• Worldwide, an estimated 39.5 million people are living with Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) infection and Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS).
  
  
• In Canada, approximately 58,000 people were estimated to be living with HIV/AIDS in 2005. In Ontario, there were approximately 24,900 people living with HIV/AIDS as of 2005.
  
  
• In the past, about half of those infected with HIV developed AIDS within ten years of infection, but since the introduction of powerful antiretroviral therapy (ART) in 1996, the time between HIV infection and the development of AIDS has increased.
  
  
• In the absence of any intervention, an estimated 15% to 30% of women with HIV infection will transmit the infection during pregnancy and delivery, and 10% to 20% through breast milk to their new-born child.
  
  
• Studies have repeatedly shown that people are more likely to become infected with HIV when another sexually transmitted infection (STI) is already present.

HIV/AIDS - an Overview (PDF 3 pages, 175KB)

Table of contents:

• Table of Contents (PDF 164KB, 1 page)
• List of Figures (PDF 49KB, 1 page)
• Message from the Medical Officer of Health (PDF 231KB, 1 page)
• Introduction (PDF139KB, 1 page)
  
  
• HIV/AIDS - an Overview (Chapter 1)
• Epidemiology of HIV/AIDS (Chapter 2)
• HIV/AIDS Risk Factors (Chapter 3)
• Co-Infections with HIV/AIDS (Chapter 4)
• HIV/AIDS Mortality (Chapter 5)
• Special Populations (Chapter 6)
  
  
• Discussion (PDF 50KB, 1 page)
• Recommendations (PDF 61KB, 3 pages)
• Peel Health Facts (PDF 81KB, 7 pages)
• Data Sources, Methods and Limitations (PDF 97KB, 10 pages)
• Glossary (PDF 68KB, 4 pages)
• References (PDF 60KB, 2 pages)