List of HIV-positive people

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The South African activist Nkosi Johnson did much to promote understanding of people living with HIV

This is an incomplete list, which may never be able to satisfy certain standards for completeness. Revisions and sourced additions are welcome.

This is a categorized, alphabetical list of people who are known to have been infected with HIV (human immunodeficiency virus), the pathogen that causes AIDS, including those who have died.

UNAIDS and the WHO estimate that, as of December 2006, the number of people living with HIV has reached its highest level, at around 39.5 million.^[1] More than 25 million others have died of AIDS (Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome) since it was first recognized in 1981, making the pandemic one of the most destructive in recorded history.

HIV is usually transmitted through sex or drug use, and is often associated with marginalized groups such as gay men, drug users and sex workers. For these reasons, and also because of fears of contagion, people living with HIV are frequently subjected to stigma and discrimination. Publicity campaigns around the world have aimed to counter HIV-related prejudices and misconceptions and to replace them with an accurate understanding that helps to prevent new infections. These efforts have been greatly aided by various celebrities — including American basketball star Magic Johnson and South African judge Edwin Cameron — who have publicly announced that they are HIV-positive