ABSTRACT
This chapter provides an overview of the impact of HIV and acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) on South Africa's social environment, economy and politics. The South African AIDS epidemic is the best studied and documented one in Africa. AIDS has significant impacts for populations. Many HIV and AIDS illnesses are also simply not recorded as either the ill do not come into contact with official medical services or the stigmatisation around the issue persuades the medical staff to report the case as something other than HIV and AIDS. The effects of HIV and AIDS on households or families can be devastating. The intimate nature of HIV and AIDS makes the family unit particularly vulnerable. HIV is known as a free-riding infection that targets weakened immune systems. In terms of effect, HIV infections are unremarkable as the infected persons system is not yet significantly weakened.
