It’s been nearly half a century since the HIV/AIDS epidemic emerged. In the 1980s, before medical interventions or effective prevention methods were developed, it was a death sentence. Throughout the years, legislation, stigmatization, and limited resources have created costly setbacks in overcoming the disease and its spread. Today, treatment and prevention has evolved so that many people with HIV/AIDS can now live longer, healthier lives. But, there is still a long way to go before we can say that we’ve beaten AIDS. In this episode we look back on the evolution of this pandemic and why it has persisted for so long.