HIV stands for human immunodeficiency virus. HIV/AIDS is a relatively new disease when compared to others like the black death or smallpox, but unlike black death or smallpox there is no cure for HIV/AIDS making it even deadlier even though it may not appear as menacing. HIV/AIDS spread due to many different societal/cultural factors and they allowed it to become and epidemic when it could have been avoided. Political figures such as Ronald Reagan refused to discuss any topic regarding HIV/AIDS which fostered a sense of ignorance toward the disease and made it appear as not as big of a deal as it was. Reagan would not discuss the issue of HIV/AIDS because at the time it was associated with homosexuality and homosexuality was “taboo”. In fact during the 70’s and 80’s homosexuals were greatly discriminated against, so Reagan refusing to discuss HIV/AIDS may have made that discrimination worse. There was also fear that HIV/AIDS could be transmitted a variety of different ways which were completely false, for example contact with a toilet seat. To make it worse there was a stigma and sense of shame associated with the virus, for example, it was so bad that people were afraid to go get tested because they did not want people to know/think they have HIV/AIDS. One of the greatest factors to contribute to it could be the scientific ignorance that occurred, even though the scientific community warned about HIV/AIDS many people ignored it because they believed it could not affect their lives.

Some factors that limited the ability of HIV/AIDS to spread further in the US were that education of the disease increased, condom usage increased, technology in medicine advanced, and the social stigma steadily decreased. Even though HIV/AIDS has been brought somewhat under control it still has had a major effect on US society/culture. It created even more of a stigma about homosexuality in the beginning and it terrorized the homosexual community. HIV/AIDS is still a threat in every country since there is no cure, only medicines to prolong one’s life. The medicines that have been created are classified as antiretroviral therapy or ART. ART is 3 different drugs that extend someone’s life that is affected by HIV/AIDS. Another breakthrough is PrEP “Pre-exposure prophylaxis (or PrEP) is when people at very high risk for HIV take HIV medicines daily to lower their chances of getting infected”. Also PEP, which is taking ART immediately after an individual believes they may have been exposed to HIV/AIDS. Although all of the aforementioned medical advancements have been utilized, problems still exist like how southerners are more at risk because they are behind the curve when it comes to HIV/AIDS education.

The current status of HIV in the US is HIV diagnoses has recently declined, increased awareness of HIV status, declining death rates, reduced racial and ethnic disparities, and major cost savings. To overcome HIV in the US we must increase testing and diagnosis, HIV care and treatment, access to condoms, PrEP availability and uptake, and risk reduction support.

Help Received: https://www.cdc.gov/HIV/ and film in class