In 1982, 752 cases of a mysterious and fatal illness that would be called Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome were reported in New York City. By 2010, nearly 170,000 cases had been diagnosed. Over 30 years, the illness devastated whole communities even as it served as a focal point for the gay rights movement, especially Act Up, which campaigned vigorously against the government’s slow response to the epidemic. The city’s health department describes New York as the nation’s epicenter of H.I.V./AIDS. Today, about 100,000 New Yorkers are living with the disease, thanks to advanced medicines. But it is still the third leading cause of death for New Yorkers between the ages of 35 and 54.
For more history go to: http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2012/09/02/nyregion/a-history-of-new-york-in-50-objects.html#/?gridItem=02-fifty-objects-slide-GM3B
