The spread of HIV and AIDS has affected millions of people worldwide; According to the "2006 AIDS Epidemic Update", published by the UNAIDS/World Health Organization, there were an estimated 39.5 million people around the world living with HIV, with 4.3 million new HIV infections and 2.9 million deaths from AIDS-related illnesses in 2006. In some regions, there are indications that HIV infection rates have risen by over 50% since 2004. In the wake of this pandemic, a number of misconceptions have arisen surrounding the disease. Below is a list and explanations of some common misconceptions and their rebuttals.