AIDS Awareness Month, observed every October, supports educational campaigns that disseminate science-based, factual, and clear information to youths, at-risk people, and the general public. With over 37 million people living with HIV worldwide, public information about its prevention, transmission, and treatment must be accurate and widely available.
Advocates have several goals including educating people about the importance of knowing your status and regular testing, lobbying for accessible and affordable testing and treatment, reducing stigma, ensuring the public has accurate information about HIV risk and transmission and supporting patients living with HIV/AIDS.
History of AIDS Awareness Month
HIV/AIDS, or the human immunodeficiency virus and its associated immune deficiency syndrome, first appeared in the Congo in the 1920s, spread to the Western Hemisphere via the Caribbean in the 1960s, and became a global pandemic in the 1980s as cases exploded around the world.
Because the first diagnosed patients were gay men, it was first believed that AIDS only affected homosexuals, drug users, and later people of Haitian origin. As scientists discovered more about the disease, they learned it was caused by a virus that could be transmitted in several ways and could affect anyone. By the end of 1985, more than 20,000 cases of AIDS were reported all over the world. Doctors and researchers scrambled to understand the infection and develop treatments and vaccines.
In 1987, the first antiretroviral medication effective in treating HIV, azidothymidine (known as AZT), was developed. A positive diagnosis was no longer a death sentence, but despite new information and treatment options, HIV/AIDS continued to spread. By the end of the 1980s, AIDS was a full-blown crisis, with more than 400,000 diagnosed cases.
To date, about 35 million people have died from AIDS, and roughly that same number live with the virus. In 2010, there were over 20 approved treatment options for HIV/AIDS, and new treatments are developed all the time. No vaccine exists yet, but thanks to anti-retroviral drugs and constantly improving treatment options, it’s now possible for an HIV patient with access to care to live a full and healthy life.
