2011: Thirty Years of AIDS

A Somber Anniversary

It all began on June 5, 1981 -- on paper, at least. That's the day that a medical publication reported an outbreak of Pneumocystis pneumonia among five young, gay men in Los Angeles, Calif. Nobody knew it at the time, but that nondescript, two-page article -- simply entitled "Pneumocystis Pneumonia -- Los Angeles" -- was the first published report on what we now know all too well as AIDS and the virus that causes it, HIV.

In 2011, we mark the 30th anniversary of that report. Throughout the year, HIV/AIDS community members, public officials and the rest of the world will write articles and blogs; will hold events, speeches and vigils; and will reflect back on the past three decades, as well as what the future holds in store for the HIV pandemic and the people who are a part of it. We'll highlight many of those contributions on this page, and add some of our own as well.

Featured Coverage

IN THE LIFE Spotlights HIV/AIDS at 30 (December 6, 2011)
From TheBody.com
Fear, Not Loathing and HIV (December 1, 2011)
From TheBody.com
30 Years of AIDS: Ambassador Eric Goosby (October 5, 2011)
From AIDS.gov
30 Years of AIDS: Dr. James Curran, Dean of Emory's Rollins School of Public Health (September 19, 2011)
From AIDS.gov
Your Questions From the White House: 30 Years of AIDS Video Chat -- A Blog Entry From Positive Policy (September 13, 2011)
From AIDS.gov
30 Years of AIDS: Phill Wilson, Executive Director, Black AIDS Institute (September 12, 2011)
From AIDS.gov
30 Years of AIDS: Dr. Jeffrey Levi From Trust for America's Health (September 6, 2011)
From AIDS.gov
30 Years of AIDS: Dázon Dixon Diallo From SisterLove on Women, Progress, and the Road Ahead (August 29, 2011)
From AIDS.gov
Three Decades of HIV/AIDS, Part Three: A Blog Entry by Bob Frascino, M.D. (July 27, 2011)
"Our view of the future was the AIDS crisis would continue to gain momentum and notoriety. We felt confident the rapidly amplifying cry for cure, care and support services would become logarithmically louder and more persuasive. We imagined ignorance and stigma would be replaced by knowledge, reason and compassion. None of these things actually occurred."
From TheBody.com
HIV at 30: A Blog Entry by Gary Bell (July 20, 2011)
"My blog today will be more in the form of a rant. It comes on the heels of a recent radio show on which I appeared. During the show, I experienced a sense of déjà vu; that the conversation I was engaged in has happened before. After 30 years, I was answering many of the same questions, the same way."
From TheBody.com
If AIDS Is Only 30, Why Do I Feel So Very Old? A Blog Entry by Thomas DeLorenzo (July 17, 2011)
"In spite of this virus that lurks in my body, I am capable of many great things. Don't pre-judge me just because I get to work harder at staying on this planet than you do. If you need to, give me some credit for what I have been through."
From TheBody.com
Three Decades of HIV/AIDS, Part Two: A Blog Entry by Bob Frascino, M.D. (June 30, 2011)
Ignorance, fear and hysteria (1985-1990) and activism (1990-1995).
From TheBody.com
Dab Garner's 30-Year Story of Survival: A Video Blog Entry by Mark S. King (June 17, 2011)
"This video is quite simple, really. One man explains to you what happened to him, from becoming one of the first AIDS patients in San Francisco to his life today in the service of others with HIV."
From TheBody.com
AIDS @ 30: Media Coverage From the Early Days: A Blog Entry by Kellee Terrell (June 10, 2011)
From TheBody.com
AIDS at 30: Views From the Community -- Mark Fischer: A Blog Entry by Candace Y.A. Montague (June 4, 2011)
"Mark has lived in Washington, DC since 1978, been HIV positive for more than 25 years and has been involved in HIV efforts since the beginning of the epidemic. He sees himself as a 'human being, first and foremost ... all the rest, being male, White, gay, etc. are just accidents of birth for which I deserve neither privilege nor blame.'"
From TheBody.com
Looking Back at 30! A Blog Entry by Rae Lewis-Thornton (June 3, 2011)
"I don't remember hearing about AIDS back then and if I did with a name like GRID, I probably would have dismissed it in seconds. I mean I am a heterosexual woman and gay had nothing to do with me. And given the fact that I was trying to figure out where my next meal was coming from, a disease like this would have been the last thing on my mind."
From TheBody.com
Hope for the Future: The 30th Anniversary of AIDS -- A Blog Entry by Elizabeth Lombino (June 3, 2011)
"The 30th anniversary of HIV/AIDS is a bittersweet milestone for this medical phenomenon that changed our world forever. First the bitter ..."
From TheBody.com
My Message on the 30th Year of the AIDS Epidemic: A Video Blog Entry by Kevin Maloney (June 3, 2011)
"1981 was a happy time in my life. I was 5 years old, and my favorite toys were my Pound Puppy, Glo Worm, and my new bike. ... I was oblivious to what was happening in the big world around me."
From TheBody.com
Where Was I When AIDS First Came on the Scene? A Blog Entry by Rusti Miller-Hill (June 3, 2011)
"I never thought that this would have an impact on my life other than hearing about it on the news. Magic Johnson and I found out around the same time!"
From TheBody.com
My Life With AIDS: A Blog Entry by Richard Cordova III (June 3, 2011)
"I can't imagine what it must have been like in the beginning of the epidemic, to be dying of something and not know what it was that was killing you."
From TheBody.com
Where Was I When HIV First Reared Its Ugly Head? A Blog Entry by ScotCharles (June 3, 2011)
"As clear as a bell 30 years later, I remember an announcer and commentator discussing the previous day's CDC report. My partner and I were going to a dinner party that Saturday evening; and, it was at that party that I first talked about what would become the AIDS Crisis."
From TheBody.com
Word on the Street: Where Were You When AIDS Began? (June 3, 2011)
From TheBody.com
5 Key Questions From the Live White House Discussion on HIV/AIDS: A Blog Entry by Candace Y.A. Montague (June 2, 2011)
"The White House hosted an open discussion about HIV/AIDS in recognition of the 30th anniversary ... Here are a few key questions posted from the public and excerpts of the answers that were provided."
From TheBody.com
AIDS Is Older Than I Am: Musings From Generation Y (June 2, 2011)
"My generation grew up with HIV. We were among the first kids who learned about it in the classroom," writes Becky Allen, TheBody.com's site manager. But "just because HIV has been with us for as long as we remember doesn't mean we're at ease with it, or even know that much about it."
From TheBody.com
There When AIDS Began: An Interview With Michael Gottlieb, M.D. (June 2, 2011)
For 30 years, Dr. Gottlieb has been at the forefront of HIV/AIDS research and medicine -- and through it all, he hasn't lost his passion or his empathy. In this interview, he sits down with friend and long-term HIV survivor Nelson Vergel to look back over the past 30 years and ponder those to come.
From TheBody.com
Three Decades of HIV/AIDS: Are You Ready to Dance? -- A Blog Entry by Bob Frascino, M.D. (June 1, 2011)
"Although there are countless stories of the LGBT community's remarkable, pride-worthy and praiseworthy response to the pandemic ... I've decided to take a slightly bigger-picture approach to what transpired," writes Bob Frascino, M.D. His medium of choice: photo essay.
From TheBody.com
Running From The Devil: A Blog Entry by Philip D. (June 1, 2011)
TheBody.com blogger Philip D. reminisces on the thoughts that occupied his 18-year-old mind when the HIV/AIDS pandemic was just beginning -- and recalls the evolution of his life that ultimately resulted in his own positive HIV test.
From TheBody.com
AIDS at 30: Views From the Community -- David Phillips: A Blog Entry by Candace Y.A. Montague (May 31, 2011)
"This week, I will highlight a few Washingtonians who have witnessed or experienced the devastation and lived to tell about it. First guest is David Phillips, an IT technician who has been living with HIV since September 4, 1982. David describes himself as 'Living with HIV 28+ years. Ace Human Lab Rat.'"
From TheBody.com