You are here  History of HIV and AIDS  A red AIDS awareness
ribbonThe history of HIV and AIDS is a short one, and the
origins of HIV are disputed; yet since it was first reported
just over thirty years ago, it has become one of the leading
causes of death worldwide. With time, as research, investment
and commitment into understanding HIV increased, treatment
methods evolved and the outcome of people living with HIV
improved around the world.  Covered in this section are detailed
year-by-year accounts, including different country responses to
preventing, testing and treating HIV.  Moving through our ‘AIDS
History Topics’ you will be guided through the history of AIDS
from the 1970s up to 1986, AIDS and HIV in the 1990s, to HIV and
AIDS in the new millennium; enabling you to learn how the
response to HIV and AIDS has changed over time.  In the early
years of the epidemic, AIDS was unknown and misunderstood,
feared, untreatable and often fatal. Years down the line, a
virus named HIV was discovered and linked to