25 Interesting Facts About HIV/AIDS

1. The relation between HIV and AIDS is an infection and the disease. HIV (Human immunodeficiency virus) is the infection that causes the disease AIDS (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome).
2. After getting an HIV infection, a person can take up to 10 years to get a fully developed disease (AIDS). (Source)
3. There are two types of HIV: HIV-1 and HIV-2. HIV-1 is the more prevalent that is present in 95% of patients with HIV. HIV-2 is present mainly in West Africa. HIV-2 develops more slowly and has a lower mortality rate than HIV-1. (Source)
4. Chimps transmitted SIV (simian immunodeficiency virus) in humans. It converted into HIV-1, which causes AIDS. According to a study, the original carriers of SIV were monkeys that transmitted this virus to chimpanzees. (Source)
5. In the USA, 82% of HIV-infected patients are male, particularly homosexuals. HIV infections are five times higher in males than females at birth. (Source)
6. The main problem associated with AIDS is the destruction of the immune system. In the absence of an immune system, opportunistic diseases (TB, pneumonia, a few types of cancers, etc.) may develop that can’t be formed in the presence of a healthy immune system.
7. HIV can be transmitted through blood transfusion, needle sharing, sex (anal, vaginal, oral), childbirth (from mother to newborn), and breastfeeding.
8. Not all human body fluids can transmit HIV. Saliva and tears are two such fluids that are not affected by HIV and do not spread the disease. 
9. Male circumcision reduces the risk of HIV to heterosexual men during vaginal sex by up to 60%. However, the effectiveness of male circumcision reduces markedly in the case of anal sex.
10. Among sexual practices, anal sex is the most dangerous factor for transmission of HIV, while oral sex is the least risky sexual act to transmit the disease. (Source)
11. If an HIV-infected person pre-chews the food of the infant, he/she can transmit the infection to the child. (Source)
12. Swaziland has the highest percentage (27.2%) of people infected with HIV/AIDS, while South Africa has the highest number of HIV/AIDS-infected patients (over 7 million) in the world. 
13. Former South African president Thabo Mbeki adopted the policy of denying the presence of AIDS in his country. According to estimates, this state denial resulted in the death of around 300,000 people. (Source) 

    

    Thabo Mbeki's denial of AIDS resulted in death of 300,000 people
    
    

14. There is a misconception in Africa that sexual intercourse with virgins or animals can cure AIDS. This myth has led to several rape cases.
15. There are confirmed reports about several people who transmitted HIV/AIDS to other people intentionally. Most of them use sexual intercourse to spread the disease. (Source)
16. In 2011, a church in London claimed to heal AIDS patients with prayer. Three AIDS-affected patients died after shunning medicines on their advice. (Source)
17. Around 75 million people have been infected with HIV since its beginning in 1981. So far, this epidemic has taken the lives of 32 million people. Currently, around 38 million people are living with HIV across the globe. (Source)
18. According to estimates, around 85% of HIV-infected patients are aware of their disease, while the remaining does not know.
19. In the mid of 1980s, Soviet Union’s intelligence agency (KGB) initiated a propaganda campaign where the USA was blamed for creating the HIV/AIDS virus as a biological weapon. The name given to this campaign was “Operation INFECTION,” which was generally accepted by many African Americans.
20. FIV (feline immunodeficiency virus) is a viral disease in cats similar to HIV. It is the only virus in non-primate animals that produces symptoms similar to AIDS in humans.

    

    FIV in cats has symptoms similar to that of AIDS
    
    

21. Mosquitoes and other blood-sucking insects cannot spread HIV to humans. It is because AIDS virus has a short survival in mosquitoes and it cannot replicate inside insects. (Source) 
    
22. According to a report by UNICEF, around 30 teenagers between 14 and 19 years of age were infected with HIV per hour in 2017. Out of these teenagers, two-thirds (or 20) were girls. Lack of information, forced sex, and poverty are important reasons behind this increasing rate of HIV among teenage girls. (Source)
23. Once infected with HIV, current medicines and treatments cannot eliminate AIDS in humans. However, the viral load can be suppressed to a minute level (undetectable) with prolonged anti-retroviral treatment. Consequently, the quantity of the virus becomes so negligible in blood, seminal fluid, or vaginal secretions that it cannot transmit to other people, even with unprotected intercourse.
24. People with HIV have the greatest risk of developing TB disease from Latent TB compared to healthy persons. TB disease can also worsen HIV. (Source)
25. HIV-1 was initially discovered from a French homosexual male in 1983. Various teams of scientists gave different names to this virus according to the symptoms of their patients. It was given the name HIV-1 in 1986. (Source)