History

In the early 1980s, doctors in Los Angeles, New York City, and San Francisco began seeing young men with Kaposi's Sarcoma, a cancer usually associated with elderly men of Mediterranean ethnicity. Eventually these men died. These men were gay, or at least had sex with other men. The 1980s decade refers to the years from 1980 to 1989, inclusive. ... Nickname: City of Angels Official website: http://www. ... Nickname: The Big Apple Official website: City of New York Government Counties (Boroughs) Bronx (The Bronx) New York (Manhattan) Queens (Queens) Kings (Brooklyn) Richmond (Staten Island) Mayor Michael Bloomberg (R) Geographical characteristics Area Total 468. ... This page is a candidate for speedy deletion. ... When normal cells are damaged beyond repair, they are eliminated by apoptosis. ... In modern society, gay is a word which can be used as either a noun or adjective. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ...

As the realization that men who had sex with men were dying of an otherwise rare cancer began to spread throughout the medical communities, the syndrome began to be called by the colloquialism "gay cancer." As medical scientists discovered that the syndrome included other manifestations, such as pneumocystis pneumonia, (PCP), a rare form of fungal pneumonia, its name was changed to "GRID," or Gay Related Immune Deficiency. This had an effect of boosting homophobia and adding stigma to homosexuality in the general public, particularly since it seemed that unprotected anal sex seemed to be the prevalent way of spreading the disease. Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia (PCP) is a form of pneumonia which is caused by a microorganism called Pneumocystis carinii (It has been proposed that the organism be renamed Pneumocystis jiroveci). ... Divisions Chytridiomycota Deuteromycota Zygomycota Glomeromycota Ascomycota Basidiomycota Fungus growing on a tree in Borneo A fungus (plural fungi) is a eukaryotic organism that digests its food externally and absorbs the nutrient molecules into its cells. ... Pneumonia is an illness of the lungs and respiratory system in which the microscopic, air-filled sacs (alveoli) responsible for absorbing oxygen from the atmosphere become inflamed and flooded with fluid. ... Gay related immune deficiency or GRID was the original name for AIDS, a name proposed after public health scientists noticed clusters of Kaposis sarcoma and Pneumocycstis pneumonia among gay males in California and New York City. ... The term homophobia means a fear of or contempt for homosexuality or homosexuals or the fear of becoming homosexual. ... Roman men having anal sex. ...

Within the medical community, it quickly became apparent that the disease was not specific to men who have sex with men (as blood transfusion patients, heroin users, heterosexual and bisexual women, and newborn babies became added to the list of afflicted), and the CDC renamed the syndrome AIDS (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome) in 1982. Blood transfusion is the taking of blood or blood-based products from one individual and inserting them into the circulatory system of another. ... Heroin or diacetylmorphine (INN) is a semi-synthetic opioid. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Bisexuality in human sexual behavior refers to the aesthetic, romantic, and/or sexual desire for people of either gender and/or for people of either sex. ... The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta, Georgia, is recognized as the lead United States agency for protecting the public health and safety of people by providing credible information to enhance health decisions, and promoting health through strong partnerships with state health departments and other organizations. ... The Red Ribbon is a symbol for solidarity with HIV-positive people and those living with AIDS. Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome or acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS or Aids) is a collection of symptoms and infections resulting from the specific damage to the immune system caused by infection with the human... 1982 (MCMLXXXII) was a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Public perception

A popular misconception holds that the disease was introduced by a gay flight attendant named Gaetan Dugas, referred to as "Patient Zero". However, subsequent research has revealed that there were cases of AIDS much earlier than initially known. Because the worldwide spread of AIDS has had such a tragic effect on millions of people world-wide, a number of myths, urban legends, and conspiracy theories have arisen surrounding the disease. ... Flight attendants, formerly called sky girls, air hostesses, stewardesses and stewards hold the primary responsibility for the safety and comfort of airline passengers. ... In general, the term Patient Zero refers to the central or initial patient in the population sample of an epidemiological investigation. ...

It has also been theorized that a series of inoculations against hepatitis that were performed in the gay community of San Francisco were tainted with HIV. Although there was a high correlation between recipients of that vaccination and initial cases of AIDS, this theory has never been proven. Inoculation, originally Variolation, is a method of purposefully infecting a person with smallpox (Variola) in a controlled manner so as to minimise the severity of the infection and also to induce immunity against further infection. ... Hepatitis is a gastroenterological disease, featuring inflammation of the liver. ... This page is a candidate for speedy deletion. ... Vaccination is the process of administering live, albeit weakened, microbes to patients, with the intent of conferring immunity against a targeted form of a related disease agent. ...

One of the best-known works on the history of HIV is 1987's And the Band Played On, by Randy Shilts. Shilts contends that Ronald Reagan's administration dragged its feet in dealing with the crisis due to homophobia, thus allowing the disease to spread and hundreds of thousands of people to needlessly die. This resulted in the formation of ACT-UP, the AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power by Larry Kramer. 1987 (MCMLXXXVII) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... And the Band Played On: People, Politics, and the AIDS Epidemic is a book written by San Francisco Chronicle journalist Randy Shilts (original copyright 1987) chronicling the discovery and spread of HIV and AIDS, with a special emphasis on alleged government indifference to what was initially perceived as a gay... Randy Shilts (August 8, 1951 – February 17, 1994) was a gay American journalist and author. ... Ronald Wilson Reagan (February 6, 1911 – June 5, 2004) was the 40th President of the United States (1981–1989) and the 33rd Governor of California (1967–1975). ... The term homophobia means a fear of or contempt for homosexuality or homosexuals or the fear of becoming homosexual. ... ACT UP, or the AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power, is a diverse, non-partisan group of individuals . ... Larry Kramer (born June 25, 1935), American dramatist, author and gay rights activist, was born in Bridgeport, Connecticut and was educated at Yale University (class of 1957). ...

Shilts also details the fact that the Red Cross refused to ban bisexual and gay men from donating blood at the request of the Centers for Disease Control early in the discovery of the epidemic to keep the blood bank industry from suffering shortages. Thus, tens of thousands of hemophiliacs and transfusion recipients were infected and died. The Anarchist Black Cross was originally called the Anarchist Red Cross. The band Redd Kross was originally called Red Cross. This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ... The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta is recognized as the lead United States agency for protecting the public health and safety of people by providing credible information to enhance health decisions, and promoting health through strong partnerships with state health departments and other organizations. ... Haemophilia or hemophilia is the name of any of several hereditary genetic illnesses that impair the bodys ability to control bleeding. ... Blood transfusion is the taking of blood or blood-based products from one individual and inserting them into the circulatory system of another. ...

Activists and critics of current AIDS policies allege that another preventable impediment to the attack on the disease was the academic elitism of "celebrity" scientists. Robert Gallo, an American scientist who was one of many to try to attempt to figure out if there was some kind of new virus in the people who were affected with the disease, became embroiled in a legal battle with French scientist Luc Montagnier trying to do the same thing. Gallo, too, appeared hung up on the possible connection between the virus causing AIDS and HTLV, a retrovirus that he had worked with previously. Critics claim that because some scientists (and biological research companies) wanted glory and fame, this held up progress on research and more people needlessly died. Eventually, after meeting, the French scientists and Gallo agreed to "share" the discovery of HIV. To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Dr. Robert C. Gallo Robert Charles Gallo (born March 23, 1937) is a U.S. biomedical researcher. ... The human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) A bacteriophage virus A virus is a submicroscopic parasitic particle that infects cells in biological organisms. ... Luc Montagnier (born 1932) is a French virologist. ... ... Genera Alpharetrovirus Betaretrovirus Gammaretrovirus Deltaretrovirus Epsilonretrovirus Lentivirus Spumavirus A retrovirus is a virus which has a genome consisting of two RNA molecules, which may or may not be identical. ...

Publicity campaigns were started in attempts to counter the often vitriolic and homophobic perception of AIDS as a "gay plague." In particular this included the Ryan White case, the red ribbon campaigns, the celebrity dinners, the 1993 film version of And the Band Played On, sex education programs in schools, television advertisements, etc. Announcements by various celebrities that they had contracted AIDS (including actor Rock Hudson, basketball star Magic Johnson, and tennis player Arthur Ashe) were significant in making the general public aware of the dangers of the disease to people of all sexual orientations. Ryan White (December 6, 1971 - April 8, 1990) was a teenager from Kokomo, Indiana, USA. In the 1980s, he drew national and worldwide attention due to his infection with AIDS. It has been speculated that the reason White got so much attention was that he was a heterosexual white middle... 1993 (MCMXCIII) was a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar and marked the Beginning of the International Decade to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination (1993-2003). ... Rock Hudson (November 17, 1925 – October 2, 1985) was an American actor, famous for his rugged good looks. ... Sara Giauro shoots a three-point shot, FIBA Europe Cup for Women Finals 2005 For other uses, see Basketball (disambiguation). ... Earvin Magic Johnson, Jr. ... Tennis ball This article is about the sport. ... Country: United States Height: 185 cm (6 ft 1 in) Weight: 73 kg (160 lb) Plays: Right Turned pro: 1966 Retired: 1980 Highest singles ranking: 1 (1968 and 1975) Singles titles: 34 Career prize money: $2,584,909 Grand Slam Record Titles: 3 Australian Open W (1970) French Open QF...

Current status

The CDC reports [1] that of all AIDS cases in 2003 in the United States, The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta, Georgia, is recognized as the lead United States agency for protecting the public health and safety of people by providing credible information to enhance health decisions, and promoting health through strong partnerships with state health departments and other organizations. ...

• 48% were tracked back to male-to-male contact, (60% African-American men, 15% Caucasian men)
• 27% were tracked back to male-to-female contact and intravenous drug use,
• 7% were tracked back to male-to-male contact and intravenous drug use,
• 16% tracked back to male-to-female contact, and
• 2% were tracked back to other causes, including hemophilia, blood transfusion, perinatal, and risk not reported or not identified.

As of 2005 HIV cases in the United States are disproportionately high among the African American community, according to the CDC. A recently released report stated that 52% of new cases involved African-Americans while according to the 2000 Census they make-up about 12% of the general population. African-American men are four times more likely to be infected with HIV during male-male contact compared to their Caucasian counterparts, of the 48% of new cases traced back to such contact 60% occurred between African-Americans, whereas Caucasians accounted for 15% (CDC). [2] Black women account for 72% of the female cases in the United States regardless of infection method, while white women make up 18% and Hispanic women 8.5%.[3] President George W. Bush asked Congress for increased spending on HIV education focusing on the African American community during his 2005 State of the Union address: Haemophilia or hemophilia is the name of any of several hereditary genetic illnesses that impair the bodys ability to control bleeding. ... Blood transfusion is the taking of blood or blood-based products from one individual and inserting them into the circulatory system of another. ... Perinatal defines the period occurring around the time of birth (5 months before and 1 month after). ... An African American (also Afro-American, Black American, or simply black), is a member of an ethnic group in the United States whose ancestors, usually in predominant part, were indigenous to Africa. ... George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is the 43rd and current President of the United States and former governor of Texas. ... A congress is a gathering of people, especially a gathering for a political purpose. ... Alternative meanings in State of the Union (disambiguation) The State of the Union Address is an annual event in which the President of the United States reports on the status of the country, normally to a joint session of the U.S. Congress (the House of Representatives and the Senate). ...

"African-Americans make up 54% of annual new infections, though they are just 13% of the population. African Americans account for two-thirds of new AIDS cases among teens, but are only 15% of the national teen population."

A recent study (Bogart and Thorburn 2005) by the RAND Corporation and Oregon State University reported that half of African-Americans in the United States believe AIDS was man-made, more than one-quarter said they believed AIDS was produced in a government laboratory and 12% believed it was created and spread by the CIA. Alternate meanings: See RAND (disambiguation) The RAND Corporation is an American think tank first formed to offer research and analysis to the U.S. military. ... Oregon State University Oregon State University (OSU) is a research and degree-granting four-year public university located in Corvallis, Oregon. ... The CIA Seal The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) is an American intelligence agency, responsible for obtaining and analyzing information about foreign governments, corporations, and individuals, and reporting such information to the various branches of the U.S. Government. ...

References

Laura Bogart and Sheryl Thorburn, "Are HIV/AIDS Conspiracy Beliefs a Barrier to HIV Prevention Among African Americans?", Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndromes, 38(2):213-218, February 1, 2005.

See also

• Adult Industry Medical Health Care Foundation
• People With AIDS Self-Empowerment Movement