XVII International AIDS Conference in Mexico City. Red Ribbon Award ceremony with Peter Piot and Lars Olof Kallings. Ban-Ki Moon, Secretary-General of the United Nations, holds a speech about stigma and discrimination of people living with HIV/AIDS.

This film tells the US story of the AIDS epidemic starting in the early 1980's. Scientists and activists, both pioneers and youths of today, talk about research, prevention, treatment and care. They also discuss stigma, homophobia and poverty as closely related to HIV and AIDS.