History

• The HIV virus is believed to have originated in primates in the sub-Saharan area of the African continent. The virus was first recognized in 1981.
  
  

Significance

• According to the World Health Organization, the virus and the disease have killed over 25 million people in the 25 years between 1981 and 2006.
  
  

Misconceptions

• Contrary to popular belief, the virus was first discovered by France, not the United States. In 2008, the French scientist Luc Montagnier was awarded the Nobel Prize for this discovery.
  
  

Transmission

• The majority of HIV infections are transmitted through sexual contact, though the transmission rate in high-income countries is near 0.04%.
  
  

Time Frame

• According to the World Health Organization, nine of every ten persons with HIV will progress to AIDS after 10 years. The average lifespan after diagnosis has risen to more than five years.
  
  

Effects

• The HIV virus effects vital cells within the human immune system. AIDS-related deaths, therefore, are mainly the cause of a weakened immune system succumbing to a variety of other diseases or sicknesses.
  
  

Cure

• There is no known cure for HIV or AIDS as of 2009, though many medications can slow the advancement of the virus. Scientists are hopeful that a cure for the disease will be found.