What Country Has the Highest Percentage of People Living with HIV AIDS?

The country with the highest percentage of people living with HIV AIDS is South Africa. The lack of education about HIV AIDS and the lack of ability to acquire the drugs needed make the African continent the leading content with AIDS.

The HIV/AIDS virus is not only a problem in the United States. HIV and those with full blown AIDS are found all over the world.

• Leading continent with AIDS - According to the Avert website, the continent with the highest HIV/AIDS population is Africa.
• Leading country with AIDS - The country with the highest HIV or AIDS population is South Africa. An overwhelming 5.7 million people are infected with the virus.

Africa is home to some of the poorest countries in the world where the prevention of HIV and AIDS is difficult to suppress. Due to lack of education and lack of ability to acquire the drugs needed, it is estimated that in some African countries almost one in five adults is affected by HIV or full blown AIDS. In the country of Botswna, for example, approximately 23.9 percent of adults living there have HIV or AIDS.

Prevalence of HIV/Aids Cases

Since the late 1980s, HIV or AIDS has become the most fatal of all sexually transmitted diseases. HIV stands for Human Immunodeficiency Virus. This is the beginning of the AIDS, or Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome.

The first cases of HIV or AIDS in the United States were detected in San Francisco, California and New York, New York. Since its discovery more than 20 years ago, HIV and AIDS has become prevalent worldwide.

It is estimated that more than 42 million people in the world are affected by HIV or AIDS and more than three million individuals die from AIDS related illnesses every year. Although scientists have attempted to find a cure for this fatal sexually transmitted disease, they have yet to find a way to do anything other than suppress or slow down the progression of the viral cells that infect the body.

How HIV Attacks

HIV viral cells affect every system in the body by attaching themselves to CD4 helper lymphocyte cells. Once attached, the viral cells multiply and consume these helper cells. The CD4 cells are responsible for helping the body to fight off all sorts of infections.

As more and more of these helper cells are consumed, the body’s immune system becomes weakened and unable to fight off even the most common of infections. The result is an infection that the body is too weak to fight and the infection becomes fatal.     

HIV/AIDS Prevention

Even if you do not live on the African continent, you still need to be careful and protect yourself. Despite many myths about the transmission of HIV, there are only four ways the virus can be transmitted from one infected person to another. The ways to transmit the virus are through bodily fluids such as:

• Blood
• Semen
• Vaginal secretions
• Breast milk

Therefore, the best way to prevent the transmission of HIV is through abstinence or protection during sexual activity.

HIV can also be transmitted through blood by sharing needles with an infected person. Therefore, never share needles with anyone.

Additionally, if you are pregnant, you should have an AIDS test performed by a doctor. If the test is positive, you should refrain from feeding your baby breast milk in an effort to stop the transmission of this fatal disease to your child.