The Facts
AIDS (acquired immune deficiency syndrome) was first recognized in North America in the early 1980s. It is caused by a virus named the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). HIV infection has become a worldwide epidemic. About 33 million people are currently infected with the virus. In North America, the virus has infected nearly a million people and killed almost half a million people to date. At the end of 2006, about 1.1 million people in the United States had been living with HIV, and of these, an estimated 21% were unaware of their infection.
HIV is more common among certain populations at risk, such as people who inject illicit drugs, and bisexual and gay men. HIV infections are also increasing among women, Hispanics/Latinos, and African American communities.