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   Early AIDS

In the late 1980s and early 1990s, the opinion of the HIV: AIDS epidemic was that it would spread rapidly within gated communities and to other sections of the world as well. Reports and evidence from many articles suggest that even though there are treatments and vaccines coming along to help infected individuals fight the disease, as AIDS continues to progress, they will soon become ineffectual. Articles from the New York Times dated between May 1989 and October 1993 collectively narrow down the spread of AIDS to specific communities. A global approach is taken in the May 1989 article which discusses how the World Health Organization perceives the number of AIDS cases. The WHO basically expressed that the virus would consume many lives in a short amount of time and makes a prediction that from the present to the end of the decade; five million people will be infected from the initial 450,000. The article does not state clearly how and why these projected numbers are set to increase so greatly or any factors that went into tabulating the data. It vaguely refers to studies that evaluated people who have already caught the virus and insinuates that they will continue to pass on the virus and eventually escalate to full-grown AIDS. This article was quite hidden within the New York Times. It was close enough to the last page and obscured between large headlines. It is important to note that only a column was devoted to it. Although it contained a good amount of statistical data, it lacked the informative component explaining specifically what could be done to reduce the infection rate worldwide and expanding on how the organization planned on setting up a “strong and coordinated global program” (New York Times, pg 16) to assess the issue.

            Relating more to the topic of AIDS in New York City, specifically Harlem, it is interesting to examine how the disease is looked upon in this area. Looking at an article from the New York Times dated October 10, 1993[1] that primarily focused on how Churches regarded the disease sheds insight into why and how AIDS is overlooked in the African American community. This article led to a correlation between the numbers of AIDS cases in specific areas and the way people of authority react towards the disease. This article discussed how many pastors of Churches in Harlem refused to acknowledge those becoming infected with the virus and unwilling to admit that even congregation members could acquire the virus as well. An administrator from Harlem Hospital, Pernessa Seele, spoke of how she hardly saw church members comfort and support those who were sick with the disease. This leads into the argument that many churches, especially Christian ones, denounce AIDS as a punishment for homosexuality and promiscuity. In my findings and personal experience in attending a Christian Church AIDS is not openly talked about and addressed as it should be. This is dreadfully shocking as the epidemic surges through predominantly black communities, in which “the rate of cases in Harlem is more than double that for the city as a whole.” (New York Times, pg 7) Another New York Times article relating to the Harlem community discussed President Clinton’s visit to the area. It basically stated how the President in his post office years promised to promote economic stability in Harlem. He planned to “help fight against AIDS globally and locally.” (New York Times, pg. 1) This article was from July 31, 2001[2] and looking back from the present it seems as though little progress if any has been made. Recently in the news, one politician, Nettie Mayersohn, from NYC voices her concern that the state of the AIDS crisis is overwhelming the government. She wants to know what can be done to stop the disease from spreading so rapidly.[3]

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