MODEL RELEASED. AIDS baby with an extensive shingles (herpes zoster) rash around his neck and shoulder. His mother had AIDS-related complex (ARC), a disease caused by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), which is a precursor to AIDS. ARC and AIDS cause weakening of the immune system, making the patient susceptible to opportunistic infections, and making normally harmless infections life threatening. HIV can be passed from an infected mother to her unborn baby through the placenta, despite the fact that there is no direct contact between their blood systems. Photographed in Africa, where lack of access to drugs and information makes AIDS is a major issue.