Have you heard of Robert Rayford?
He was the earliest confirmed case of HIV/AIDS in North America. His story reshapes how we understand the epidemic and reminds us to fight for health equity.I encourage you to read this piece of #HIV history. A 🧵
#WorldAIDSDay2024
https://www.aidschicago.org/say-his-name-robert-rayford/
He was the earliest confirmed case of HIV/AIDS in North America. His story reshapes how we understand the epidemic and reminds us to fight for health equity.I encourage you to read this piece of #HIV history. A 🧵
#WorldAIDSDay2024
https://www.aidschicago.org/say-his-name-robert-rayford/
Comments
Robert was a shy 15-year-old growing up in a poor, predominantly Black neighborhood in St. Louis, MO. His life, tragically cut short, sheds light on the overlooked origins of HIV in America. #SayHisName #WorldAIDSDay
In 1968, Robert was hospitalized with swelling, fatigue, and breathing issues. His immune system was failing, and doctors were stumped. They diagnosed a systemic infection but couldn't explain its severity. This was years before HIV was understood. 🧬 #HIVAIDS
Robert died in 1969 at just 16. Decades later, preserved tissue samples revealed he had HIV, making him the first documented U.S. death from AIDS-related illness—over a decade before the epidemic gained attention. #WorldAIDSDay #AIDSHistory
Doctors suspected sexual abuse or exploitation, but much about Robert’s life remains unclear. His family also faced mysterious illnesses, hinting at early community exposure to HIV. #EndTheStigma #HIVAwareness
HIV/AIDS is often framed as starting in the 1980s, affecting gay white men in coastal cities in the US . But Robert’s case reminds us the virus was already devastating marginalized communities—long before it had a name. #WorldAIDSDay #HealthEquity
Robert lived in a system that ignored him. His story underscores how poverty and systemic racism impact health outcomes. These inequities persist today, disproportionately affecting Black communities in the fight against HIV. 🌍❤️ #EndInequity
Did some digging: The strain of HIV in Robert’s blood and tissue samples matched a strain in Paris from the same period, not the 70s strain from NYC.
https://dfarq.homeip.net/robert-rayford-aids-st-louis-1960s/