Evolution of an Epidemic
Two Decades of HIV/AIDS
In June 1981, scientists in the United States reported the first clinical evidence of a disease that would become known as acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, or AIDS. Twenty years later, the AIDS epidemic has spread to every corner of the world. Over 40 million people are today living with HIV (human immunodeficiency virus), the virus that causes AIDS. But two decades of struggle to control the epidemic have also yielded a growing arsenal of breakthroughs. 1981 — The first cases of unusual immune system failures are identified among gay men in the United States. 1982 — Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome is defined…
