Twenty-five years ago today
BBC, 10 December 1981:
Mystery disease kills homosexuals
A mysterious epidemic, which has been discovered in homosexual men, is causing increasing concern in the United States.
The unknown condition, which consists of two separate diseases - a form of pneumonia and skin cancer, has been found in 180 patients in 15 states since last July.
It has claimed around 75 lives so far in the US and up to 92% of the victims are homosexual men.
The original story appears in full, juxtaposed with modern commentary about what eventually came to be known as HIV/AIDS, at the BBC website.
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