Browse Items (4 total)

In the early 80s, not much was known about AIDS or HIV. It was erroneously and dangerously characterized by the media as a disease affecting gay men, African Americans, and drug users.

The emergence and rapid spread of AIDS in the 1980s led to fears about procedures such as blood donation. Very little was known about the cause of the disease, which later was discovered to be a virus called HIV.

By the 1980s there was a growing awareness of the risk of sexually transmitted diseases such as the herpes virus. College campuses such as Cal State LA sought to shed light on the risks by spreading awareness.

From October to March more than 120 students reported at the campus Health Center for herpes simplex virus Type 2, or genital herpes.