HIV / AIDS

Newspaper articles about AIDS present readers with stories of hope, despair, remorse and indignation. From the appearance of what the public called "gay cancer" in the early 1980s to the global AIDS epidemic of today, Newspapers tell the story of AIDS as it happened. The history of AIDS is filled with indifference, hatred, intolerance and eventually acceptance and action. The newspaper articles within this archive give readers a glimpse into the history of a subject that has not left the spotlight for 25 years.

Due to a large increase in the reporting of an exceptionally rare form of cancer, Kaposi's sarcoma, AIDS, originally known as gay cancer, gay plague or GRID (gay-related immune deficiency), was first recognized in 1981. Initially believed to be restricted to homosexual males, the disease quickly began appearing in intravenous drug users, hemophiliacs and Haitian immigrants. Six years later, with the disease appearing in nearly every facet of society, President Ronald Reagan declared AIDS "public health enemy No. 1".

From a historical point of view, AIDS is a relative newcomer to the stage. However, AIDS is an issue that has not disappeared, and is not likely to disappear anytime in the near future. NewspaperARCHIVE.com, the largest newspaper database online, is providing a free archive on AIDS. The archive includes stories about AIDS activist and victim Ryan White, celebrities like Arthur Ashe and Rock Hudson, as well as others who have lived through the fear and hysteria the disease caused in the late 1980s and early 1990s. You will also find articles about the discoveries that brought research to the forefront of medical science, as well as coverage of the world wide search for a cure. Click on the timeline above to view newspapers in chronological order or begin searching the newspaper pages with your own key words.