December 1 is World AIDS Day, where as a human race we contemplate how far we have come and where we still need to go in order to eradicate this virus from existence. It’s been 30 years since the first HIV/AIDS diagnosis. In those 30 years, the course of the virus and those affected have changed dramatically.

It used to be that those who became infected with HIV died approximately 9 months after their diagnosis. In the 1980’s, hospitals were filled with many men and women dying from this disease. Special AIDS wards were set up in hospitals throughout the country in order to combat the ever-increasing numbers of patients struck terminally ill with the disease.

That has thankfully changed. Today, most of those AIDS wards in hospitals no longer exist and being HIV positive is no longer a death sentence. With proper medication and medical treatment, HIV positive persons can expect to live a full life, which is quite a departure from the previous 9 month life expectation.

Also gone are the misconceptions that AIDS was communicable through shaking hands, hugging, kissing, using public restrooms, or opening doors. The irrational fear has dissipated with education and with medical knowledge of the virus’ transmission. We know becoming HIV positive can only occur through sharing of bodily fluids by unsafe sex practices, intravenous drug use, and improper sterilization of needles used in medical procedures. Even then, an HIV positive individual who has an undetectable viral load and who takes his/her medication regularly has an almost 0% chance of infecting anyone.

We have all the tools at our disposal to prevent further HIV infections, and with more funding of AIDS research, we can one day reduce future HIV infections to zero.

We have come a long way in 30 years, and we still have a way to go. But as the video below states, we all have the resources to help prevent further infections. We all have a responsibility here–for ourselves and our children.