* Acquired immune deficiency syndrome or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) is a disease of the human immune system caused by the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV)
* This condition progressively reduces the effectiveness of the immune system and leaves individuals susceptible to opportunistic infections and tumors.
* The time between infection and the appearance of symptoms tends to be much longer, allowing more opportunities for these microorganisms to be transmitted to other hosts. The period between infection and the appearance of AIDS can take from 7 to 12 years.
* AIDS is now a pandemic. In 2007, an estimated 33.2 million people lived with the disease worldwide, and it killed an estimated 2.1 million people, including 330,000 children.

History:

* Genetic research indicates that HIV originated in west-central Africa during the late nineteenth or early twentieth century.

* AIDS was first recognized by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in 1981 and its cause, HIV, identified in the early 1980s.

* The symptoms of AIDS are primarily the result of conditions that do not normally develop in individuals with healthy immune systems
* Most of these conditions are infections caused by bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites that are normally controlled by the elements of the immune system that HIV damages.
* A person may remain asymptomatic, feel, and appear healthy for even years even though he or she is infected with HIV. While he or she does not exhibit AIDS, the immune system starts to be impaired.
* The person may exhibit neurological symptoms such as memory loss, altered gait, depression, sleep disorders or chronic diarrhea.
* This set of symptoms is often called AIDS-related Complex (ARC) by clinicians. As the symptom progress, the patient becomes an AIDS patient.

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Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome or AIDS is what occurs when a virus invades the body and begins to destroy its immune system. Normal function of an immune system protects the body against illness and keeps the body healthy. When that immune system becomes compromised, the chance of a life threatening illness infecting the body is significantly increased. The deadly virus that attacks in the case of AIDS is HIV or human immunodeficiency virus. This virus attacks the cells that prevent infections from occurring. These cells are killed one by one until there are none remaining to protect the body. Under virus attack, the body begins to shut down and eventually death occurs.

In an ideal world, everyone would know the HIV status of a partner before engaging in sexual activity. In reality however, this is far from the case. Therefore, it is up to the individual to practice aids prevention by making the choice to use a condom each and every time. There are only two exceptions to this aids prevention rule. Either abstain from sexual activity altogether or commit to a long term monogamous relationship with a partner whose HIV status can be certified by an aids test. Even in this situation, aids prevention is not 100% guaranteed. A monogamous partner could have had an infected partner in the past that he or she is not aware of or willing to talk about. There are a few basic rules to adhere to in terms of aids prevention and condom use. The first and most important one is to use a new condom in each and every sexual activity. Sexual activity includes oral sex, anal sex and sexual intercourse. Most condoms are manufactured from latex. If there is a latex allergy with one or both partners, simply use a polyurethane condom. The only condom material that should be avoided in regards to hiv prevention is lambskin. When it comes to aids prevention, lambskin is not effective in the prevention of passing HIV from one partner to another.