The AIDS Education Global information System
(AEGiS.org) is a nonprofit organization that was established in
response to the growing HIV/AIDS pandemic. Our mission is aimed to:
Facilitate access to current patient/clinician information specific to HIV/AIDS via our website and its specified services.
Preserve for future generations a global history of the pandemic
with our historical news, scientific publications and treatment
database.
Since AEGiS' inception, it has matured into the largest free-access virtual AIDS library
on earth. Today, AEGiS consists of more than 1,000,000 articles,
covering the world from 1981 to the present, and logging more than
10,000,000 visitors annually.
For nearly 20 years AEGiS has kept pace with HIV/AIDS social and
clinical aspects. We believe that the dissemination of potentially life
saving information has made a difference to many people throughout the
world. For those that have HIV management questions and needs, AEGiS
has proved to be a trusted source. AEGiS serves to illuminate all
developments on the HIV/AIDS front, the question is -- what do you want to know about HIV/AIDS today?
Brief HIV/AIDS History
It has been more than 20 years since HIV first appeared as a
potential threat to the future of humanity. From the first five cases
reported in Los Angeles, in 1981, the number of infections has risen to
more than 40 million worldwide. As many experts agree, this is just the
tip-of-the iceberg. Today, according to the American Foundation for
AIDS Research (amfAR), "one in 250 Americans is HIV positive, and one
in 500 knows it," and every year new infections in the United States
have totaled 40,000. Despite these horrendous statistics, real-life
education and accessible treatment programs remain grossly underfunded
both here in the U.S. and in other countries.
Bob Bowers: Youth HIV/AIDS prevention education advocacy
and awareness in schools and colleges
AEGiS History
AEGIS -- pronounced EE-jis -- is a classic grassroots success story. In mid-1986, Orange County resident Jamie Jemison saw the potential of an online bulletin board system (BBS) devoted to
HIV/AIDS. The BBS he called AEGIS (AIDS Education General Information
Service), however, was ahead of its time. The cost and limitations of
computers in homes was a substantial barrier to its use.
During this same time period Sister Mary Elizabeth had launched the
"HIV/AIDS Info BBS", motivated by a stay in a small Midwest farm
community where she met several persons living with AIDS. They were
profoundly isolated by illness, small town fears, and geography. In
their need, she saw a way to put her technical skills to a spiritual
use by providing online information and readily accessible
telecommunication resources to all persons affected by the epidemic.
A truly successful AEGiS remained a dream until Jamie Jemison and Sister Mary Elizabeth connected in mid-1991....
Sister Mary Elizabeth
Sister Mary Elizabeth suggested joining forces with Mr. Jemison.
However, he had gone on to other pursuits and ceded the use of the name
AEGiS to her. Ever since, she has made AEGiS her life's work, building
AEGiS into a service that the Centers for Disease Control calls "the best of
its kind."
From September 1990, to April 1995, AEGiS operated under the
auspices of the Sisters of St. Elizabeth of Hungary, a small religious
community founded in 1988. In April 1995, with the assistance of
Christopher Quilter, Scott Mastrocinque, Katherine Jones, and Jim
Schooler, AEGiS was reorganized as a nonprofit charitable and
educational corporation under the laws of the state of California.
Internal Revenue Service 501(c)3 tax-exempt certification was granted on January 9, 1996.
With the advent of the World Wide Web and financial assistance from Roxanne Laboratories (now, Boehringer Ingelheim) AEGiS became www.aegis.com. In addition, our name was modified to AIDS Education Global Information System
to emphasize our growing global presence. Usually, non-profits are
identified as '.org', but, at that time the name AEGIS.org was owned by
a Japanese organization, therefore the .com address was our only
option. However, in the year 2000, Sister Mary sought out the name
AEGiS.org, and it was for sale! Finally, AEGiS had the opportunity to
adopt its rightful name and become: www.aegis.org.
Testimonials
The American Medical Association, CDC, and Britannica have ranked
AEGiS as one of the "best of the best." AEGiS was selected as a
Discovery Channel resource in 1997-98. In 1999, AEGiS was a finalist in
the 4th Global Internet Initiative award program. Additionally, AEGiS
was the first U.S. organization to be nominated to UNESCO's "Memory of
the World" program in 1999.
The year 2003 was a bonus year for AEGiS, as UNESCO recognized AEGiS
for its part in global AIDS education, and the American Foundation for
AIDS Research (amfAR) and International Association of Physicians in
AIDS care (IAPAC) bestowed their "Award of Courage" and the "Jonathan
Mann Health and Human Rights Award" on our founder. Previous recipients
of the Jonathan Mann award were President William Jefferson Clinton,
Archbishop Desmond Tutu of South Africa, 2004 Nobel prize nominee
Zachie Achmat, and Ambassador Stephan Lewis, UN Special Envoy for AIDS
to South Africa.
In 2004, the International AIDS Society (IAS), representing the
world's largest professional society for scientists, health care and
public health workers, and others engaged in HIV/AIDS prevention,
control and care, recommended AEGiS as the leading database for
current, historical and clinical HIV/AIDS information.
For more information, please visit our Awards page
"The "magic bullet" to cure or prevent HIV infection
has not been found, and too many people with or affected by HIV/AIDS
are isolated by cultural, geographic, and economic barriers. In these
times, how must we fight HIV/AIDS and relieve the human suffering it
causes? We believe the answer will be found in the transformation of
information into knowledge. For that to happen, information must be
easily accessible and widely disseminated. It must be used." -- Chris Quilter
AEGiS began in the mid-1980s and has continued to be the definitive web-based reference for HIV/AIDS-related information. The collaborative effort of many organizations and individuals has enabled the creation of this vast database of facts regarding the history, prevention and treatment of HIV/AIDS...to date over one million files.
Through our keyword-searchable knowledgebase, AEGiS offers cutting edge information via HIV/AIDS specific publications and news sources from around the world. In addition, an array of reference materials are offered. As new aspects of HIV/AIDS arise, AEGiS will continue to extend its efforts towards the dissemination of potentially life saving information.
In 1999, ÆGiS was nominated to UNESCO's Memory of the World Programme"
AEGiS presents published material, reprinted with permission and
neither endorses nor opposes any material. All information contained on
this website, including information relating to health conditions,
products, and treatments, is for informational purposes only. It is
often presented in summary or aggregate form. It is not meant to be a
substitute for the advice provided by your own physician or other
medical professionals. Always discuss treatment options with a doctor
who specializes in treating HIV. This information is designed to
support, not replace, the relationship that exists between you and your
doctor.
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