Human Immunodeficiency Virus

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Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and Acquired Immune deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) have been around for a few decades with more and more people getting the disease, especially in and around the area of Africa with 25 million people infected. HIV is spread through the transfusion of contaminated blood, by used of contaminated needles, unprotected sex, children born with it from an infected mother by womb or breast feeding or in general, the mixing of a body fluid with someone who has HIV. There are approximately 35,500,000 people in the world affected with AIDS or HIV, the worst place being Africa with over 25 million people followed by Asia with 6.5 million. Roughly 22 million people have died to date due to AIDS and this number will be increasing quite rapidly especially in Africa due to the lack of teaching about protected sex. Most men have more than 1 partner in Africa especially due to their occupations in the mines of which you will hear more of in an

Interview with a 14 year old boy


called Daniel in Uganda.

Above: A graph showing the increase in population with HIV and AIDS. 

Times reporter, Jonathan Williams visited Uganda and spoke to a boy whose parents are infected with AIDS, Daniel. Like most men in Uganda, Daniel’s dad went away to mine in South Africa and while away, had unprotected sex with another woman. When Daniel’s dad got back, he passed the HIV he got from the lady at the mine onto his wife. When a female gets HIV and then has a baby, the baby might then get AIDS. Daniel, however, is not infected with AIDS or HIV. Some men chose

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not to wear condoms because they are “unmanly” and some reuse needles without being cleaned and so they are contaminated with blood.

Interview with Daniel

Times: First of all, thanks for speaking to us about such a taboo subject in your village. We understand it might be quite hard for you.

Daniel: That’s okay.

Times: How has HIV affected you?

Daniel: Life is very difficult! My

mum is often very ill meaning I can’t complete my homework at home. Sometimes I have to stay at home and not go to school because my mum is too ...

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