The nosological, or disease-classification, paradigm of AIDS has indeed often been shaped by social, political, and ideological factors—reflecting what people wanted the disease to be, rather than what it necessarily was in purely biomedical terms. This phenomenon manifests in how AIDS was conceptualized, named, and managed over time, combining cultural anxieties and political agendas with scientific investigation. Politicized Beginnings and Cultural Framing When AIDS first appeared in the early 1980s, its definition was heavily influenced by the sociopolitical climate of the United States. It emerged amidst moral panic surrounding homosexuality, drug use, and sexuality—conditions viewed as “deviant” by mainstream society. The term “AIDS,” coined to replace the earlier “GRID” (Gay-Related Immune Deficiency), still carried moral and religious overtones that reflected cultural discomfort more than clear etiological understanding. Stigma, moral judgment, and political ...
