HIV

HIV is believed to have originated with chimpanzees. Humans who hunted chimpanzees infected with simian immunodeficiency virus were exposed to the virus. The virus then mutated and became what we know as HIV, a virus that attacks the body's immune system, most specifically its T cells. T cells are responsible for fighting off infections. When a person with HIV is untreated, the person's T cells decrease until the person is no longer able to fight off infections or cancers. This stage is known as acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS); it is the last stage of the HIV infection. While there is no cure for HIV, it can be controlled with the appropriate treatment and medical care. Approximately 1.2 million people in the United States have HIV. Approximately one in eight of those infected are unaware of it. Statistically, the highest percentage of the population with HIV or AIDS are gay and bisexual men, followed by those who inject drugs.

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