Friday, Dec. 1, was World AIDS Day, the international day of remembrance and renewal of our commitment to the battle against HIV and AIDS.

Here is the world's shortest version of HIV/AIDS 101:

In 1985, scientists discovered the HIV, or human immunodeficiency virus, which, if left untreated, slowly damages the body's immune system. Without a strong, healthy immune system, the body becomes susceptible to many infections and illnesses. If a person living with HIV becomes sick with one of the more serious types of these infections, they are said to have acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, or AIDS. While there is no cure for HIV or AIDS, many people in the U.S. are living longer, productive lives, thanks to HIV medicines and aggressive treatment programs. I'll clarify that by adding -- if you have access to services. And such access is certainly not the case for people living in developing countries around the world where medicines are out of the financial reach of most all people, even if there is infrastructure to deliver services and drugs.

You can't get HIV-infected by drinking from a water fountain; sitting on a toilet seat; hugging, touching or kissing an HIV-infected person; or by eating off plates and utensils. The HIV virus is transmitted from person to person through the exchange of body fluids such as blood, semen and vaginal secretions. This is most often associated with sexual contact, but HIV can be transmitted by exposure to infected blood through transfusions or shared needles to inject drugs, by accidental needle sticks or through the transfusion of infected blood or blood products; or an HIV-infected woman can pass HIV to her baby while pregnant, during delivery or when breast-feeding.

Those are the facts about HIV/AIDS. But more important than the facts are the faces.

So what does the face of HIV/AIDS look like? Pilgrim United Church of Christ in Carlsbad recently had panels from the Names Project Memorial Quilt on display. And there were some local faces in that display this year.

There is Lupe, who, with her four youngest children, lived in the Valle Verde migrant camp in South Carlsbad. She came to the U.S. to make a better life for her children and wanted to own a flower shop one day. She became infected with HIV by her second husband and did not live to see her dream.

There is Blake, who was deeply loved by his family and loved performance and his sailboat, The Peanut. His panel is made from the sail of that boat, and there is a little picture of the boat sailing away over the rainbow.

And there is also John, who worked for Amtrak and loved art. His tie makes up part of the train engine on his panel. John's mother and Blake's mother help others make panels for their loved ones every year at Pilgrim. These panels are then submitted to the Names Project, to become a permanent part of The Quilt.

Every soul who has ever lost the battle with AIDS is someone's son or daughter. They had friends and lovers, partners and spouses, and families, pets, jobs and passions. And they loved life. They were just like me. And just like you. And in the U.S., in the beginning, they died quick, and young. They continued to become infected and died because of a lack of concern, or understanding, or education -- but really, it was mostly because the majority of them belonged to a community that those in power just didn't care much about.

Today, around the world there are literally millions of people who become infected and die for the exact same reason. AIDS has become the greatest humanitarian crisis of our time. Since 1985, AIDS has killed more than 25 million people -- that is more than the combined population of Illinois, Indiana and Wisconsin. Every week AIDS claims as many lives around the world as there were American fatalities in the Vietnam War.

AIDS today has more complicated and far-reaching implications than ever before. Women in developing countries are contracting HIV/AIDS at alarming rates because they have few rights and choices in life, especially choices that protect them from HIV. Fifteen million children have already been orphaned, and 6,000 more children become AIDS orphans every day. Today, if all these children held hands, they would stretch across the United States 5 1/2 times. By 2011, unless something changes, this virtual chain will reach all the way around the world. The global pandemic that HIV/AIDS has become transcends religious, party, economic and national boundaries.

But it's all so overwhelming, right? This is a huge issue, and I am only one person. What can I do? Well, here are some ideas.

Wear a red ribbon, and tell everyone who asks you the facts about HIV and AIDS.

Go to One.org and join the One Campaign's amazingly successful efforts to build a global community of people calling for compassion and justice to help the poorest people in the world overcome AIDS and extreme poverty.

Write letters to your elected officials and demand more education in our schools, and health care for those who don't have it and funding for continued research.

Locally, you can get involved with Fraternity House in Escondido or Michaelle House in Vista, the only two licensed facilities in San Diego County for those living with AIDS. You can cook a meal, do some yard work, be a buddy to a resident living in one of the houses for a couple of hours a week -- or you can call Marie Jones-Kirk, the director, and ask her what she needs.

So now, for today -- think about the faces of the people I've told you about. They are calling out to you "Remember me -- I am the face of HIV/AIDS." Honor their lives by educating yourself about the issues of HIV/AIDS. And remember, it's really not about the numbers. It's about your neighbors.

Oceanside resident Missy Peterson is the AIDS Coordinator for Pilgrim United Church of Christ in Carlsbad.