The Discovery of Aids
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The discovery of AIDS caused one of the greatest panics in American history. No one, including doctors, knew what was causing so many people to die unexpectedly at such a young age, how it was transferred or where it came from. When Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) was first discovered and named in 1982, the country was in an uproar over how to avoid spreading the disease to more than those who had already acquired it. Many pointed the finger at gays causing an all-out witch hunt, and the weak state of our sexual education programs and moral code nationwide only made matters worse. AIDS still has a resounding effect upon life in America as well as around the world; although it is now more easily controlled and managed than it was back in the 1980s. This most important discovery in American history has allowed for prevention and education to be essential, and openness to all types of people, no matter sexual orientation, race, or gender, has become a frontline topic of debate. When AIDS was first discovered, the diagnosis was like a death sentence for many. Today, thanks to decades of persistent research, AIDS no longer spells imminent death.
AIDS was first discovered in 1982 but years before anyone knew what it was or what it caused. People were extremely worried about the sudden increase in youthful deaths. In years prior to the discovery, many homosexual men were dying of simple diseases that their young healthy bodies should have been able to defeat without any problem. Doctors were bewildered over what could cause healthy men to die from such treatable conditions such as the common cold and pneumonia. They found that the men had extremely weak immune systems and their bodies were therefore unable to fight common illnesses. World health officials coined the term “Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome” at a meeting in July 1982. Still, doctors did not know how to prevent the disease or warn people on how to avoid transmission.
The first recorded AIDS fatalities were homosexual men in major cities such as Los Angeles and New York City. Doctors in these cities “noticed that increasing numbers of previously healthy young men were seeking help for symptoms that included severe weight loss, virulent herpes infections, life-threatening lung and brain infections and previously rare cancers” (CBC.org). It was very strange to everyone that five acquainted men would have such terrible and similar symptoms. News travelled fast; the New York Times published an article about the cases, and the “new “gay plague” began to reach the population at large (thebody.com). Because the only publicized cases were homosexuals, this population was ultimately ostracized and severely avoided. Homosexuals fought back in trying to gain acceptance, saying “One thousand one hundred and sixty, thats the median number of sexual partners the guys getting the disease have had. Can you believe that? One thousand one hundred and sixty!” (eightiesclub.com). They tried to explain that these men were abnormal in their sexual habits and did not protect themselves against sexually transmitted diseases, as they had prided themselves on being. However, their efforts were in vein as some people even went as far as to express their belief that the “gay plague”, or HIV and AIDS, was a plea from God to eliminate gays from earth because their lifestyle was unnatural, as well as a sin. (avert.org) Despite the homophobic tendencies of many people during this sad period in our history, the truth about AIDS would soon come out.
As more and more cases were being diagnosed worldwide, scientists decided that they must come to a consensus on what the afflictions were. Health officials first move was to name would-be-AIDS “GRIDS” or “Gay Related Immune Deficiency Syndrome”, considering that the symptoms were, at first, observed solely in gay men. However, after cases surfaced amongst heterosexuals it became apparent that the virus which led to the disease could be spread throughout the population, no matter if they were gay or straight, male or female, black or white. (joelgoodman.co.uk). The first heterosexual cases only scared the people further, spreading the fear to not only gays, but the entire American population. The whole situation was scary as there were no observable symptoms except the afflicted could be severely ill, but the immediate question on everyones mind was how could someone determine if one has AIDS or just a common cold? Finally, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced the new disease, named Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome. The initial discovery correlated all the unnatural premature deaths that were currently occurring, and allowed doctors to immediately work together and begin researching prevention techniques and eventually a way to cure it.
Since its discovery, “nearly 25 million people have died from AIDS. HIV/AIDS causes debilitating illness and premature death in people during their prime years of life and has devastated families and communities” (globalhealth.org). The millions of AIDS-related deaths astound scientists, and even 27 years later there is still no cure. Despite these statistics, due to medical innovation and endless trial over the years, people are living longer, healthier, and happier lives with limited symptoms. (Cambridge) Thanks to the first discovery, doctors have been able to identify the causes of AIDS and make testing for AIDS more efficient over the years.
The initial discovery prompted scientists to start investigating all of the cases and seek a common cause amongst all of them, while the general population tried to control their hysteria long enough to also attempt to “protect” themselves from this new disease in any way imaginable. Doctors began researching for cures and treatments of the disease, but until any worthy breakthroughs, doctors were forced to inform sick people that they may not have long to live. People took their AIDS diagnoses like a death sentence, and as many articles explain; “In the 1980s, there was a very high death rate from AIDS” (thebody.com). Getting an AIDS diagnosis in the 1980s was equal to that of learning one has terminal cancer. The high death rate further intensified both the media craze and the madness.
The 1980s AIDS outbreak “became one of the biggest news stories in the world, a lot of this media coverage was informed, or at least influenced, by the government of the time and it is for that reason that I also look at some of the politics surrounding the story” (joelgoodman.co.uk). The government contributed significantly to the panic. In a move to protect their citizens from disease, the government used scare tactics. Many people were led to believe that AIDS could be acquired by breathing the same