AIDS: From Mystery to Revelation to Closure

In 1969, a black teenager at a St. Louis hospital died from baffling symptoms that doctors had attempted to treat over a fifteen month period. Almost 20 years later, it was confirmed that the patient known as Robert R. died of AIDS and was probably the first case in the U.S. Sample tissues had been saved from his autopsy and scientifically diagnosed by doctors, who by 1987, were now familiar with the disease. This meant that young Robert had the disease nearly a decade before what had been thought was the country’s first known AIDS cases.

As we observe World AIDS Day on December 1, Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) are no longer scientific mysteries. The epidemic’s scare during the mid-1980s left many stigmatized and isolated while ignorance abounded. Sectors of our communities spent valuable time debating conspiracy theories about the origin while valuable time was lost not educating high risk populations. We are still lagging in our prevention and education efforts, particularly in the black community.

Although there are controversial views regarding the origins of AIDS, we know with certainty how the disease is spread. It is passed from one person to another when infected blood, semen, or vaginal secretions come in contact with an uninfected person’s broken skin or mucous membranes. That means there are two main ways to contract the virus: sexual contact with someone who has the disease or intravenously, such as through a blood transfusion or as a drug user sharing needles with someone with the disease. An HIV infected mother can also pass on the disease to her unborn child.

Knowing how the disease is spread should make the solution simple: don’t have unprotected sex and don’t share needles. Oh, if life were so simple.

The latest estimates by the Centers for Disease Control tell us that those of us of African descent need to pay close attention. To date, over one million cases have been diagnosed and nearly 20,000 lives have been snuffed out due to the body’s immune system being compromised; 65,000 new HIV cases are identified each year. The numbers of African Americans being diagnosed with AIDS so far is almost comparable to that of whites and we’re only about 13% of the population.

The world wide cases of AIDS are staggering. According to Yale AIDS Watch, there are 42 million cases of AIDS in the world and 5 million new cases each year. Three million people, including children, die annually of the dreaded disease. More than half the world’s cases are in Africa, which has been hardest hit by the “Slim Disease,” as it is called there.

When Robert R. dragged himself to the hospital, he had already been sick for nearly two years. The initial assessment revealed that he had a severe case of chlamydia, so it was clear that the kid was sexually active. Further examinations by the doctors led to speculation that Robert was either gay or a male prostitute.

Recently, the CDC listed St. Louis as tops in Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs). The City was ranked #2 in chlamydia and 3rd in gonorrhea. The City’s Health Department is shining a light on the problem. The majority population for both diseases is African Americans between the ages of 15 and 24 years old. Robert R. fit into that age group some 45 years ago, when he begin his debilitating descent to a premature death.

So, what have we learned in the decades since Robert’s case of chlamydia and AIDS? A whole lot, but it’s not being effectively transferred to our communities, particularly to our children. Awareness campaigns about this pandemic are as challenging to implement and sustain in Johannesburg, South Africa as they are in New York City. (South African leader Thambo Mbeki had denied the reality of AIDS ravaging his country until he received international criticism. New York is ranked #1 for diagnosed AIDS cases).

Parents, schools and service providers to this age category need to have the tough conversations with youth about sexuality and responsibility. But it’s a conversation that transcends youth, as we know that adults also engage in the same risky behavior.

Our community’s attitude about these preventable diseases is much too cavalier. Archaic attitudes must change if we intend to promote and sustain healthy lifestyles. It begins with information and the demand for adequate funding for innovative education programs and extensive testing.