Throughout time, South Africa has experienced many upheavals, be they slavery and apartheid or natural, socioeconomic, and political misfortunes.Just after overcoming the oppression of Apartheid, South Africans have to face one of the deadliest illness in the world: HIV/AIDS. HIV/AIDS is currently the number one killer in South Africa(WHO, 2012). This pandemic further worsen the struggles of the nation, obstructing its educational, financial, and political recovery (Oglethorpe, & Gelman, (2008).; Weiser, et al., 2007.). This paper seeks to analyze how apartheid—or rather, its demise—contributed to the alarmingly rapid spread of this pandemic in South Africa. In so doing, the current paper will analyze (1) the prevalence of HIV/AIDS; (2) the manner in which education, or the lack thereof, influences the spread of the disease; and (3) the seemingly mutual relationship between poverty and HIV/AIDS.

this paper seeks to analyze how apartheid—or rather, its demise—contributed to the alarmingly rapid spread of this pandemic in South Africa. In so doing, it will analyze (1) the prevalence of HIV/AIDS; (2) the manner in which education, or the lack thereof, influences the spread of the disease; and (3) the seemingly mutual relationship between poverty and HIV/AIDS.