The HIV/AIDS epidemic: the first 10 years.

On June 5, 1981, the first cases of an illness subsequently defined as acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) were reported by health-care providers in California and CDC. As of May 31, 1991, state and local health departments had reported to CDC 179,136 AIDS cases among persons of all ages in the United States. By the end of 1991, AIDS will be the second leading cause of death among men 25-44 years of age and is likely to be one of the five leading causes of death among women aged 15-44 years in the United States.