NAM was founded by Peter Scott, a volunteer working at the heart of the community affected by HIV, at the London Lesbian and Gay Switchboard. At that time there was extensive misinformation about HIV and AIDS, much of it confused and homophobic. Peter and a group of committed volunteers set about creating a source of calm, authoritative and trustworthy information on which people living with HIV in the UK could rely.
As the pictures below show, when NAM was founded, the 'Manual' was a huge ring binder containing the available information on HIV and AIDS. Produced at a time when there was lots of hysteria and little reliable information, it was an important, evidence-based, reference point for professionals as well as people diagnosed with HIV. NAM was one of the first organisations to produce accurate information on HIV and quickly became the UK's primary source of HIV information.
In 1992, NAM launched a newsletter, AIDS Treatment Update, to help people living with HIV understand the medications that were starting to be produced and to encourage informed dialogue between people with HIV and their doctors. The newsletter reported ground-breaking news from international HIV conferences – including from Vancouver in 1996 when the life-changing potential of combination therapy first became clear.
From the start, NAM recognised that people have different information needs. Over the years, the charity developed a range of formats: comprehensive patient information booklets, illustrated leaflets explaining complex scientific concepts in accessible terms, and more recently, videos and broadcasts. The aim has always been the same – to give people living with HIV the knowledge they need to manage their health effectively.
The aidsmap website launched in 1998, initially as a treatment information resource for professionals. It grew into a comprehensive platform serving a global audience of people living with HIV, community advocates and health professionals. Alongside scientific news and conference reports, the site offered accessible information for people living with HIV and a worldwide directory of HIV services and support organisations.
Throughout this evolution, NAM and aidsmap remained trusted sources of accurate, reliable information – supporting people with HIV to access health care and the lifesaving treatments now available, and helping advocates and professionals stay informed about the latest developments in treatment, prevention and care.
By 2024, aidsmap had seven million page views a year. However, the funding environment for HIV organisations had become increasingly challenging. In July 2024, the trustees of NAM made the difficult decision to close the charity, which was no longer financially sustainable.
The following year, the trustees agreed to transfer aidsmap's assets to two respected UK charities: Terrence Higgins Trust and the National AIDS Trust (NAT). Terrence Higgins Trust took on management of the aidsmap.com website, while NAT now manages the HIV Lens project.
Under Terrence Higgins Trust's stewardship, aidsmap continues to build on its legacy and serve the diverse needs of the HIV community. Key priorities include bringing the latest scientific news from major international HIV conferences and keeping our library of About HIV information pages accurate and up to date.
Although those weighty ring binders are now tucked away in the aidsmap archive, they remain an important part of our history. The essence of that original approach – providing calm, reliable, authoritative, independent information to anyone who needs it – still guides our work today.
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