Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), when left untreated with more contemporary medicines, can result in Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS) for the person infected (World Health Organization, 2024).

THE DEMOGRAPHICS 

CELEBRITIES, FIRST*

For those of us who lived through the era decades ago, it was nearly impossible to watch the evening news without the newscaster announcing that another famous person had perished from the virus that causes AIDS.  

Hollywood lost beloved individuals (i.e., acting performers, comedians, dancers, singers, musicians) we grew up watching on television, at the movies, and at concerts.  Along with them were playwrights, interior designers, directors, producers, and many other talented individuals whose eternal light was dimmed.  There were athletes we admired who experienced an untimely death from this destructive virus (Dobbins, 2021), (Shnayerson, 2013).

The fashion industry suffered an implosion of deaths of fashion designers, soon-to-be designers, photographers, models, cosmetic artists, stylists, and others who worked behind the scenes at fashion photo shoots and fashion shows because of HIV/AIDS (Doonan, 2013).  Some of us may have purchased clothing, perfumes, colognes, and accessories from these designer lines.  

Burke (2025) included a listing of more famous names who lost their battle with the disease in “Famous People Who Died Of AIDS”, which shows people from the worlds of work in journalism, science, literature, politics, business, and other industries.

WHEN THE VIRUS STARTED COMING AFTER REGULAR PEOPLE

The National Library Of Medicine (1991) talked about the women who became infected with HIV:  “In 1989, eight years after the first report of a woman with AIDS, the number of cases of AIDS among women exceeded 10,000, accounting for roughly 9 percent of all reported cases in the United States. In addition, women constituted a growing proportion of all adult AIDS cases during this time period. Prior to 1984, women accounted for only about 7 percent of such cases; in 1989 the percentage had increased to slightly more than 10 percent. Through September 1990, 14,452 cases of AIDS had been reported among women, and approximately one-third of these cases were reported in the previous year (CDC, 1990).”

Furthermore, “Unlike the majority of cases among men, AIDS among women is inextricably linked to intravenous (IV) drug use. Of the 71 percent of female adult cases associated with IV drug use, 51 percent of these women were IV drug users themselves and 20 percent were sexual partners of IV drug users. Overall, 32 percent of women with AIDS reported sexual contact with high-risk male partners (including IV drug users). The impact of IV drug use can also be seen in the geographic, racial, and age distributions of women with AIDS. In fact, IV drug use may be the principal determinant of the demographic patterns that have been observed thus far” (National Library Of Medicine, 1991).

Unfortunately, pregnant women who became infected with HIV decades ago transmitted the disease to their infants.

Currently, for pregnant women infected with HIV, there are antiretroviral medications that need to be taken throughout their pregnancies.  Also, for infected women with high viral loads (i.e., over 1,000) and unknown viral loads, a C-section is required to prevent the spread of the disease to their infants (i.e., perinatal infection) (HIVinfo.nih.gov, 2024).**

THE BLOOD SUPPLY PRODUCTS:  WERE THEY SAFE?

When HIV/AIDS arrived on the scene, the experts were unsure what they were dealing with!  They needed to understand the virus’s modus operandi.

The National Library Of Medicine (1995) emphasized that “The events marking the emergence of HIV in the United States and its transmission through blood and blood products are best understood in four periods. (1) Through the end of 1982, people were struggling to understand an emerging disease and characterize the risk of infection. (2) In early 1983 official meetings took place and public and private decisions established the blood industry’s early response to AIDS. (3) Meetings and other occasions for decisionmaking from mid-1983 through the end of 1983 provided many opportunities for blood banks, blood product manufacturers, regulatory organizations, and other agencies to reconsider the decisions of early 1983. (4) During 1982-1985, research on AIDS led to isolation of the virus and the development of a screening test.”

The reader can learn more about America’s blood supply issue back then through the National Library Of Medicine (1995) in “HIV And The Blood Supply: An Analysis Of Crisis Decisionmaking.”

GOOD NEWS!

There is a decline in the number of diagnosed cases of HIV!  The U.S. Centers For Disease Control And Prevention (2025) reported that “Progress in HIV prevention continues with estimated HIV infections declining 12% overall in 2022 compared with 2018, driven by a decrease (30%) among people aged 13 to 24. By transmission category, estimated infections attributed to male-to-male sexual contact decreased 10% and infections attributed to male-to-male sexual contact and injection drug use declined 27%. By race and ethnicity, Black/African American people experienced a substantial decrease (18%) in estimated infections. Furthermore, estimated infections fell 16% in the South.”

THE PREVENTION OF BECOMING INFECTED WITH HIV/AIDS

The U.S. Centers For Disease Control And Prevention (2024) has an excellent article with various recommendations for keeping people safe from this disease.

FINALLY

What also needs to be emphasized is that when a person has unprotected sex with someone, they are not only sharing bodily fluids with that individual.  They are sharing bodily fluids with EVERYONE that person has ever had sex with.  

Be careful!

Vikki

References

Burke, J. (2025).  Famous People Who Died Of AIDS.  Retrieved From https://www.ranker.com/list/famous-people-who-died-of-aids/calistylie

Dobbins, L. (2021).  23 Celebrities Who Lost Their Battle With AIDS.  Retrieved From https://www.hivplusmag.com/people/2021/11/11/celebrities-famous-died-death-aids-hiv

Doonan, S. (2013).  Remembering Fashion’s Fallen Heroes.  Retrieved From https://slate.com/human-interest/2013/09/aids-hit-the-fashion-industry-like-a-sledgehammer-lets-not-forget-its-victims.html

HIVinfo.nih.gov.  (2024).  HIV Medicines During Pregnancy And Childbirth.  Retrieved From https://hivinfo.nih.gov/understanding-hiv/fact-sheets/hiv-medicines-during-pregnancy-and-childbirth

National Library Of Medicine. (1995).  HIV And The Blood Supply.  An Analysis Of Crisis Decisionmaking.  Retrieved From https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK232419/

National Library Of Medicine. (1991).  National Center For Biotechnology Information.  Describing The Epidemic Of HIV Infection And AIDS Among Women And Children In The United States.  Retrieved From https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK234066/

Shnayerson, M. (2013).  One By One.  AIDS:  In Memoriam.  Retrieved From https://www.vanityfair.com/culture/1987/03/devastation-of-aids-1980s

U.S. Centers For Disease Control And Prevention. (2025).  HIV Data.  Estimated HIV Incidence And Prevalence.  Retrieved From https://www.cdc.gov/hiv-data/nhss/estimated-hiv-incidence-and-prevalence.html

U.S. Centers For Disease Control And Prevention. (2024).  Preventing HIV.  Retrieved From https://www.cdc.gov/hiv/prevention/index.html

World Health Organization. (2024).  HIV And AIDS.  Key Facts.  Retrieved From https://docs.google.com/document/d/1McE8dd3Pq-1dTh7XLzqGdg0YDnS_n0n241IKFG9nLAU/edit?tab=t.0

________________________

*The usage of famous names is for the sole purpose of demonstrating how ruthless the virus became during the AIDS epidemic.  The usage of famous names is NOT for the purpose of exploitation!

**These antiretroviral drugs that pregnant women use throughout their pregnancies are the same drugs recommended for ALL people diagnosed with HIV.