human
Why is the number of people dying from AIDS increasing?
assistant
AIDS is caused by a virus called HIV. The virus is spread through blood and sexual contact. The virus can be transmitted through sex, sharing needles, or from mother to child during pregnancy. In the 1980s, when HIV was first discovered, it was thought that it could only be transmitted through sexual contact. However, in the 1990s, scientists discovered that HIV could also be transmitted through blood transfusions and organ transplants.