How HIV Will Finally Die

Nova, a popular primetime science series on the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS), is set to release the ambitious documentary Ending HIV in America.

The doc chronicles the journey of the HIV epidemic in America over the last 40 years with a highlight on the activism and community commitment that’s helped slow the spread. San Francisco and Birmingham, Ala., serve as at the centers of the one-hour special, as they are two of the cities that represent the real-world challenges of getting treatment to the people who need it most.

“HIV is a uniquely challenging virus to fight, and the scientific journey over the last four decades has been a dramatic rollercoaster filled with hope and frustration and some truly remarkable discoveries,” Nova co-executive producer Julia Cort said in a statement. 

As scientific efforts continue to advance, they gradually uncover more of the secrets of the virus’s mutation. The breakthroughs discovered along the way have turned a once chronically fatal disease into a condition that’s manageable, via treatment, for most infected Americans.

Sean B. Carroll, head of HHMI Tangled Bank Studios one of the film's producers, also stated, “Tackling the HIV/AIDS pandemic has been one of the greatest scientific and societal challenges of the past four decades, and that effort contributed mightily to our preparation for COVID.”

The special is slated to premiere on Wednesday, October 5, 2022 at 9 p.m. Eastern. Watch a preview below.