On this day, September 19, 1986: U.S. health officials announced that AZT (zidovudine), the first antiretroviral drug to prevent and treat HIV/AIDS, would soon be available to patients. Tested on just 146 people, AZT was hailed as “the first therapeutic agent that seems to hold promise for some AIDS patients”, though officials stressed it was not a cure. The FDA would officially approve AZT in March 1987, making it the first antiretroviral treatment for HIV/AIDS. It marked a turning point in the crisis, offering a measure of hope in the face of a devastating epidemic. #OnThisDay #LGBTQHistory #HIVTreatment #HIV #QueerHistory