AIDS As I Know It

I must be completely honest, I do not know very much about AIDS other than it is a devastating epidemic that needs to be stopped. I also know that the prevention of AIDS can be prevented with current safer sex practices and by not sharing needles. These seem to be the main issues in how AIDS is transferred between people. Which in turn has lead to the stigma that only homosexual people and drug users can contract AIDS when in fact any sexual orientation is at ask of contacting AIDS.
The video on Wednesday discussed that in the 1980's a large problem with the transferal of AIDS was because of the blood banks. I had never conceived of this before. I currently donate blood on a regular basis and am aware of the questions they ask prior to donating. I was not aware that there was such a huge debate over those questions in the 80's. I also was unaware that in the beginning AIDS was closely associated with Haiti. I have never heard any stigma surrounding AIDS and Haiti.
For the most part I have gotten my information from health classes. Of course I have watched movies such as RENT which don't display much factual information but rather a look into an AIDS patients life.
As a global topic, I am hoping to learn more about how AIDS is affecting people around the world. I know that Sub-Saharan Africa has a huge problem with it, but I more interested in learning how big of a problem it is in other democracies and also how other government are handling the issue. I know that for a while several government leaders refused to acknowledge that AIDS even existed and I am curious to see how that has changed if at all.