Did You Know?
In 2010, the Obama Administration released the first comprehensive National HIV/AIDS Strategy for the U.S. And June 5, 2011, marked 30 years since the first AIDS case was reported.
2010s HIV/AIDS Timeline
HIV/AIDS Information for Youth
More and more milestones in treatment increase access to care and make gaps in care apparent. But there is still a need to expand awareness and testing and a role for behavioral approaches to optimize treatment.
Milestones 2010–11
Decreasing HIV Infection Among Women
In 2010, at the 18th International AIDS Conference, a study showed vaginal microbicides to be safe and effective in reducing risks of new HIV diagnoses among women by 39 percent.
Announcing PrEP
In 2010, the National Institutes of Health announced a daily dose of HIV drugs reduced the risk of HIV infection among HIV-negative men who have sex with men by 44 percent. The concept is known as pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP).
Daily Antiretroviral Drugs
In 2011, a CDC study and a clinical trial showed that a daily oral dose of antiretroviral drugs used to treat HIV infection can also prevent new infections in individuals exposed to HIV through heterosexual sex.
Policy Benefits People with HIV
In 2010, the U.S. Government officially lifted the HIV travel and immigration ban. Also, President Obama signed the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, which offers special protections for those living with chronic illnesses, like HIV.
Milestones 2011–12
Mother-Child Transmission of HIV
In 2011, at UN High-Level Meeting on HIV/AIDS, U.S. joins with other partners in launching a global plan to eliminate mother-to-child transmission of HIV and keep mothers alive.
HIV Treatment and Heart Disease
In 2012, researchers in Australia found that people living with HIV who are taking antiretroviral therapy had an increased risk of cardiovascular disease.
New Infections and People Living with HIV
At the end of 2012, UNAIDS estimated that, worldwide, 2.3 million people were newly diagnosed with HIV during the year, and 1.6 million people died of AIDS. Approximately 35.3 million people around the world are now living with HIV, including more than 1.2 million Americans.
Truvada/PrEP for Adults at Risk
Also in 2012, the FDA approved use of Truvada for PrEP in adults who have not been diagnosed with HIV but who are at risk for HIV infection. The FDA also approved the first at-home HIV test that let users learn their HIV status right away.
Milestones 2013–14
Fixing Gaps in Care
In 2013, President Obama signed the HOPE Act allowing people living with HIV to receive organs from other infected donors. In 2014, the CDC released a new report that found gaps in care and treatment among Latinos diagnosed with HIV.
HIV is Not Under Control
In 2013, the CDC announced that only 30 percent of Americans living with HIV had the virus under control in 2011. Approximately two-thirds of those whose virus was out of control had been diagnosed but were no longer in care.
Higher HIV Rates
HIV diagnosis rates in the U.S. remained stable between 2009-13, but men who have sex with men, young adults, racial/ethnic minorities and individuals living in the South continued to bear a disproportionate burden of HIV.
Milestones 2015
Lifting Ban on Blood Donations
In 2015, the FDA announced it would lift its ban on all blood donations by men who have sex with men and allowed them to donate blood if they had not had sexual contact with another man in the previous year.
Depo Provera Risk
In 2015, a study of women using Depo Provera, an injectable contraceptive, said the contraceptive may increase women’s chances of contracting HIV by 40 percent.
Milestones 2016
HIV Resistance: Tenofovir
In 2016, researchers found over 1,900 patients with HIV fail to respond to antiretroviral drug tenofovir, a key HIV treatment medication, indicating HIV resistance to medication.
Truvada Doses for Men and Women
In 2016, pharmacy researchers reported that women need daily doses of Truvada to prevent HIV infection, while men only need two doses per week. Researchers reported that a man taking the HIV-prevention pill Truvada had contracted HIV — marking the first reported infection of someone regularly taking the drug.
Milestones 2017
New Source of HIV Persistence
In April 2017, scientists found the virus persists in HIV-infected macrophages, large white blood cells found in tissues throughout the body even following ART; this is in addition to those already demonstrated to have a role in the rebounding of HIV if ART is stopped.
Need for More Testing and Awareness
Even today, many people still aren't sure how HIV/AIDS is spread nor familiar with HIV testing.
How is HIV transmitted?
In 2012, the Kaiser Family Foundation and The Washington Post release a survey that found about a quarter of Americans don’t know that HIV cannot be transmitted by sharing a drinking glass (almost same as in 1987).
HIV is linked to injection drug use
In 2015, Indiana state health officials announce an HIV outbreak linked to injection drug use, confirming 184 new cases of HIV.
Everyone should get tested, even in high school
In 2016, CDC reports that only 1 in 5 sexually active high school students have been tested for HIV. An estimated 50 percent of young Americans who are living with HIV don’t know they acquired HIV.
Hope for the Future
In policy, the media and through advocacy, HIV/AIDS awareness is spreading, but vigilance is still needed. Combined biomedical and behavioral approaches will be crucial in optimizing HIV prevention.
Policy
- In 2014, Douglas Brooks became the first African-American living with HIV to be appointed the director of the White House Office of National AIDS Policy.
- AIDS 2014 conference sent the message that a “one-size-fits-all approach may not be suitable for all settings.”
- In 2014, major provisions of the Affordable Care Act designed to protect consumers went into effect. Insurers are barred from discriminating against customers with pre-existing conditions, and they can no longer impose annual limits on coverage — both key advances for people living with HIV/AIDS.
- In 2015, U.S. Congress lifted restrictions, under certain circumstances, for states and localities on the use of federal funds for syringe services in response to outbreaks of HIV related to injection drugs.
- UN held 2016 High-Level Meeting on Ending AIDS. UN member states pledged to end the AIDS epidemic by 2030, but the meeting was marked by controversy after more than 50 nations blocked the participation of groups representing LGBT people from the meeting. The final resolution barely mentioned those most at risk for contracting HIV/AIDS: men who have sex with men; sex workers; transgender people and people who inject drugs.
Media and Advocacy
Media
- In 2013, “Dallas Buyers Club”, a film about a man who smuggles unapproved HIV drugs from Mexico was based on a true story of Texas electrician Ron Woodroof. The film won three Academy Awards.
- In 2015, Actor Charlie Sheen announced his HIV-positive status.
Advocacy
- In 2011, AIDS activist and award-winning actress Elizabeth Taylor died. Taylor was the founding national chairman of the American Foundation for AIDS Research.
- In 2011, The International AIDS Society, along with community-based organizations started the first Road to AIDS 2012 Town Hall Meeting in San Francisco.
- In 2015, Greater Than AIDS launched a new campaign: Empowered: Women, HIV and Intimate Partner Violence.
Date created: 2017