoming a priority as syphilis and other STD rates of infection continue to rise sharply.

The Importance of Positive Prevention

2006

Experts conclude that HIV has it origins in the jungles of Africa among wild chimps. Experts go on to report that evidence suggests that the simian form of HIV (SIV) entered the human species and became HIV by way of monkey bites or ingesting monkey meat and brains. While the origins of HIV are more clear, the means to pay for HIV care and medications has become more complicated. A revamping of the Medicare / Medicaid systems has made getting medications difficult for many. India surpasses South Africa as the world's largest HIV population and in the US infection rates of HIV are steady while STDs are on the rise.

The State of HIV in India

The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) reports that since the US HIV epidemic began, over 565,000 people have died of AIDS.

HIV/AIDS Data and Statistics

Scientists at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill announce they have decoded the structure of an entire HIV genome. How this will affect the future of HIV treatment, prevention, and education is not entirely known. What we do know is that the more we know about HIV, the better we can fight its affects on public health in the US and around the world.