Hillary Clinton Issues Statement in Commemoration of the 35th Anniversary of the AIDS Epidemic

Senator Hillary Clinton

On Sunday, the 35th anniversary of the first reported cases of HIV/AIDS in the United States, Hillary Clinton released the following statement. As she becomes the first woman in the history of our nation to capture the presidential nomination of a major political party, we think her positions on HIV and AIDS are significant and worth sharing.

On June 5, 1981, doctors reported the first cases of a mysterious new disease, and understanding of the AIDS crisis in America began—for too long, a quiet, deadly epidemic, that thousands of courageous LGBT people, activists, and allies brought into the spotlight. Since that first day when we learned of the devastating disease that would come to be known as AIDS, we've lost millions of friends and loved ones—some of mine included.

35 years later, we've made tremendous strides in treating and preventing the spread of HIV and AIDS. Thanks to advocates and survivors who refused to accept silence and inaction, countless lives have been saved. I've made this my fight, too: from strategizing with world leaders about how to stop the spread of HIV and AIDS as First Lady, to launching an initiative as secretary of state to usher in an AIDS-free generation through prevention and treatment around the world—this is a battle I will continue to wage, alongside activists and survivors, until we win.

HIV and AIDS still disproportionately threaten communities of color, transgender people, young people, and gay and bisexual men, and millions still live with HIV in the U.S. and around the world. But we have the tools to end this epidemic once and for all, and the next president will play a pivotal role in helping to make an AIDS-free generation a reality. If we work with our partners around the world to invest in research, expand access to health care and education, and dismantle the stigma that hurts people and increases risk, this is a goal we can reach together. I'm determined to do it—we owe it to those we lost, and all future generations, to end the AIDS epidemic in America at last.

By Hillary Clinton