Historical Memory of HIV and AIDS in Mexico: A Legacy of Resistance, Knowledge, and Social Transformation

At AIDS 2026, Miguel Antonio Abel García Murcia, author of Historical Memory of HIV and AIDS in Mexico, together with Alejandro Gutiérrez Ramírez, presented a remarkable work that documents the struggles, lessons, and contributions of the communities that have shaped Mexico’s response to HIV.

Por Liaam Winslet | Rio de Janeiro, Brazil | #AIDSSociety #AIDS2026

From left to right: Alejandro Gutiérrez Ramírez and Miguel Antonio Abel García Murcia, author of Historical Memory of HIV and AIDS in Mexico, during the book presentation at AIDS 2026, highlighting the importance of collective memory in the HIV response.

The presentation, led by Miguel Antonio Abel García Murcia and joined by Alejandro Gutiérrez Ramírez, emphasized the importance of preserving collective memory as an essential tool for understanding the present and shaping the future of the HIV response.

More than a historical account, the book is an invitation to recognize that scientific advances, public policies, and access to HIV treatment are the result of decades of community mobilization and the commitment of people who transformed pain into collective action.

Memory Also Builds Public Health

One of the central messages of the presentation was that the history of HIV cannot be reduced to a timeline of scientific discoveries or epidemiological statistics. Instead, history provides an opportunity to understand how societies evolve and how organized communities can transform systems deeply affected by discrimination and inequality.

The book argues that documents, archives, testimonies, legislation, photographs, videos, and community experiences are essential pieces of evidence that help preserve a collective memory that might otherwise be lost. Remembering is not simply about looking back it is about understanding why rights that seem fundamental today were unimaginable just four decades ago.

Presentation of Historical Memory of HIV and AIDS in Mexico at AIDS 2026 during the Lusophone Network of People Living with HIV session. The event highlighted the importance of preserving historical memory, recognizing community leadership, and strengthening international collaboration to build a more inclusive, rights-based HIV response.

A Book Written by

One of the book’s greatest strengths is its collaborative nature.

Its chapters bring together academics, activists, public officials, and community leaders, each offering unique perspectives on the impact of HIV in Mexico. This diversity challenges the traditional view that knowledge belongs exclusively to the biomedical field and instead recognizes lived experience as a valuable source of evidence, expertise, and innovation in the HIV response.

The publication also builds upon a pioneering work published in 1988 that examined HIV through social, cultural, and political perspectives long before these approaches became widely recognized.

The result is a comprehensive analysis of how HIV has shaped nearly every aspect of daily life, including employment, the economy, sexuality, family relationships, healthcare, and the development of citizenship.

Three Perspectives on Understanding the Epidemic

The book is organized into three major sections, each exploring a different dimension of Mexico’s HIV response.

The first examines the development of citizenship through legal advocacy, labor rights, and the participation of people living with HIV in shaping public policy.

The second explores how the epidemic gave rise to new forms of organization and identity, particularly within sexually and gender-diverse communities, increasing their political and social visibility.

The third reflects on the transformation of knowledge itself. People affected by HIV moved beyond being viewed solely as patients to becoming producers of specialized knowledge, challenging the traditional divide between experts and those living the reality of the epidemic.

When Community Organizing Changed History

One of the most significant moments highlighted during the presentation was the 1996 International AIDS Conference.

That conference marked a major turning point by demonstrating that distributing condoms, while essential, was not enough to address the epidemic. It became clear that structural inequalities driving people’s vulnerability also needed to be confronted.

In Mexico, this shift led to the creation of the National Front of People Affected by HIV, a network that strengthened community organizing, coordinated advocacy efforts across the country, and played a decisive role in achieving universal access to antiretroviral therapy in 2004.

The momentum generated through the HIV movement also strengthened other social movements, particularly those advocating for LGBTQ+ rights and, in many regions, the feminist movement.

Official cover of Historical Memory of HIV and AIDS in Mexico, written by Miguel Antonio Abel García Murcia. The book documents the historical memory, community activism, and social struggles that have shaped Mexico’s response to HIV.

Looking Critically Toward the Future

Rather than presenting a finished history, the authors acknowledge that the collective memory of HIV remains incomplete.

During the discussion, they emphasized the need to better document the contributions of transgender women, young people, sex workers, and other historically marginalized communities whose leadership has often been overlooked in Mexico’s national HIV response.

The speakers also stressed that understanding the epidemic requires recognizing the intersections of migration, sex work, substance use, and homelessness factors that increase vulnerability and make treatment adherence more challenging.

Harm Reduction: An Urgent Priority

Drawing on the experience of Programa Compañeros, the presentation emphasized that harm reduction must become a central component of public health policy.

Participants highlighted that problematic drug use particularly methamphetamine (“crystal meth”) has become one of the greatest challenges to antiretroviral treatment adherence and HIV prevention.

As a result, effective HIV strategies must address these realities through a human rights and public health framework rather than approaches based primarily on criminalization and punishment.

Remembering to Transform

The presentation of Historical Memory of HIV and AIDS in Mexico delivered a powerful message to everyone attending AIDS 2026: the history of HIV has never been solely a story of scientific progress.

It is also the story of people who confronted stigma, demanded access to lifesaving medicines, built community organizations, changed laws, and proved that community leadership has the power to transform entire healthcare systems.

Preserving that memory means protecting a collective legacy built by thousands of people who dedicated their lives to ensuring that others could live with dignity.

Because memory does not belong only to the past.

It remains one of the most powerful tools for defending human rights, strengthening communities, and building a more equitable, inclusive, and compassionate response to HIV.

As this presentation made clear, remembering is also an act of resistance.