You hear a lot about HIV/AIDS in Africa and rightly so, the disease is a terrible reality for over 28 million Africans. Fortunately there are several organizations working towards educating people about HIV/AIDS and fighting for affordable drugs to treat those in need, but there's a lot of work to still be done.

But how does HIV/AIDS affect visitors to Africa? Well, luckily there is no way of catching the virus through the air, or by touch. So if you are traveling in a country like South Africa, where over 20% of the population has HIV/AIDS, unless you exchange bodily fluids (or get a tattoo) you are not at risk. If you are spending more than a few weeks in Africa it may be wise to bring your own needles, especially if traveling to rural areas. For more tips see my article about HIV/AIDS and Traveling in Africa.

For more on the disease in general see our HIV/AIDS site here at About.com.