The most common causes include: Poverty: About half of the world's people living in extreme poverty live in sub-Saharan Africa. That's almost 390 million people. The scarce money is usually not enough to be protected by condoms from infection, let alone for an HIV test or even an antiretroviral therapy.
Why does South Africa have the highest HIV rate?
The reasons are both biological and social, including high rates of teenage pregnancy, an epidemic of gender-based and interpersonal violence; lack of quality education; and widespread poverty and unemployment.Apr 2, 2019
How is HIV most commonly transmitted in Africa?
In sub-Saharan Africa, the main mode of HIV transmission is through heterosexual sex with a concomitant epidemic in children through vertical transmission.
Why is HIV more common in poorer countries?
Poor people in developing countries are considered to be at greatest risk of developing AIDS because their immune systems have been compromised by prior infections. The poor are further placed at risk by their lack of accessibility to health care services and information about AIDS.
When did HIV first appear in humans?
1959: Congolese man. One of the earliest documented HIV-1 infections was discovered in a preserved blood sample taken in 1959 from a man from Léopoldville in the Belgian Congo.