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This past Sunday was World AIDS Day.

So today, a look at just how much has changed since the first reports of a mysterious lung

epidemic in 1981.

Finding show that a form of cancer has suddenly surfaced in unusual amounts in gay men.

There are now cases in Atlanta, Houston, Philadelphia, Boston, Miami, and Baltimore.

So far, doctors can only speculate on the causes and the connections.

But we've come a long way since then.

Globally, AIDS-related deaths have dropped by more than 55% since 2004, the deadliest

year on record.

A big reason for that?

Better drugs to treat people with HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, if you have access

to those drugs, more on that later.

But the road to effective treatment was a long one, especially for people living with

HIV.

My name is Stosh Bailey, and I was diagnosed in 2004.

Yes, newer drugs could save your life, but they also came with a cost.

The first medication was difficult to tolerate.

I suffered from a couple of pretty nasty side effects, actually.

Really disturbing sleep patterns, depression, just endless nightmares.

On top of that, it's been since proven that the toxicity effects can lead to liver

and kidney damage.

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