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The HIV / AIDS Pandemic

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The HIV/AIDS pandemic is very important in a global context, it has had distinct effects on many regions in the world. HIV has reached every region in the world, some areas are more heavily affected than others. The epidemic has demanded substantial political and financial commitment from international organizations, donor countries, and domestic governments. In recent years, the international community had made drastic efforts to provide universal access to HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment. HIV continues to be a major global public health issue, the disease as claimed the lives of 35 million individuals so far. An approximate 1.0 million individuals have died from HIV related illnesses in 2016. The disease is now considered extremely important public health problem, nowadays more and more individuals are becoming aware of their status and are receiving the proper treatment.
The HIV/AIDS epidemic is heavily influenced by both political and social factors. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, gay or bisexual men who have sex with men (MSM) are the most severely affected population in the world. Although, MSM only account for a small fraction of the total U.S. population they are more prone to HIV infections. MSM within ethnic minority groups are at an even greater risk of infection. Individuals who inject drugs are also more prone to infection. Injection drug users have been associated directly or indirectly with approximately one-third of AIDS cases in the

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