Presented by: Norris Terry, Trevor Cofer, & Gavin Payton

History of AIDS  AIDS is commonly believed to have originated in Africa in the 1940s-50s.  It is believed to be a manifestation of SIV (Simian Immunodeficiency Virus) commonly found in monkeys.  It was first discovered in the U.S. around 1980 in a group of people living in California.  In 1984 two doctors, Luc Montagnier and Robert Gallo, found the virus that causes AIDS and named it HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus).  In 1985 U.S. President Ronald Reagan mentions the word “AIDS” in public for the first time.

AIDS By The Numbers  In 2009, 4,031 children under the age of 13 were diagnosed with having HIV, given to them through mother-to-child transmission.  Since the beginning of the epidemic, approximately 617,025 have died from AIDS in the U.S.  In 2009, 2.6 million became infected with HIV while 1.8 million deaths occurred from AIDS- related causes.  Every 16 seconds, a person dies from AIDS.  Every 12 seconds, another person contracts HIV.  37,402,301 people live with HIV today.

AIDS By The Numbers

Consequences of AIDS