AIDS is believed to originate in non-human primates in sub-Saharan Africa and was transferred to humans during the late 19th or early 20th century. There are two types of HIV that infect humans; the HIV-1 which is more virulent is easily transmitted and is the cause of the majority of HIV infections globally, and the HIV-2 is less transmittable and is largely confined to West Africa.

On June 5, 1981, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recorded a cluster of Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia (now still classified as PCP but known to be caused by Pneumocystis jirovecii in five homosexual men in Los Angeles. In the beginning, the CDC did not have an official name for the disease. They used lymphadenopathy, Kaposi's sarcoma and Opportunistic Infections as a name of this disease however a task force for AIDS had been set up in 1981.

Sexual transmission, exposure to blood-borne pathogens, and prenatal transmission are some of the famous causes of this pandemic disease. Unprotected sexual acts are riskier for the receptive partner than for the insertive partner, and the risk for transmitting HIV through unprotected anal intercourse is greater than the risk from vaginal intercourse or oral sex. Sharing and reusing syringes contaminated with HIV-infected blood represents a major risk for infection with HIV. The transmission of the virus from the mother to the child can is also common cause of this disease.

AIDS as we all know have various effects to the body. The most prominent effect of HIV is its T-helper cell suppression and lyses. The cell is simply killed off or deranged to the point of being function-less. The infected B-cells cannot produce enough antibodies either. Thus the immune system collapses leading to the familiar AIDS complications, like infections and neoplasm. I will not add the degrading effect from the society towards the AIDS victim.

Due to these deadly effects, it is better to take preliminary prevention on this matter. Prevent from sexual contact with an AIDS victim and minimize and if possible avoid exposure to infected body fluids are two of these preventions. Current recommendations state that when replacement feeding is acceptable, feasible, affordable, sustainable and safe, HIV-infected mothers should avoid breast-feeding their infant. The very best way to prevent infection is through education and health literacy. There are various men and women in medical scrubs and lab coats who are willing to give information about this disease. And of course at all times self control is the key.

But how about those people who are infected already with this disease? All they have to do is to get all of the possible treatment and cure for AIDS. These are highly active antiretroviral therapy, or HAAR, some believe that a vaccine is the best cure for this disease but for almost 30 years of research, HIV-1 remains a difficult target for a vaccine. In the US, approximately 60% of HIV patients use various forms of alternative medicine but the effectiveness of this treatment is not yet fully proven.

So what will be the hope for those who are suffering now from this pandemic disease? I believe that while we are still living hope is always there. Hope is eternal. Many cases seem hopeless but there are many AIDS victim who look at their conditions with hope. Take for instance Damaries Cruz who is also suffering from this disease. She said that she had to find a way to turn this horrible thing into a positive. She chooses to celebrate her life.