Our research question specifically asked, is education an effective method to combat HIV/AIDS in the U.S. and Africa? We decided to investigate the matter by dividing up our research on the basis of time. Each group member had a period of time (80s, 90s, 2000s) in which we would look for any clues to our answer. Due to the nature of our organization in research, a timeline was the best method for digital presentation. Each group member would then be able to present his findings in cooperation with the group as a whole so that we could obtain a wide picture of AIDS education and its effectiveness.

Our conclusion to the research question was yes, HIV/AIDS education is indeed an effective method for combating AIDS. With that being said, education effectiveness appears greater in the U.S. than in Africa at this point in time, but Africa is also coming along even still. Education methods are effective in both lands, but the U.S. has always been ahead of the game in terms of resources, awareness, and action. In the 80s education efforts began with the CDC and Washington, D.C., right before Uganda emerged as the African pioneer for AIDS resistance. Then the U.S. government and other organizations, such as amfAR (American Foundation for AIDS Research), became involved with AIDS education in the late 80s and early 90s. While community programs were operating in the United States, prevention workshops started in Kenya. Case studies like the one in Kenya from 1997 to 2009 showed that HIV prevalence dropped around 4% after the education sphere took an active role in the AIDS response. Our research found that prevalence among young people in sub-Saharan Africa fell by 42% from 2001 to 2012. Other studies have shown that AIDS peaked in the United States in the early to mid 90s, but then it gradually declined and stabilized into the 21^st century. Even though AIDS is certainly still a problem, we believe that the increase of education efforts has been beneficial and effective toward the reduction of AIDS numbers.

Our research information can be credited to the following sources:

CNN.com; “Timeline: AIDS moments to remember” by Jacque Wilson, 2013

Kaiser Family Foundation; “The Global HIV/AIDS Epidemic: A Timeline of Key Milestones”

AIDS.gov; “A Timeline of AIDS”

AIDSinfo.nih.gov

amfar.org; “Thirty Years of HIV/AIDS: Snapshots of an Epidemic”

Meyer, Debra; “HIV/AIDS and Education in Africa,” July 2003

Pratt, David; “HIV=AIDS=Death: A Killer Myth,” September 2010

avert.org and the following articles:

1. “AIDS Timeline;” 2015
2. “What is AIDS?”
3. “History of HIV & AIDS in Africa”
4. “History of HIV & AIDS in the U.S.A”
5. “HIV & AIDS Education for Young People”
6. “Impact of HIV and AIDS in sub-Saharan Africa”

Group members– Travis Kowalec, Zhikai Pei Kuroky, Daniel Gilliland