THE VOICE OF CHICAGO'S GAY, LESBIAN, BI, TRANS AND QUEER COMMUNITY SINCE 1985

1981

—On June 5, CDC reports cases of Pneumocystis pneumonia among MSM in Los Angeles in Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report ( MMWR )

— In New York, the first AIDS fundraiser is held by activist Larry Kramer

1982

— By January, all major routes of HIV transmission are reported in CDC's publication, MMWR

— Gay Men's Health Crisis, the first AIDS activist organization, is founded in New York City

— A Miami doctor sees Pneumocystis pneumonia and Kaposi sarcoma in recent Haitian immigrants

— In July, MMWR reports multiple cases of the new disease among Haitians in several states

— The CDC also reports pneumocystis pneumonia in hemophiliacs

— Los Angeles holds the first legislative hearing on the new disease called GRID ( Gay-Related Immune Deficiency )

— CDC convenes with scientists, activists and others and names the disease Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome ( AIDS )

1983

— In January, a Paris researcher discovered AIDS is caused by a retrovirus

— Also in January, blood donation guidelines are published

— The CDC reports cases of infection in women via heterosexual contact

— The CDC National AIDS Hotline is created

— CDC, FDA and NIH issue the first prevention recommendations

1984

— Dr. Robert Gallo of the National Cancer Institute develops a blood test known as ELISA

— The San Francisco Department of Public Health closes all bathhouses; they are later re-opened

Please follow the link www.windycitymediagroup.com/gay/lesbian/news/ARTICLE.php to view a letter to the editor which clarifies the timeline of the identification of the virus.

1985

— State and local health departments funded to create HIV prevention programs

— First International Conference on AIDS held in Atlanta

— At the time, the CDC reported that the U.S. was the country hit hardest by AIDS

— President Reagan mentions the word 'AIDS' for the first time in public in response to reporters' questions Sept. 17

— AmFAR is founded in Los Angeles

— A blood test for HIV is approved

— In July, news breaks that actor Rock Hudson has AIDS; he died in October

— Ryan White, a hemophiliac, is barred from attending his Indiana school

1986

— Researchers compromise on a name for the virus that causes AIDS: HIV

— Scientists find HIV targets a specific cell, the immune system's CO4 T-cell

— A second type of HIV is discovered

— The U.S. Surgeon General urges parents and schools to talk about AIDS with children

— MMWR reports that rate of infection in Blacks and Hispanics are three times higher than whites

— In Connecticut, the first needle-exchange program begins

1987

— Public information campaign, America Responds to AIDS, is launched

— First testing and counseling guidelines issued

— AZT, the first anti-HIV drug, is approved by the FDA

— ACT UP founded in New York in March by activist Larry Kramer

— AIDS Memorial Quilt started in San Francisco and is later displayed in Washington, D.C.

— Randy Shilts' And the Band Played On is published

1988

— U.S. bans discrimination against HIV-positive workers

— World Health Organization begins World AIDS Day

— 'Understanding AIDS' mailed to all U.S. households in May

— Universal precautions established for healthcare workers

— Protestors, demanding clinical trials become more rapidly available to the public, successfully shut down the FDA; as a result, FDA changes its procedures

1989

— AIDS cases reported reaches 100,000

1990

— Congress approved ADA ( Americans with Disabilities Act ) , which provides legal protection for people with AIDS

— Ryan White, youth activist, dies

— Central Intelligence Agency conducts a global study, predicts 45 million dead by 2000

— The Ryan White CARE Act is signed by President George Bush; it provides some of the hardest hit cities, including Chicago, with federal funds to combat the disease

1991

— Ten million have HIV worldwide

— The AIDS Red Ribbon Campaign begins

— Magic Johnson reveals he has HIV

— Rock star Freddy Mercury dies

1992

— The first clinical trials of multiple drugs begins

1993

— The annual AIDS death reaches 45,000

— Study shows condoms 98 percent effective against HIV

— Tony Kushner's Angels in America wins the Pulitzer Prize and a Tony Award

— Tom Hanks receives an Academy Award for his role in Philadelphia

1994

— AIDS-related illnesses become leading cause of death in people ages 25-44

— Global AIDS Action Network is founded

— MTV's The Real World features a gay activist with AIDS, Pedro Zamora

— UNAIDS is established

1995

— Greg Louganis reveals he has AIDS

— 500,000 cases of AIDS reported

— The first protease inhibitor approved by FDA

1996

— The AIDS cocktail is unveiled at an international AIDS conference

— AIDS remains the leading killer among African Americans ages 25-44

1997

— First decline is AIDS deaths are reported, largely due to the AIDS cocktail

1998

— Congressional Black Caucus provides more funding for minority prevention programs; Clinton administration approves

— First large-scale trials for an HIV vaccine begin

1999

— Perinatal AIDS cases drop to an all-time low

— A University of Alabama researcher suggests HIV-1 originated in chimps

2000

— Officials note the spread of drug resistant strains of HIV

2001

— Rock star Bono lobbies AIDS funding opposer Sen. Jesse Helms

2002

— FDA approves first rapid test using a finger prick

— The United Nations reports that half of all HIV/AIDS infected adults are women

2003

— President George W. Bush, in his State of the Union address, announces PEPFAR ( President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief ) , $15 billion plan for AIDS

— FDA approves Fuzeon

2004

— Saliva-based rapid test approved by FDA

— The porn industry goes on a month-long hiatus after an HIV outbreak among four stars

2005

— CDC estimates over 1 million people in U.S. are living with HIV, and 25 percent are unaware of their status

— The number of people with HIV is at an all-time high, and nearly 50 percent of infections are women

— In February, a media frenzy over reports of a New York man infected with multiple drug-resistant strains, or a 'superbug,' turns out to be an overreaction; however, the story pushes discussion on the issue of drug resistance

— The first national conference on methamphetamine and HIV is held in August in Salt Lake City

2006

— At the 13th Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections, researchers present data on a new class of drugs to fight HIV—integrase inhibitors—which may be on the market by next year

— In May, researches at the University of Alabama announce they have traced the origins of the 'M' strain of HIV-1 to a specific family of Cameroon chimps