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APHA Scientific Session and Event Listing

Elizabeth Fee, PhD, National Library of Medicine, History of Medicine Division, National Institutes of Health, 8600 Rockville Pike, Building 38, 1E21, Bethesda, MD 20894 and Manon Parry, MA, MSc, Curator, National Library of Medicine, 8600 Rockville Pike MSC 3819, Bldg. 38 Rm. 1E-21, Bethesda, MD 20894, 301.594.1948, parrym@mail.nlm.nih.gov.

In the 1980s, a diverse movement of activists emerged to tackle the failures of society's leaders to confront the AIDS pandemic. AIDS activists in the United States brought an unprecedented level of education and influence to the task, establishing relationships with key decision-makers at the Food and Drug Administration and the National Institutes of Health. In the process, a significant split developed within the movement between those who considered scientific research and access to new treatment the most important focus, and other activists who argued for greater attention to the social issues fuelling the spread of the disease. In this paper we will explore the development of this disagreement and its legacy for AIDS and health policy in the United States.

Learning Objectives:

• Assess salient issues in the 25 year history of HIV/AIDS in the United States

Keywords: History, HIV/AIDS

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Any relevant financial relationships? No