AIDS Patient Care and STDs Publishes Elizabeth Taylor Tribute Issue in Recognition of World AIDS Day

Nov. 29, 2011 - PRLog -- Contact: Vicki Cohn, Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., (914) 740-2100, ext. 2156, vcohn@liebertpub.com

AIDS Patient Care and STDs Publishes Elizabeth Taylor Tribute Issue in Recognition of World AIDS Day

New Rochelle, NY—In recognition of World AIDS Day, Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers (http://www.liebertpub.com) honors Elizabeth Taylor and her commitment to fighting AIDS with a special tribute issue of AIDS Patient Care and STDs (http://www.liebertpub.com/apc). Editor-in-Chief Jeffrey Laurence, MD, Professor of Medicine and Director, Laboratory for AIDS Virus Research, Weill Cornell Medical College, joins key contributors to recount their extraordinary experiences working with Elizabeth Taylor when the American Foundation for AIDS Research (amfAR) was conceived in 1985. It is now known, given its international prominence, as The Foundation for AIDS Research.

“Through her efforts for amfAR, and the Elizabeth Taylor AIDS Foundation, she raised over $270 million. Shortly before her death we came one step closer to her dream, our dream, with the recognition of the apparent cure of the ‘Berlin patient’ through stem cell transplant,” said Dr. Jeffrey Laurence, who is also Senior Scientist for Programs at amfAR. “Her work, and now her legacy, will help ensure that her dream comes to pass.” Dr. Laurence’s full editorial can be read in the December issue.

Elizabeth Taylor’s contributions to AIDS are immeasurable and far-reaching. As a co-founder of amfAR, she guaranteed the international media spotlight for the fledgling foundation and opened doors to donors raising hundreds of millions of dollars. Appalled by the stigma attached to HIV and AIDS, she went out of her way to dispel it. Her persistence moved President Reagan, who didn’t directly address the subject until six years after taking office, to attend the first event ever where he spoke publicly about AIDS. She advanced policy, advocating for the Ryan White CARE act, which remains the cornerstone of domestic AIDS programming in the U.S. The Elizabeth Taylor Foundation continues to disburse millions of dollars to provide direct services to patients in need globally.

The AIDS Patient Care and STDs tribute issue features the personal reflections of those who joined Elizabeth Taylor on the frontlines at a time when many were indifferent. Contributors include: amfAR co-founder Mathilde Krim, PhD, former amfAR National Spokesperson and President Mervyn F. Silverman, MD, MPH, and Kenneth Mayer, MD, who served on the organization’s Board of Directors.

In keeping with Elizabeth Taylor’s interest in international HIV/AIDS issues, the December issue highlights research in HIV prevention and treatment from the Caribbean, South America, Africa, Asia, and India. The Table of Contents may be viewed online at http://www.liebertpub.com/apc

AIDS Patient Care and STDs, the first peer-reviewed publication dedicated to AIDS was launched in 1985, long before AIDS was considered a major threat to public health worldwide. Dr. Laurence assumed the position of its Editor-in-Chief in 1996. It is the leading journal for clinicians, enabling them to keep pace with the latest developments in this evolving field. Published monthly in print and online, the Journal spans the full spectrum of adult and pediatric HIV disease, diagnosis, treatment, prevention, and education.

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Mary Ann Liebert, Inc. also publishes AIDS Research and Human Retroviruses, the leading scientific peer-review research journal that covers the study of retrovirus-associated diseases with an emphasis on HIV. A complete list of the firm’s 70 journals, books, and newsmagazines is available at www.liebertpub.com