Over twenty million people have died from AIDS since its cause, HIV, was discovered in 1981. though leading scientists worldwide have dedicated their life's work to understanding the virus, its genetic complexity is unprecedented and a cure is still beyond reach. This month on IN THE LIFE, we speak with scientists working tirelessly for a cure, advocates speaking out about the stigma of HIV, and look at the success of a cutting edge prevention effort to stop the spread of the disease.

See other episodes in the 18th Season

Trials of a Vaccine

Throughout history, no viral disease has been cured without a vaccine, and HIV/AIDS is no exception. Though we have the tools for living with HIV, education, behavior change and treatment, the development of an HIV vaccine remains the only hope for eradicating the virus. Finding this magic bullet, however, has proven to be harder than anyone ever imagined.

A Conversation With... Kenneth Cole & Regan Hofmann

Kenneth Cole, fashion designer, chairman of the board of the Foundation for AIDS Research (amfAR) and a social marketing pioneer since the beginning of the AIDS epidemic, discusses the stigma surrounding HIV with Regan Hofmann, editor-in-chief of POZ magazine and the author of I Have Something To Tell You, a memoir which chronicles her life upon discovering she was HIV-positive.

HIV Is Still A Big Deal: An Update

A year after we featured HIV is Still a Big Deal, a series of online HIV prevention films produced by the Public Health Solutions and NYU, we take a fresh look at the success of this series. Thanks in part to a partnership with Manhunt, an online dating and social networking site for gay men, the series has become an internationally effective intervention tool.