TheHIV/AIDSpandemic：Morethan40millionpeopletodaylivewithHIV/AIDS.Everyyear，morethan3millionpeopledieofAIDS.Itisadevastationthatafflictseverycountryonearth.However，itsburdensfallmostheavilyonpeopleindevelopingcountries.Theyarepersonal，economicandsocialburdens.Thesearenotjustmedicalstatistics.
FromthefirstsignsoftheHIV/AIDSpandemicintheearly1980s，theworldhascometorecognisethehugechallengepresentedbytheHIVvirus.Intheearlydays，itwaspredictedthatasafevaccinewouldbeavailablewithinadecade.Thishasnoteventuated.Securinganeffectivevaccinestillappearstobefaraway.AlthoughtherehavebeenadvancesintherapyforpeoplelivingwithHIVandAIDS（mostespeciallythedevelopmentofthetriplecombinationdrugtherapies）theseareexpensive，evenwhenavailableintheformofgenericdrugs.TheUnitedNations3×5programme（i.e.，3millionpeopleindevelopingcountriesreceivingantiretroviraltreatmentby2005）hasfallenbehinditstargets.TheobjectiveofradicallyincreasingaccesstoteststhatwillrevealHIVstatusinconjunctionwithcounsellingandprivacyhasalsofallenshortofitstargets.Inmanycountriesoftheworld，stigmastillsurroundsexposuretoHIV.Inpart，thishasbeenbecausedeathhasbeenthecommonconsequenceofinfection.Butinpart，ithasbeenbecauseoftraditionalattitudestothecommonmodesoftransmissionofthevirus：sexualintercourse，intravenousdruguse，andprostitution.
Intheearlyyearsoftheepidemic，indevelopedcountriessuchasAustraliaandtheUnitedStates，alargeproportionofpersonsdiagnosedasHIVpositiveweregaymen.Thishasneverbeenacharacteristicoftheepidemicindevelopingcountries.IthasnottodatebeenafeatureoftheepidemicinChina.Nevertheless，thepresentationofalargecohortofhomosexualpatientswithHIV，togetherwiththeabsenceofavaccineandtheearlyunavailabilityofeffectivetherapies，producedaconsequencethatisrelevanttosocialresponsestohumansexuality.