How HIV/AIDS got its name − the words Americans used for the crisis were steeped in science, stigma and religious language

By: Anthony Petro, Boston University, The Conversation

Outlets: The Conversation

Published: December 7, 2025

Words: 1,333

Last Updated: 1 month ago

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By Anthony Petro, Boston University

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention first used the term “AIDS” on Sept. 24, 1982, more than a year after the first cases appeared in medical records. Those early years of the crisis were marked by a great deal of confusion over what caused the disease, who it affected and how it spread.

But the naming itself – acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, which we now know is caused by the …

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