Almost thirty years ago, on the 3rd of July, 1981 Lawrence K. Altman published an article in The New York Times that would come to be known as the “gay cancer” story. This was one of the first mentions of the HIV/AIDS epidemic in mainstream society, and it would undoubtedly become paramount in perpetuating harmful […]
Our generation is not used to hearing about HIV; the 1980s international AIDS crisis feels like a distant part of history. The virus is still around today although much has changed about its treatment since the ‘80s. According to the National AIDS Trust, as of 2018, almost equal numbers of HIV patients acquired the virus […]
Retired rugby star Gareth Thomas revealed to the press last week that he is HIV positive, and has been living with the illness privately for the past few years. His sudden decision to go public with his diagnosis was triggered by the blackmail ordeal he suffered at the hands of a tabloid journalist who discovered […]
The original name that was given to HIV was Gay-related Immune Deficiency (GRID) and was based on the assumption that only gay men could contract it. This name did not stick, but the myth did. Although HIV does disproportionately affect men who have sex with men – according to the Terrence Higgins Trust, “of the 4,363 […]
120 BPM is a film full of life, in all of its glories and despondencies. It follows the progress of the Paris chapter of the HIV/AIDS activist group ACT UP during the 1990s. The protests that the members enact are punchy and lively; they disrupt industry conferences, make impromptu trips to schools, and storm lab […]
A recent study has shown that a compound found in cannabis could help reduce systemic inflammation and immune activation. Regardless of its legal status, cannabis is a widely used drug across much of the world. Even though it is widespread, cannabis use is disproportionately high in Americans living with HIV – ranging between 20 and […]
The Student speaks to HIV/AIDS activists Kennedy Mwendwa, Michael Nugent, Sarah Mary (name changed to protect identity) and James Cole. Youth Stops AIDS is a youth-led movement campaigning to end AIDS through creative action and deliberation. Each year, the organisation hosts a UK-wide speaker tour to increase awareness through sharing the powerful stories of young […]
The complexity of life and the systems that underpin it have given scientists much to puzzle over and so much remains cloaked in mystery. In our search for understanding it is far too easy for us to classify certain bodily mechanisms as either ‘good’ or ‘bad’. This, however, ignores the many shades of grey that […]