AIDS at 25

To walk away from the conference findings for just a moment, we had a request for some more basic resources on HIV for those who aren't as familiar with the virus. You'll find some resources on the side in the blogroll, but I wanted to add a few more for background information.

A good starting point for beginners is this page at the Minnesota AIDS project. It goes really down to the basics, defining acronyms and covering the essentials of HIV transmission, with links at the bottom for additional information.

A slightly more in-depth introduction can be found on the NIH website at this page, while here is somewhat of a repeat of the Minnesota page but with the addition of more details about treatment.

This is the homepage of the Division of AIDS at the NIH, which contains links to much more of the science of HIV/AIDS.

Regarding evidence that HIV causes AIDS, a summary of information can be found at this NIH site, and updates and additional information are frequently posted at AIDS truth.

Regarding the epidemiology of AIDS, the CDC provides this page with details regarding HIV/AIDS in different populations in the United States. It also includes links to prevention resources, coinfection with other pathogens, transmission, and a bit on the virology of the virus.

Nature also has a nice special feature on AIDS, with information not only on the disease but maps of affected countries and brief summaries of what they're doing to combat the disease.

The Body also has a huge amount of information, but may be a bit overwhelming for a beginner.

This is an interesting site covering the history of HIV/AIDS, including numerous interviews with the researchers on the front lines.

In a similar vein, The Lancet (requires subscription) has a piece on the history of HIV/AIDS treatment.

A timecourse of the infection can be found here from the AIDS wiki page, though standard wikipedia cautions and limitations apply.

(Thanks to Shelley of Retrospectacle for providing several of the resources listed above. Image from http://www.piperreport.com/archives/Images/HIV%20-%20Illustration%20of%20Virus.jpg).