The AIDS Epidemic • 1981-1987 • 1988-1990 • 1991-1993 • 1994-1997 • 1998-1999 • 2000 • 2001 Selected Articles • 1981 • 1982 • 1983 • 1984 • 1985 • 1986 • 1987 • 1988 • 1989 • 1990 • 1991 • 1992 • 1993 • 1994 • 1995 • 1996 • 1997 • 1998 • 1999 • 2000 • 2001 Additional Information Resources Video Index Acknowledgments The Dead Zones: AIDS in Africa Back to Main

The AIDS Epidemic:
1988-1990

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1988: A Host of Questions
20,786 deaths

January 5
AIDS Research on New Drugs Bypasses Addicts And Women
Experts are becoming more critical of AIDS drugs trials, saying they are bypassing key segments of the population, namely women and nonwhites.

January 12
A Solitary Dissenter Disputes Cause of AIDS
A provocative argument that the wrong cause has been cited as the cause of AIDS is almost universally rejected by AIDS scientists, but it is gaining attention in the gay press.

March 8
Sex Researchers Defend AIDS Book Against Wide Criticism
Defending themselves against a chorus of criticism about their methods and conclusions, the authors of a new book on AIDS charged that Government health officials had understated the threat posed by AIDS to the general population.

April 22
Researchers List Odds of Getting AIDS in Heterosexual Intercourse
The chance of catching the AIDS virus from a single act of heterosexual intercourse with an infected partner is 1 in 500 if no condom is used, according to a published report.

	The New York Times
	May 30, 1988 Robert, a teen-ager who died of AIDS, was one of the 7 percent of teens infected with HIV, according to a study of the problem.

May 30
Runaways of 42d Street: AIDS Begins Its Scourge
The number of teen-agers with acquired immune deficiency syndrome is small. In New York City, only 41 cases have been diagnosed. But for the teen-agers of Times Square -- living at a crossroads of illegal drugs and $5 sex -- the odds grow worse each day.

June 7
The Evolving Biology of AIDS: Scavenger Cell Looms Large
Scientists studying white blood cells are beginning to find answers to puzzling questions about how the AIDS virus invades the body and causes disease.

July 1
A.M.A. Urges Breach of Privacy to Warn Potential AIDS Victims
The American Medical Association urges doctors to break confidentiality and warn the sexual partners of people being treated for AIDS.

September 22
Federal Policy Against Discrimination Is Sought for AIDS Victims
Critics urge the Federal Government to adopt a policy banning the discrimination of people with AIDS.

October 13
Panel Warns of Increase in AIDS Cases
New York City's AIDS planning agency calls for a major overhaul and rapid expansion of medical and social services.

November 22
F.D.A. Approves First Drug for an AIDS-Related Cancer
The Federal Drug Administration approves the first drug to treat Karposi's Sarcoma.

1988 Article Index

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1989: Going Public
27,408 deaths

	Sara Krulwich/The New York Times
	January 29, 1989 David Brewster stubbornly refused to quit smoking. A friend, Michael Bolleri, wiped up ashes that had fallen on the bed. At left, Tom Grothe, a hospice nurse. San Francisco's Coming Home Hospice provided for inpatient care, as well as visiting nurses.

January 9
Police Guard AIDS Home for Toddlers
New York City Police Officers are stationed outside an AIDS home for toddlers after two bomb threats are phoned in.

February 7
F.D.A. Allows Wider Use of Drug to Prevent Pneumonia in AIDS Patients
The F.D.A. announces it will allow wider use of the experimental drug pentamidine, used to treat the pneumonia, Pneumocystis carinii.

March 11
Unlikely AIDS Sufferer's Message: Even You Can Get It
Alison Gertz, a wealthy 23-year-old woman, continues her program of AIDS awareness, warning heterosexuals that they, too, can get the disease.
Video

Ali Gertz: In Her Own Words

June 6
Health Chief Urges Listing People With the AIDS Virus
Dr. Stephen Joseph, New York City's Health Commissioner, tells an AIDS conference that people with AIDS should be reported confidentially to health authorities.

June 27
4 Cases Found Of Rare Strain of AIDS Virus
Researchers in New York report finding four cases of a rare AIDS strain.

July 9
U.S. Is Urging Vast Effort to Treat Million People Infected With AIDS Virus
Federal health authorities call for a new effort to find and treat all the estimated 1 million people infected with the AIDS virus.

August 4
Strong Evidence Discovered That AZT Holds Off AIDS
New research indicates that AZT holds off the onset of AIDS in people showing mild immune system damage.

September 15
AIDS Treatment Costs Put at $5 Billion a Year
Health experts estimate that the cost of treating people with AIDS could cost $5 billion a year.

October 8
AIDS Is Spreading in Teen-Agers, A New Trend Alarming to Experts
New data show that AIDS is spreading rapidly among certain groups of teenagers.

December 17
Plan for AIDS Testing in Prison Raises Questions
A New Jersey Department of Corrections plan for voluntary AIDS testing in prisons raises a host of questions.

1989 Article Index

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1990: Being Outrun
31,120 deaths

January 4
Forecast of AIDS Cases Is Cut by 10%
The C.D.C. revises its estimates, saying that 179,000 to 208,000 new cases will be reported through the end of 1992.

February 11
AIDS and the Fashion World: Industry Fears for Its Health
The fashion industry, hit hard by AIDS, fears for its survival.

February 25
AIDS Patients' Silent Companion Is Often Suicide, or Thoughts of It
People with AIDS talk about their suicidal thoughts.

March 13
Salk Team Expands AIDS Vaccine Study
Dr. Jonas Salk and his research team announce they are expanding their experimental vaccine research.

April 9
Ryan White Dies of AIDS at 18; His Struggle Helped Pierce Myths
Ryan White, a symbol of AIDS discrimination, dies at age 18.

May 1
Antibodies Seem to Protect Fetus From AIDS
Researchers report that antibodies seem to protect a fetus from AIDS.

June 2
AIDS Vaccine Test Protects 2 Chimps From Deadly Virus
Scientists say they have developed an experimental vaccine that protects chimps from infection with the AIDS virus.

June 26
3,000 Papers at AIDS Gathering Point to Gains and Frustration
The Sixth International AIDS Conference draws to a close. Experts say that gains in knowledge about the illness are being outrun by the spread of the virus.

	Barton Silver/The New York Times
	July 8, 1990 In one month, January to February, the hospital at the University of Stony Brook treated 30 children with AIDS. Above, a young patient was cared for by a volunteer.

July 9
Fear of AIDS With Rape: How a Case Was Affected
Prosecutors offer an admitted rapist a reduced sentence in exchange for an AIDS test requested by his victim.

July 16
A 'Manhattan Project' for AIDS
Larry Kramer, author and activist, calls for a "Manhattan Project" to battle AIDS.

August 22
Panel Issues Broad Attack on U.S. Response to AIDS
The Federal Government's top AIDS panel issues a three-part report assailing the Government's handling of the crisis.

September 6
Despite Advice, Few Are Taking Drugs for AIDS
Experts warn that many people infected with AIDS are not taking tests or life-prolonging drugs.

October 2
AIDS Research Finds 13 Vulnerable Spots in Virus Life Cycle
Biologists report that they have identified 13 points of weakness in the life cycle of the AIDS virus.

November 14
News of AIDS Therapy Gain Delayed 5 Months by Agency
Findings that treatment with steroids could halve the death rate from Pneumocystis carinii were delayed five months so the researchers could publish their findings in medical journals.

December 13
Cut Down as They Grow Up: AIDS Stalks Gay Teen-Agers
Health officials warn that more aggressive education is needed to halt the spread of the AIDS virus in gay teens.

1990 Article Index

1991-1993