AIDS AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome) is a disease caused by a virus- HIV (human immunodiciency virus). The first cases in this country came to light in the early eighties. Although the origins of AIDS remains uncertain it is thought to have emerged decades ago in sub-Saharan Africa. There is a closely related virus (simian immunodeficiency virus, or SIV) that is found among monkeys in that particular area which AIDS is thought to have evolved from (Combating AIDS 353). When the virus first emerged in the United States it was localized to the male homosexual and IV drug user communities. This localizatio