HIV History Timeline | End HIV Dallas County
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The HIV History Timeline

It takes a community to end the HIV epidemic. 2030 is the goal, but to reach it, we need our community to come together. The fight started over 40 years ago, and we can’t stop fighting until it’s over. Every moment matters and every milestone counts in the effort to put an end to HIV.

1980

1981

  • June 5

    AIDS (Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome) is first documented and identified. Often considered the beginning of the AIDS and HIV epidemics.

1990

  • April 8

    Ryan White died of AIDS-related illness at the age of 18.

  • August

    U.S. Congress enacted the Ryan White Comprehensive AIDS Resources Emergency (CARE) Act of 1990, providing federal funds for HIV care and treatment services.

2000

  • January 27

    President Bill Clinton announces launch of the Millennium Vaccine Initiative which promotes delivery of vaccines in developing countries and accelerates development of new vaccines.

  • April 30

    President Clinton declares HIV/AIDS a threat to U.S. national security.

  • July

    UNAIDS (the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS), the World Health Organization (WHO), and other global health groups announce a joint initiative to negotiate reduced prices for HIV/AIDS drugs in developing countries.

  • August

    U.S. Congress enacts the Global AIDS and Tuberculosis Relief Act of 2000. This act authorized $600 million in funding for resources.

2001

  • May 18

    First annual observance of HIV Vaccine Awareness Day.

  • November 7

    FDA approves the first rapid HIV diagnostic test kit for use.

2003

  • January 28

    President George W. Bush announces the President’s Emergency Plan For AIDS Relief (PEPFAR).

2005

  • February

    UNAIDS launches The Global Coalition on Women and AIDS.

2006

  • December

    University of Illinois at Chicago study indicates that medical circumcision reduces men’s risk of acquiring HIV during heterosexual intercourse by 53%.

2007

  • May 30

    WHO and UNAIDS issues new guidance recommending “provider-initiated” HIV testing in healthcare settings. This makes HIV testing more widely available in clinics.

    CDC reports over 565,000 people have died of AIDS in the U.S. since 1981.

2009

  • January

    President Barack Obama calls for the development of the first National HIV/AIDS Strategy for the U.S.

  • December

    President Obama signs the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2010, modifying the ban on the use of federal funds for needle-exchange programs.

2010

2011

  • July 13

    A new CDC study and separate trial (the Partners PrEP Study) provide first evidence that a daily oral dose of antiretroviral drugs can reduce HIV acquisition among uninfected individuals exposed to the virus through heterosexual sex.

2012

  • July 16

    FDA approves the use of Truvada® for pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP).

2013

  • November 21

    President Obama signs the HIV Organ Policy Equity (HOPE) Act, which allows people living with HIV to receive organs from other infected donors.

2019

  • February 5

    President Donald J. Trump announces his administration’s new initiative, Ending the Epidemic: A Plan for America, during the State of the Union address.

2020

2021

  • December 21

    FDA approves the first long-acting injectable form of PrEP for use in adults and adolescents.

2030