1981
—On June 5, CDC reports cases of Pneumocystis pneumonia among MSM in Los Angeles in Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR)
— In New York, the first AIDS fundraiser is held by activist Larry Kramer
1982
— By January, all major routes of HIV transmission are reported in CDC’s publication, MMWR
— Gay Men’s Health Crisis, the first AIDS activist organization, is founded in New York City
— A Miami doctor sees Pneumocystis pneumonia and Kaposi sarcoma in recent Haitian immigrants
— In July, MMWR reports multiple cases of the new disease among Haitians in several states
— The CDC also reports pneumocystis pneumonia in hemophiliacs
— Los Angeles holds the first legislative hearing on the new disease called GRID (Gay-Related Immune Deficiency)
— CDC convenes with scientists, activists and others and names the disease Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS)
1983
— In January, a Paris researcher discovered AIDS is caused by a retrovirus
— Also in January, blood donation guidelines are published
— The CDC reports cases of infection in women via heterosexual contact
— The CDC National AIDS Hotline is created
— CDC, FDA and NIH issue the first prevention recommendations
1984
— Dr. Robert Gallo of the National Cancer Institute develops a blood test known as ELISA
— The San Francisco Department of Public Health closes all bathhouses; they are later re-opened
Please follow the link windycitytimes.com/gay/lesbian/news/ARTICLE.php?AID=12011 to view a letter to the editor which clarifies the timeline of the identification of the virus.
1985
— State and local health departments funded to create HIV prevention programs
— First International Conference on AIDS held in Atlanta
— At the time, the CDC reported that the U.S. was the country hit hardest by AIDS
— President Reagan mentions the word ‘AIDS’ for the first time in public in response to reporters’ questions Sept. 17
— AmFAR is founded in Los Angeles
— A blood test for HIV is approved
— In July, news breaks that actor Rock Hudson has AIDS; he died in October
— Ryan White, a hemophiliac, is barred from attending his Indiana school
1986
— Researchers compromise on a name for the virus that causes AIDS: HIV
— Scientists find HIV targets a specific cell, the immune system’s CO4 T-cell
— A second type of HIV is discovered
— The U.S. Surgeon General urges parents and schools to talk about AIDS with children
— MMWR reports that rate of infection in Blacks and Hispanics are three times higher than whites
— In Connecticut, the first needle-exchange program begins
1987
— Public information campaign, America Responds to AIDS, is launched
— First testing and counseling guidelines issued
— AZT, the first anti-HIV drug, is approved by the FDA
— ACT UP founded in New York in March by activist Larry Kramer
— AIDS Memorial Quilt started in San Francisco and is later displayed in Washington, D.C.
— Randy Shilts’ And the Band Played On is published
1988
— U.S. bans discrimination against HIV-positive workers
— World Health Organization begins World AIDS Day
— ‘Understanding AIDS’ mailed to all U.S. households in May
— Universal precautions established for healthcare workers
— Protestors, demanding clinical trials become more rapidly available to the public, successfully shut down the FDA; as a result, FDA changes its procedures
1989
— AIDS cases reported reaches 100,000
1990
— Congress approved ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act), which provides legal protection for people with AIDS
— Ryan White, youth activist, dies
— Central Intelligence Agency conducts a global study, predicts 45 million dead by 2000
— The Ryan White CARE Act is signed by President George Bush; it provides some of the hardest hit cities, including Chicago, with federal funds to combat the disease
1991
— Ten million have HIV worldwide
— The AIDS Red Ribbon Campaign begins
— Magic Johnson reveals he has HIV
— Rock star Freddy Mercury dies
1992
— The first clinical trials of multiple drugs begins
1993
— The annual AIDS death reaches 45,000
— Study shows condoms 98 percent effective against HIV
— Tony Kushner’s Angels in America wins the Pulitzer Prize and a Tony Award
— Tom Hanks receives an Academy Award for his role in Philadelphia
1994
— AIDS-related illnesses become leading cause of death in people ages 25-44
— Global AIDS Action Network is founded
— MTV’s The Real World features a gay activist with AIDS, Pedro Zamora
— UNAIDS is established
1995
— Greg Louganis reveals he has AIDS
— 500,000 cases of AIDS reported
— The first protease inhibitor approved by FDA
1996
— The AIDS cocktail is unveiled at an international AIDS conference
— AIDS remains the leading killer among African Americans ages 25-44
1997
— First decline is AIDS deaths are reported, largely due to the AIDS cocktail
1998
— Congressional Black Caucus provides more funding for minority prevention programs; Clinton administration approves
— First large-scale trials for an HIV vaccine begin
1999
— Perinatal AIDS cases drop to an all-time low
— A University of Alabama researcher suggests HIV-1 originated in chimps
2000
— Officials note the spread of drug resistant strains of HIV
2001
— Rock star Bono lobbies AIDS funding opposer Sen. Jesse Helms
2002
— FDA approves first rapid test using a finger prick
— The United Nations reports that half of all HIV/AIDS infected adults are women
2003
— President George W. Bush, in his State of the Union address, announces PEPFAR (President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief), $15 billion plan for AIDS
— FDA approves Fuzeon
2004
— Saliva-based rapid test approved by FDA
— The porn industry goes on a month-long hiatus after an HIV outbreak among four stars
2005
— CDC estimates over 1 million people in U.S. are living with HIV, and 25 percent are unaware of their status
— The number of people with HIV is at an all-time high, and nearly 50 percent of infections are women
— In February, a media frenzy over reports of a New York man infected with multiple drug-resistant strains, or a ‘superbug,’ turns out to be an overreaction; however, the story pushes discussion on the issue of drug resistance
— The first national conference on methamphetamine and HIV is held in August in Salt Lake City
2006
— At the 13th Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections, researchers present data on a new class of drugs to fight HIV—integrase inhibitors—which may be on the market by next year
— In May, researches at the University of Alabama announce they have traced the origins of the ‘M’ strain of HIV-1 to a specific family of Cameroon chimps