December 1995/January 1996

Cover: Henry Nicols—Cooperstown’s most famous Eagle Scout—is all grown up with many places to go. Inside: A retrospective of the sublime, the ridiculous and the heroic events of the past year; Tinseltown’s script about AIDS is good, but the picture is not always pretty. Plus: The newest AIDS treatment is not a drug.

February/March 1996

Cover: Fighting for a dozen causes, Kiyoshi Kuromiya is a one-man movement. Inside: Community-based AIDS research is both sparking answers and raising eyebrows; trading life insurance for cash doesn’t have to be hard, but may the seller beware. Plus: Seinfeld mixes messages on contraceptives and AIDS and comes up with unprotected sex.

April 1996

Cover: Jeff Getty receives a transplant of baboon bone marrow cells as an experimental procedure to treat his HIV. Inside: Frank Moore’s art blends nature and medicine; U.S. military to give people with HIV the boot. Plus: The article you must read before taking a protease inhibitor.

May 1996

Cover: Heiress Aileen Getty is used to being defined by the people around her—but now, she’s making her own mark. Inside: A surreal vision through the black-and-white lens of Steven Arnold; the FDA approves new antiretrovirals in record time. Plus: The Young and the Restless pushes the AIDS envelope firmly but softly.

June/July 1996

Cover: Magic Johnson may not want to talk about HIV, but he has forever changed the way America sees people living with the virus. Inside: Our annual report card on AIDS service organizations; preplanning, expert care and human compassion can help manage the trauma of dementia. Plus: Acupuncture stimulates the body to rebuild its healing ability.

August/September 1996

Cover: Michelle Lopez (with daughter Raven) has seen the dark side—now she’s spreading the light. Inside: The 50 top AIDS researchers; Rent is this season’s hottest ticket on Broadway, and it’s giving people with HIV a new lease on love. Plus: How antiretroviral drugs may backfire through mutations.

October 1996

Cover: Rocker Brian Grillo bangs to his own drum. Inside: The American Medical Association endorses mandatory HIV testing for pregnant women; five new CDs chronicle the epidemic in song. Plus: Transgender diva Alexandra Billings on disclosing her HIV-positive status.

November 1996

Cover: Outspoken public servant Judith Billings wears her politics on her lapel. Inside: Pundits on Election ’96 and what it means for PWAs; politics are killing people who inject drugs. Plus: An exclusive excerpt from the supremely dishy exposé, Tarnished Sequins by former AIDS Project Los Angeles board member Michael Anketell.

December 1996/January 1997

Cover: Shawn Decker tested positive at the end of sixth grade. Nine years later, he’s posting his story on the internet, becoming one of the first bloggers living with HIV. Inside: How people with hemophilia are fighting back; thanks to greed, corruption and cowardice, AIDS goes globe-trotting. Plus: Artist Patrick Webb’s adventures with Punchinello.