The AIDS epidemic has spread for almost 30 years. 33 million people are living with HIV worldwide and 28 million have died from an AIDS-related illness since 1981, mostly in Africa. Almost 17,000 people are living with HIV in Australia, and about 1,000 become infected each year; over 6,700 Australians have died from AIDS during the last 25 years. This book contains an overview of the history and prevalence of AIDS globally and in Australia, and explains the latest developments in HIV prevention and treatment. Key topics include: understanding the causes of transmission; HIV prevention programs for specific communities and populations; HIV and safer sex practices; injecting drug use and needle exchange programs; HIV testing; drug treatments and the search for an AIDS cure; the experience of people living with HIV, including discrimination and disclosure issues Chapter 1: HIV and AIDS around the world Chapter 2: HIV/AIDS prevalence and prevention in Australia Chapter 3: Treatment and living with HIV/AIDS Worksheets and activities; Glossary; Fast facts; Web links; Index Fast facts: More than 25 million people around the world have died of AIDS-related diseases. 33.4 million people around the world are now living with HIV. At the end of 2007, there were 9 countries in Africa where more than one tenth of the adult population aged 15-49 was infected with HIV. There are now an estimated 22 million Africans living with HIV/AIDS. The total number of people living with HIV in Asia is thought to be around 4.7 million.