Poster: Failings of the AIDS Crisis Told by Activists
After thousands of deaths, why did it take four years for the US President to finally acknowledge AIDS? What consequences did this government neglect have? Who fought to save the lives of AIDS victims?
In 1981, the CDC reported "5 young men, all active homosexuals, were treated for [...] pneumonia” (CDC, 1981), marking the onset of a health crisis that would claim millions of lives worldwide. The CDC took over a year to officially name and define the disease, another to identify the routes of transmission, and another for the U.S government to say the word ‘AIDS”. Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS), the most advanced stage of the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), weakens the immune system leaving individuals vulnerable to other illnesses. This poster examines the AIDS crisis through the lense of activists and their role in helping victims and putting pressure on the government to act.
Student, UCL Laidlaw
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