History of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV)

Although the first case of HIV was discovered in 1959, it wasn’t until 1981 that HIV was known to be in America. HIV spread like a wildfire through the United States during the 1980s and 1990s. HIV was so infectious, it become the leading cause of death among Americans aged 25-44. Those numbers were enough to give HIV and AIDS the awareness it needed to turn the tide and teach prevention. The music industry was one of the first to respond and spread awareness. Not only in the United States, but to the world. Concerts by Michael Jackson and others raised millions for research and development. HIV was an epidemic in the 1990s, but thanks to a world “uniting,” everyone was well educated on preventing this terrible disease. The FDA approved the first protease inhibitor in 1995. This began a new era of strong treatment and response called highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART). By 1997, HAART was the standard of treatment for HIV. As of 2016, there’s still no cure. But modern day medications allow you to live your life and everyday that passes, we hope to get closer to a cure. Our hope with this infographic is to build awareness for HIV and continue to preach prevention.
Infographic Source: https://www.drfelix.co.uk/history-of-hiv/