1990s

Here's how Terrence Higgins Trust developed in the 1990s and how the HIV epidemic in the UK progressed.

1990

• THT employs its first gay men's health education officer, and employs its first housing officer, women's officer and solicitor.
• THT boycotts the 6th International Conference in AIDS in San Francisco. 
• The 6th International Conference on AIDS is held in San Francisco amid protests about the US immigration policies banning entry to the US of HIV infected immigrants, aliens and short-term visitors; policies that are still current today.
• The red ribbon is launched as an international symbol of AIDS awareness.   

1991

• THT's first World AIDS Day street collection raises £25,000.
• Freddie Mercury dies with AIDS.
• Magic Johnson announces he has HIV.
• The National Audit Office shows that millions of pounds allocated for AIDS have been misspent on other programmes by health authorities.

1992

• Rock group Queen presents THT with the initial proceeds of 'Bohemian Rhapsody' (£974,000) at the Ivor Novello Awards Ceremony.
• THT Helpline extends its operating hours to 12 noon to 10pm.
• The Living Will is launched, the result of a joint project with King's College.
• Tennis player Arthur Ashe announced his HIV diagnosis.
• Benetton uses an image of a man dying of AIDS to advertise its clothes and receives widespread criticism.   

1993

• Health Minister Virginia Bottomley cuts funding for THT by two-thirds.
• An auction of Elton John's record collection raises £182,000 for THT.
• 'Positive Lives' photographic exhibition opens at the Photographer's Gallery.
• Tony Whitehead, the first Chair of THT, is canonised by the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence.
• To mark the 10th anniversary of THT, Jonathan Mann gives a lecture on human rights and HIV.
• The UK Coalition of People living with HIV and AIDS is launched in London.
• Russian ballet star Rudolf Nureyev dies with AIDS.
• Arthur Ashe dies with AIDS.
• Results of Concorde Drug Trial announced.

1994

• Paul Gambaccini launched the fundraising initiative the '300 Club' at the charity premiere of 'The Age of Innocence'.
• S64 funding Government funding to THT, London Lighthouse and AIDS Ahead is cut.
• Health Minister Julia Cumberlege blocks a £2m HEA safer sex campaign and suspends all its sexual health work.
• Film-maker Derek Jarman dies with AIDS.
• Tom Hanks wins an Oscar for playing a positive gay man in the film 'Philadelphia'.
• A project manager with Scottish AIDS Monitor launches the first comprehensive gay men’s health project in the UK.

1995

• The 300 club reached its fundraising target of £300,000.
• THT and Crusaid create a joint hardship fund.
• The Treatment Action Taskforce is formed.
• Positive Times and Positive Nation are launched.
• The results of the clinical trial 'Delta' confirm that combining the drug AZT with ddI or ddC is far more effective than AZT on its own.
• The World Health Organisation (WHO) global program on AIDS is closed after widespread criticism.   

1996

• THT becomes a founder member of the Telephone Helplines Association.
• The Community HIV and AIDS Prevention Strategy (CHAPS) is launched.
• THT launches its first website.
• The first Christmas fundraising event is held at Selfridges, Oxford Street.
• THT, African Advocacy Foundation and ATP launch a campaign to ensure availability of the new treatments: ‘It’s Not Over’ Campaign.
• UNAIDS replaces the WHO global program on AIDS.
• Protease inhibitors, a new class of HIV drugs, widely discussed at Vancouver.
• Triple combination therapy using the protease inhibitors becomes standard treatment replacing dual therapy.
• Heavyweight boxer Tommy Morrison is identified as having HIV after being tested prior to a fight, and as a result is totally barred from the ring everywhere.
• The viral load test is developed providing information about the risk of disease progression.
• By the time of the international AIDS conference in Vancouver it is apparent that triple combination therapy is more effective than dual therapy.   

1997

• The Legal Services Group receives an award for 'Best Pro Bono Activity'.
• THT employs its first health promotion officer for African people.
• Tony Whitehead awarded an MBE for his services to the Trust.
• Helpline awarded health services accreditation as a quality service to the public.
• It becomes apparent that the new drugs have serious side-effects
• 30 million people living with HIV worldwide.   

1998

• African Health Promotion team is established and a national African Health Promotion resources contract won.
• London Lighthouse closes its residential unit.
• Jonathan Mann, the first director of the Global Program on AIDS, dies in an aircrash, along with his wife the AIDS researcher Mary-Lou Clements-Mann.
• The first human trial of an AIDS vaccine starts, using 5,000 volunteers from across the USA.
• In South Africa, an AIDS activist was beaten to death by her neighbours after revealing her HIV positive status on TV.   

1999

• Chief Executive Nick Partridge awarded an OBE for services to people with HIV and AIDS.
• THT leads mergers with Bridgeside in Leeds, HIV Network in Coventry, Sussex AIDS Trust in Brighton and OxAIDS in Oxford and, later in the year, with counselling organisation Red Admiral Project in London.
• Launch of the 'It's Prejudice that's Queer' campaign.
• The World Health Report lists AIDS as the fourth biggest killer worldwide, only 20 years after the epidemic began.
• Russia's official AIDS prevention centre reported a 12-fold increase in new HIV cases in Moscow.
• The inaugural Diana, Princess of Wales, Lecture on AIDS is held in London, given by Kofi Annan, Secretary General of the United Nations.
• In the UK a judge orders that a baby born to a mother with HIV be tested for HIV against her father’s wishes.
• 33 million people living worldwide with HIV/AIDS.
• The Scottish Parliament is formed, with responsibility for devolved matters including, health, education, justice, rural affairs and transport.