This December, In the Life presents “The Changing Face of AIDS,” commemorating World AIDS Month and marking the 25th anniversary of the HIV/AIDS epidemic. Hosted by actor Wilson Cruz, this episode revisits 15 years of In the Life’s coverage of the disease from the early 80’s forward.

In 1996 In the Life covered the promise and hope of the first anti-retroviral drugs. “The State of AIDS” returns to that crucial turning point in HIV/AIDS treatment, and features what HIV specialists predicted for the disease and how activism was changing to keep up with it.

Does HIV/AIDS alter the aging process? This is the question at the core of “Aging with AIDS.” Two years ago In the Life met with some HIV positive patients who were the early pioneers entering middle and old age. In the early days of the epidemic, few in the medical world contemplated the issue of growing old with this disease, but effective drug treatments have made this a compelling new subject to tackle.

Almost a decade ago, In the Life traveled to the border crossing between San Diego and Tijuana, where commerce, prostitution, and an illicit drug market intersect, making it an ideal location for the potential transmission of HIV. “Crossing Borders” features a remarkable grassroots organization in Tijuana, called ACOSIDA. In 1989, eight years into the AIDS epidemic, this group, operating on a shoestring budget, initiated an inventive way to get vital medication to those in need.

The drug Crystal Meth became a hit in the gay community beginning in 1996, at the very moment when the anti-retroviral medications for HIV/AIDS were dramatically extending lives. “High Anxiety” chronicles how this extremely cheap, easily accessible and highly addictive drug can lead to the increased risk of HIV/AIDS. Last year In the Life met with four gay men who describe the extreme highs and lows of this drug and their precarious struggles to leave it behind.

What happens when a creative approach to AIDS prevention falls out of favor with the government? “CDC Funding Issues” examines how key sources of funding can suddenly disappear. Three years ago In the Life followed the San Francisco-based “Stop AIDS Project” as it struggled with this dilemma.

In the Life is the TV newsmagazine of record on gay and lesbian America. A three-time Emmy Award nominee, In the Life blends hard-hitting journalism and bold commentary for a no-holds-barred look at gay and lesbian life. A television pioneer, the show launched in 1992 and became the country’s first regularly scheduled gay-themed program. Currently in its 15th season, In the Life is broadcast on over 200 public television stations nationwide, reaching 70 million US households. Headquartered in New York City, In the Life is produced by In the Life Media, Inc., a not-for-profit, 501(c)(3) member-supported educational corporation.

For more information, visit www.inthelifetv.org .

Until next time!