This Day in History: 10 December 1981
December is known worldwide as AIDS Day due to the epidemic's existence worldwide. Research into AIDS has dramatically improved the diagnosis and treatment of the disease, however, in the 1980s, relatively little was known. It was first described as an unknown condition that was discovered in homosexual men in the United States. The disease seemed to consist of two separate diseases, namely skin cancer and pneumonia and was found in 180 patients in 15 states across America. On 10 December 1981, the BBC reported that concerns about the disease were spreading in the United States due to the death of 75 people who were thought to have been infected. This was compounded by doctor's inability to pinpoint the cause of the epidemic. This unknown condition was eventually named the AIDS (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome) virus. The disease attacks the immune system, thus making the human body incapable of fighting off infections. It is transmitted through the exchange of fluids, though contrary to common myths around the disease, it cannot be transmitted via saliva. Around 28 million people worldwide have died of AIDS to date. Though no cure exists, a variety of drugs can improve the quality of life of those infected with the disease. Unfortunately, those worst affected by the disease do not have access to these drugs. This is part of the reason that AIDS-related campaigns in countries with high infections rates focus on the prevention of the spread of the disease, but in some cases, with little success. By observing 1 December worldwide as the day for AIDS, it is hoped that the awareness of this disease will contribute to the care of people living with AIDS and to curbing its prevalence.