30 Years of AIDS

As you read about the three decades of AIDS, please consider how you can continue to help with the fight to prevent HIV. Let's build on the progress made over the past three decades. In the 1980s, an AIDS diagnosis would very likely be followed by death within months—or even weeks. In the 1990s, powerful HIV drug cocktails became available and HIV came to be seen as a chronic disease that a person could live with for years. In the last decade, we have lost a generation of young people to fear, stigma, and misinformation about HIV. Please continue to help the Minnesota AIDS Project lead the fight to stop HIV.

  1. The CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) reports the first case of a mysterious illness among gay men. AIDS is initially called GRID (gay–related immune deficiency).

  2. Bruce Brockway becomes the first Minnesotan to be diagnosed with HIV. The term "AIDS" (acquired immune deficiency syndrome) is used for the first time. Fourteen countries report cases of AIDS.

  3. The Minnesota AIDS Project is founded. The CDC establishes the first AIDS case definition. The CDC warns blood banks about a possible problem with the nation's blood supply. Safer–sex guidelines are proposed.

  4. HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) is identified by French researchers as the cause of AIDS. Time is the first major magazine to run a story about people with AIDS. New evidence shows that HIV can be spread by heterosexual sex.

  5. Actor Rock Hudson dies of AIDS. Teenager Ryan White is barred from attending public school because of his HIV–positive status. All U.S. blood and plasma collection sites begin screening for HIV.

  6. The Minnesota AIDS Project Hotline (now known as the AIDSLine) begins taking calls. The Minnesota AIDS Project has a booth at the State Fair for the first time. The first panel of the AIDS Memorial Quilt is created.

  7. AZT (zidovudine) is the first FDA–approved drug to fight AIDS. Yearly cost is $12,000. After six years, President Ronald Reagan finally uses the word "AIDS" in public. The U.S. shuts its doors to HIV–infected immigrants and travelers.

  8. The first Minnesota AIDS Walk raises $100,000 and attracts 1,000 people. The first World AIDS Day is held on December 1. The St. Paul Pioneer Press Dispatch publishes the Pulitzer Prize–winning series, "AIDS in the Heartland."

  9. Amanda Blake (Miss Kitty from TV's "Gunsmoke") dies from AIDS–related complications. The Minnesota AIDS Project successfully advocates for a Dutch public health official detained in Minneapolis en route to an international AIDS conference.

  10. American AIDS deaths pass the 100,000 mark. Ryan White dies of AIDS. Congress passes the Americans With Disabilities Act, which includes protection for people with HIV.

  11. Magic Johnson announces he has HIV. The red ribbon is introduced as a symbol of AIDS awareness. Minneapolis City Councilman Brian Coyle announces his HIV status and dies the same year.

  12. The AIDS Memorial Quilt is displayed at the Metrodome in Minneapolis. Studies show that AZT alone is not effective in treating HIV. Robert Reed, the father on "The Brady Bunch," dies from AIDS.

  13. Tom Hanks wins an Oscar for his portrayal of a lawyer with AIDS in the movie "Philadelphia." The Minnesota AIDS Project begins development of its needle exchange program.

  14. AIDS becomes the leading cause of death for Americans between the ages of 25 and 44 in 64 cities. Pedro Zamora of MTV's "Real World" becomes a voice for people with HIV.

  15. The FDA (Food and Drug Administration) approves the first protease inhibitor that blocks replication of the HIV virus in cells. Olympic gold medalist Greg Louganis discloses he has HIV. Measuring viral load becomes a significant indicator of HIV progression.

  16. Potent HIV drug combinations, known as "drug cocktails," are introduced as an HIV treatment strategy. HIV is the leading cause of death for African–Americans ages 25 to 44.

  17. For the first time in 16 years, AIDS deaths drop. Unexpected side effects such as kidney problems begin to show up in people taking new HIV drugs.

  18. The first human trial of an HIV vaccine begins. Studies show needle exchange programs reduce HIV transmission without increasing drug use.

  19. A majority of the world's infected population does not receive adequate HIV treatment due to poor health care and high drug prices.

  20. AIDS is now the fifth leading cause of death for people ages 25 to 44, with 50% of all new infections among young people under 25.

  21. In Minnesota, 44% of new HIV infections occur in African–American and African–born communities. The Bush administration promotes an abstinence–only HIV prevention strategy.

  22. The FDA approves the OraQuick HIV screening test, which produces preliminary results in 20 minutes. Fusion therapy, a new class of HIV drug treatment, is approved.

  23. The U.S. promises to spend $15 billion globally to fight AIDS. (This promise is not yet fulfilled.) One–third of federal prevention dollars are earmarked for abstinence–only–until–marriage programs. Matt Cusick is fired from Cirque du Soleil for coming out as HIV–positive.

  24. African–born residents account for 20% of new HIV infections reported in Minnesota. The son of former South African president Nelson Mandela dies from AIDS.

  25. A U.N.–funded study estimates that more than $600 million is spent on AIDS vaccine research annually. It also states that "the HIV pandemic has grown to be the greatest public health crisis facing the world since the 13th century."

  26. In Minnesota between 1995 and 2006, the number of people living with HIV increased 100% (from 2,800 to 5,685) while AIDS–related deaths decreased 74% (from 285 to 74).

  27. Twenty–two percent of new cases of adult and adolescent HIV in Minnesota are African–Americans, who represent just over 4% of the state's population. Worldwide estimates indicate that nearly 33 million people are living with HIV.

  28. The Nobel Prize in medicine is awarded to Francoise Barré–Sinoussi and Luc Montagnier for discovering the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).

  29. Congress lifts a 20–year–old ban on federal funding of syringe exchange programs, giving much–needed support to HIV prevention efforts with injection drug users. President Barack Obama lifts the HIV traveling ban and unveils the first National HIV/AIDS Strategy.

  30. The MDH (Minnesota Department of Health) releases statistics for 2009, indicating a 13% spike in HIV infections in gay and bisexual males between the ages of 18 and 25. The Minnesota AIDS Project receives its first direct funding from the CDC for prevention services targeting young gay and bisexual men at higher risk for HIV due to chemical health issues.

  31. The U.S. marks 30 years of AIDS. The CDC estimates that one in four people who are HIV positive don't know it. Elizabeth Taylor, co–founder of the American Foundation for AIDS Research (amfAR), dies. As an AIDS activist, she helped raise over $100 million and expand public awareness of HIV/AIDS.

Donate

CONTACT AIDSLINE

Questions about HIV? Contact the AIDSLine.

BE A VOLUNTEER

Make a difference in the HIV community by volunteering.

DONATE NOW

Help support our programming and services with your financial donation.

Content Notice: This site contains HIV prevention messages that may not be appropriate for all audiences. Since HIV infection is spread primarily though sexual practices or by sharing needles, prevention messages and programs may address these topics. If you are not seeking such information or materials, please exit this website. The Minnesota AIDS Project is not responsible for content of external websites.

© 2010–2012 Minnesota AIDS Project, 501(c)(3)