Organization: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Contact: Helene Gayle
Abstract: What is the status of the HIV/AIDS epidemic in the United States 20 years after the first formal report?
On June 5, 1981, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued is first report on a new disease killing young homosexual men. This was the first formal report on the disease that has grown into an international health crisis. Almost exactly 20 years-later, on the eve of a major international meeting on the global HIV/AIDS crisis, what is the status of the epidemic in the United States, what progress has been made and what lessons have been learned. The advent of the UN Special Session on HIV/AIDS makes this an ideal time for reporters, editorial and feature writers to take stock of AIDS in America. For more information, the US Center for Disease Control and Prevention has recently published a 5-year strategic plan for combating the disease in the United States.