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Hatian Discrimination
In the early 1980s, the Centers for Disease Control identified Haitians as one of the primary groups at risk for AIDS. -
HIV/AIDS Comes to Light
The origin of AIDS and HIV has puzzled scientists ever since the illness first came to light in the early 1980s. On June 5, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) publish a Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR), describing cases of a rare lung infection, in five young, previously healthy, gay men in Los Angeles.- 1981 -
First AIDS Clinic
In January, the first American AIDS clinic is established in San Francisco. -
Gay Men's Health Crisis is founded
Gay Men’s Health Crisis , the first community-based AIDS service provider in the U.S., is founded in New York City. -
AIDS Come To Light
On September 24, CDC uses the term “AIDS” (acquired immune deficiency syndrome) for the first time, and releases the first case definition of AIDS: “a disease at least moderately predictive of a defect in cell-mediated immunity, occurring in a person with no known case for diminished resistance to that disease.” -
Identifying Routes of Transmission
In the September 9 MMWR, CDC identifies all major routes of HIV transmission—and rules out transmission by casual contact, food, water, air, or environmental surfaces. -
First AIDS Ward
On July 25, San Francisco General Hospital opens the first dedicated AIDS ward in the U.S. It is fully occupied within days. -
Identifying How HIV Spreads
Centers for Disease Controls identifies all major routes of HIV transmission—and rules out transmission by casual contact, food, water, air, or environmental surfaces. -
First AIDS Discrimination Lawsuit
After a New York doctor is threatened with eviction from his building for treating AIDS patients, Gay Men’s Health Crisis (GMHC) and Lambda Legal file the first AIDS discrimination lawsuit. -
Acceptance in the Community
Community-based AIDS service organizations join together to form AIDS Action, a national organization in Washington, DC, to advocate on behalf of people and communities affected by the epidemic. -
Finding a Cure
The National Cancer Institute announce they have found the cause of AIDS, the retrovirus HTLV-III. They also announce the development of a diagnostic blood test to identify HTLV-III and expresses hope that a vaccine against AIDS will be produced within two years. -
CDC Announces Injection Drug Use Transmits the Virus
U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) state that avoiding injection drug use and reducing needle-sharing “should also be effective in preventing transmission of the virus.” -
Bathhouse Closings
In October, San Francisco officials order bathhouses closed due to high-risk sexual activity occurring in these venues. New York and Los Angeles follow suit within the year. -
HIV and the Military
The Pentagon announces that it will begin testing all new military recruits for HIV infection and will reject those who test positive for the virus. -
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Hatian Discrimination
The Food and Drug Administration in the late 1980s refused to accept the donation of blood from individuals of Haitian origin. -
Ryan White
Ryan White, an Indiana teenager who contracted AIDS through contaminated blood products used to treat his hemophilia, is refused entry to his middle school. He goes on to speak publicly against AIDS stigma and discrimination. -
Spreading Across the World
At least one HIV case has been reported from each region of the world. -
Establishment of the Name
The International Committee on the Taxonomy of Viruses declares that the virus that causes AIDS will officially be known as Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV). -
President Reagan Publicly Announces AIDS
On September 17, President Ronald Reagan mentions AIDS publicly for the first time, vowing in a letter to Congress to make AIDS a priority. -
HIV Restrictions in Immigration
On May 16, the U.S. Public Health Service adds HIV as a “dangerous contagious disease” to its immigration exclusion list and mandates testing for all visa applicants. -
Debate in the UN General Assembly
AIDS becomes the first disease ever debated on the floor of the United Nations (UN) General Assembly . The General Assembly resolves to mobilize the entire UN system in the worldwide struggle against AIDS and designates the WHO to lead the effort. -
Testifying in the Presiden'ts Commission on AIDS
Ryan White, an HIV-positive teenager who has become a national spokesperson for AIDS education, treatment, and funding, testifies before the President’s Commission on AIDS. -
Availability of Experimental Treatments
Dr. Anthony Fauci, head of the National Institutes of Health’s National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), endorses giving HIV-positive people who do not qualify for clinical trials access to experimental treatments. -
100,000
The number of reported AIDS cases in the United States reaches 100,000. -
Immigration Protests
The 6th International AIDS Conference meets in San Francisco. To protest U.S. immigration policy that bars people with HIV from entering the country, domestic and international nongovernmental groups boycott the conference. -
Americans with Disabilities Act
The U.S. Congress enacts the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The Act prohibits discrimination against individuals with disabilities, including people living with HIV/AIDS. -
Red Ribbon Project
The Visual AIDS Artists Caucus launches the Red Ribbon Project to create a visual symbol to demonstrate compassion for people living with AIDS and their caregivers. The red ribbon becomes the international symbol of AIDS awareness. -
Magic Johnson
On November 7, American basketball star Earvin “Magic” Johnson announces that he is HIV-positive. -
Death of Freddie Mercury
On November 24, Freddie Mercury, lead singer/ songwriter of the rock band Queen, dies of bronchial pneumonia resulting from AIDS. -
Becoming #1
AIDS becomes the number one cause of death for U.S. men ages 25 to 44. -
The First Test Kit
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) licenses a 10-minute diagnostic test kit which can be used by health professionals to detect the presence of HIV-1. -
Business Responds to AIDS
On December 1, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) launch the Business Responds to AIDS program to help large and small businesses meet the challenges of HIV/AIDS in the workplace and the community. (CDC will start the Labor Responds to AIDS program in 1995.) -
Philadelphia
The film “Philadelphia” starring Tom Hanks as a lawyer with AIDS, opens in theaters. Based on a true story, it is the first major Hollywood film on AIDS. -
An Oral HIV Test
On December 23, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approves an oral HIV test, the first non-blood-based antibody test for HIV. -
White House Conference
President Clinton hosts the first White House Conference on HIV/AIDS. -
The Count Goes On
By the end of the year, 500,000 cases of AIDS have been reported in the U.S. -
HAART is Shown to be Highly Effective
In Vancouver, the 11th International AIDS Conference highlights the effectiveness of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART), creating a period of optimism. -
A New Strategy
HIV/AIDS researcher Dr. David Ho advocates for a new strategy for treating HIV – “hit early, hit hard,” in which patients are placed on new, more aggressive treatment regimes earlier in the course of their infection in hopes of keeping them healthier longer. -
Progress in a Vaccine
On May 18, President Clinton announces that the goal of finding an effective vaccine for HIV in 10 years will be a top national priority, and calls for the creation of an AIDS vaccine research center at the National Institutes of Health (NIH). -
Combivir is Approved by the FDA
On September 26, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approves Combivir, a combination of two antiretroviral drugs in one tablet, which makes it easier for people living with HIV to take their medications. -
Spread in Black Community
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report that African Americans account for 49% of U.S. AIDS-related deaths. AIDS-related mortality for African Americans is almost 10 times that of Whites and three times that of Hispanics. -
A Worldwide Killer
The World Health Organization announces that HIV/AIDS has become the fourth biggest killer worldwide and the number one killer in Africa. WHO estimates that 33 million people are living with HIV worldwide, and that 14 million have died of AIDS. -
National Security Threat
President Clinton declares that HIV/AIDS is a threat to U.S. national security. -
Group of Eight Summit
The leaders of the “Group of Eight” (G8) Summit release a statement acknowledging the need for additional HIV/AIDS resources. G8 members make up most of the world’s largest economies, and include: Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States. -
A Bold New Vision
On November 8, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton shares the U.S. Government’s bold new vision of creating an AIDS-free generation, and speaks about the remarkable progress made in 30 years of fighting AIDS. -
Helping Other Countries
The United States announces a framework that will allow poor countries unable to produce pharmaceuticals to gain greater access to drugs needed to combat HIV/AIDS, malaria, and other public health crises. -
Unknowingly Transmitting
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) calculate that 27,000 of the estimated 40,000 new infections that occur each year in the U.S. result from transmission by individuals who do not know they are infected. -
Early Diagnoses
On March 26, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approves the use of oral fluid samples with a rapid HIV diagnostic test kit that provides the result in approximately 20 minutes. -
25 Year Anniversary
June 5 marks 25 years since the first AIDS cases were reported. -
Encouraging Testing in Heathcare
In an attempt to increase the number of people taking HIV tests, on May 30, the World Health Organization (WHO) and UNAIDS (the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS) issue new guidance recommending “provider-initiated” HIV testing in healthcare settings. -
Death Count
CDC reports over 565,000 people have died of AIDS in the U.S. since 1981. -
Lifiting of Immigration Ban
President Bush signs the bill that lifts the blanket ban on HIV-positive travelers to the U.S., and gives the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services the authority to admit people living with HIV/AIDS on a case-by-case basis. -
Obama calls for HIV/AIDS Strategy
Newly elected President Barack Obama calls for the development of the first National HIV/AIDS Strategy for the United States. -
The Ban is Lifted
President Obama announces that his administration will officially lift the HIV travel and immigration ban in January 2010 by removing the final regulatory barriers to entry. -
Increase in Early Treatment
Also in September, the World Health Organization (WHO), UNAIDS (the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS) , and the United Nations Children’s Fund publish their annual Universal Access report for low- and middle-income countries. The report shows an estimated 5.25 million people were receiving antiretroviral therapy in 2009, and an estimated 1.2 million people started treatment that same year – the largest annual increase yet recorded. -
Ending the Epidemic
President Obama announces accelerated efforts to increase the availability of treatment to people living with HIV/AIDS in the United States . New funding will support AIDS Drug Assistance Programs in states and increase access to HIV/AIDS care services . He challenges the global community to deliver funds to The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, and calls on Congress to keep its past commitments intact. He calls on all Americans to keep fighting to end the epidemic. -
HIV Prevention Strategic Plan
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announce a new HIV Prevention Strategic Plan to cut annual HIV infections in the U.S. by half within five years.