The history of AIDS – 40 years on
The history of AIDS – 40 years on
Today marks 40 years since the first cases of AIDS were reported in the US, marking the beginning of the HIV/AIDS epidemic.
We look back at the history of the virus. From ravaging the gay community and then spreading beyond it worldwide, to the present day where medicine means HIV-positive people can live long and healthy lives without passing on the virus.
Photo via @OpenlyThe history of AIDS – 40 years on
#OnThisDay 40 years ago the first cases of AIDS were reported in the US 
, marking the start of the HIV/AIDS epidemic.
This is the story of how HIV spread around the world - and how it affected the LGBT+ 
community 
.
#AIDSat40 Let’s rewind: What are HIV & AIDS?
HIV is a virus that attacks the body's immune system, spreading through certain bodily fluids. Untreated it can lead to AIDS, a set of life-threatening infections and illnesses.
There is still no cure for HIV, but effective treatments exist 
It’s thought that HIV spread from chimpanzees to humans around 1920 in DR Congo 
, as the animals were hunted and their infected blood came into contact with humans.
We now know that HIV was present in the US from at least the mid-70s. Today, over 1 million cases are reported globally each year. But early on the LGBT+ community, especially gay and bisexual men and trans women, were disproportionately impacted in the West.
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