Welcome to AidsPedia™ -- The Aids Encyclopedia

Our Mission:
To create the most complete and definitive source of information about the past and present of Aids.

Our Goal:
To be your source for Aids related information. We will supply our visitors with up to date news, stories, and latest Aids News section below.

Aids News:
"The Valley's Talk Station"
17 May 2008 at 4:44am
Looking like a million dollars is more than just a figure of speech. Designer Alberta Ferretti desig...
Weight-Loss Aids Bought On Internet Might Harm Your Heart
17 May 2008 at 3:55am
Weight-loss supplements widely available for purchase online often include ingredients that are pote...

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Aids:
Acquired immune deficiency syndrome or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS or Aids) is a collection of symptoms and infections resulting from the specific damage to the immune system caused by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) in humans, and similar viruses in other species (SIV, FIV, etc.). The late stage of the condition leaves individuals susceptible to opportunistic infections and tumors. Although treatments for AIDS and HIV exist to decelerate the virus's progression, there is currently no known cure. HIV is transmitted through direct contact of a mucous membrane or the bloodstream with a bodily fluid containing HIV, such as blood, semen, vaginal fluid, preseminal fluid, and breast milk. This transmission can come in the form of anal, vaginal or oral sex, blood transfusion, contaminated hypodermic needles, exchange between mother and baby during pregnancy, childbirth, or breastfeeding, or other exposure to one of the above bodily fluids.

Most researchers believe that HIV originated in sub-Saharan Africa during the twentieth century. It is now a pandemic. In 2007, an estimated 33.2 million people lived with the disease worldwide, and it claimed the lives of an estimated 2.1 million people, including 330,000 children. Over three-fourths of these deaths occurred in sub-Saharan Africa, retarding economic growth and destroying human capital. Antiretroviral treatment reduces both the mortality and the morbidity of HIV infection, but routine access to antiretroviral medication is not available in all countries.

HIV/AIDS stigma is more severe than that associated with some other life-threatening conditions and extends beyond the disease itself to providers and even volunteers involved with the care of people living with HIV.

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