The AIDS crisis was shadowed by constant politicization which magnified the struggles of HIV/AIDS patients, as well as heavily hindered research and the search for treatment and/or a cure. The HIV virus was not discovered to be the cause of AIDS until 1984, and the first treatment, AZT, was not approved until 1987. So there were long periods of time following the emergence of HIV/AIDS in which there was no treatment, and community organizations could only focus on symptom management and social activism to push for a cure.
The AIDS epidemic was complicated by persistent politicization, which exacerbated the challenges faced by those with HIV/AIDS, as well as severely hampered research into treatments and a cure. The discovery of HIV as the cause of AIDS occurred in 1984, and it wasn't until 1987 that the first treatment, AZT, received approval.