BEGINNINGS

The HIV Research Section has been working to find new and innovative ways to fight HIV/AIDS since the beginning of the epidemic. In the early 1980s, we were part of the San Francisco City Clinic. Our first study was with gay men who had previously volunteered for a Hepatitis B study.

With the study participants' permission, we went back to their blood samples, looking for the presence of HIV antibodies. In some of these men, the tests revealed a history of HIV infection dating back as far as 1978.

Our results became a world-renowned source for understanding HIV infection and disease. Remarkably, a small group of these men who tested positive have remained healthy -- without needing anti-HIV medicines.

Their stories and medical histories have been of particular interest to those fighting the disease. We still have much to learn from these men and our group continues to follow them.

The San Francisco AIDS Office is Formed

While we were studying the men who had participated in the Hepatitis B study, other teams had formed to track the emerging epidemic, begin prevention efforts and coordinate treatment services in San Francisco. Together with these teams, we formed the original AIDS Office in San Francisco, a part of the Department of Public Health.

In those early days, we helped to identify the leading risk factors for HIV infection, as well as the most common indicators of disease progression. Later, we developed into a clinical trials unit, testing a variety of HIV prevention strategies. San Francisco is unique in this regard -- we are the only Department of Public Health to feature its own clinical trials unit.

We're proud to be part of the City and strive to conduct cutting-edge research, asking critical questions to advance our knowledge about HIV infection and prevention.

Today, HIV negative volunteers from the Bay Area can participate in a variety of HIV prevention research studies. Including: bio-medical approaches, such as a finding a safe and effective HIV vaccine; or behavioral approaches, which explore new counseling or education methods.