Treatment-Related

This series documents the efforts of ACT UP / Boston to heighten public awareness of the failure of the government, medical, insurance, and pharmaceutical industries to address the AIDS crisis in Boston and throughout the country through its public appearances, demonstrations, and acts of civil disobedience.

The Public Appearances subseries documents meetings, events, and conferences in which members participated. The Treatment Related subseries documents the medical problems experienced by people with AIDS, research that was being done on drugs such as ddC and ddI, and the demonstrations that were held in response to these issues. The effect of AIDS in populations other than gay men, including women and IV drug users, is also documented. The Public Awareness Subseries documents the methods by which the organization sought to raise public awareness of AIDS, including demonstrations held at Holy Cross Cathedral and work with state officials to fund AIDS research and treatment. Records include reports, newspaper clippings, flyers, clinical trial reviews, meeting notes, and newspaper clippings.

Of special interest are the Women and AIDS folders, which detail the problems specifically encountered by women with HIV, and the Prison Issues folders, which describe the plight of inmates with AIDS and ACT UP's advocacy efforts on behalf of that population. Also of special interest are the AZT, Astra / Foscarnet, and "Approve ddI now" demonstration material, which provide insight into the radical strategies used by the organization, and the notes in the Clinical Trial Reviews, Progressive Multifocal Leukoencephalopathy, and Mycobacterium Avium complex folders, which illustrate the efforts ACT UP / Boston members made to educate themselves so they could effectively and articulately advocate for change within the medical establishment. See also Series 1, Administrative, Treatment and Issues Committee Meeting Minutes for discussions regarding campaigns and demonstrations and Series 5, Audio-Visual Material and Memorabilia, for photographs, posters, buttons, and T-shirts that either document, or were used during the campaigns and demonstrations.