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The history of AIDS
The origin of AIDS
Understanding how the HIV epidemic emerged is necessary if future prevention work is to be directed towards useful goals.
The causes of epidemics are generally related to changes in human behaviours. Microbes frequently change their behaviour as a result of changes in the activities of their hosts. AIDS did not come from nowhere, but arose as a consequence of social changes which permitted the rapid dissemination of HIV.
Understanding how social changes assisted HIV's spread helps us anticipate the future course of the epidemic.