*sigh* See, this is why AIDS denialists suck. They've managed to muddy the water sufficiently that it's possible for an intelligent person who isn't paying close attention to get confused.

Yes, HIV has been totally tied to AIDS. There hasn't been any question about this for twenty years.

Here's a NAIAD fact sheet (http://www.niaid.nih.gov/factsheets/evidhiv.htm) outlining the evidence that HIV causes AIDS, and here's (http://www.aidstruth.org/) a website devoted to refuting the denialists.