In 1959 the first human that was diagnosed with HIV was from the Belgian Congo.
Since then, over 35 million people have died worldwide from HIV. Roughly 40,000 people are diagnosed with the virus every year in the United States alone. Sharing intravenous needles and unprotected sex are still the primary ways of spreading HIV.
The first drugs that came on the scene to treat HIV were full of side-effects. Over time, we developed prescriptions for the virus that cause fewer side-effects and inhibit the progression of the virus. Those who have been diagnosed with HIV can live long productive lives.
But even with better medicine, we still lack a way to cure the virus. We’ve had recent promising developments, but still appear far from a widely-used vaccine. While we wait for that breakthrough, some recent outcomes show progress in the area.