Robert Rayford

Robert Rayford
Born	February 3, 1953 St. Louis, Missouri, United States
Died	May 15, 1969 (aged 16) St. Louis, Missouri, United States
Known for	Alleged first known AIDS death in the United States

Robert Rayford (February 3, 1953 – May 15 or May 16, 1969), sometimes identified as Robert R. due to his age, was an American teenager from Missouri who some scientists have claimed represents the earliest case of HIV/AIDS in North America. Rayford's death was a mystery to doctors who could not account for his symptoms. The cause of his death remains unconfirmed, but a study published in 1988 reported the presence of antibodies against HIV, leading to the claim that Rayford died of AIDS. However, results of testing for HIV genetic material have never been published.

In early 1968, a 15-year-old black teenager named Robert Rayford admitted himself to City Hospital in St. Louis, Missouri. His legs and genitals were covered in warts and sores. He also had severe swelling of the testicles and pelvic region, which later spread to his legs, causing a misdiagnosis of lymphedema. He had grown thin and pale and suffered from shortness of breath. Rayford told the doctors that he had experienced these symptoms since at least late 1966. Tests discovered a severe chlamydia infection. Rayford declined a rectal examination request from hospital personnel. Doctors treating Rayford suspected that he was homosexual, bisexual, or had engaged in receptive anal intercourse. Eventually, he was moved to Barnes-Jewish Hospital (then called Barnes Hospital).

In late 1968 Rayford's condition seemed to have stabilized, but by March 1969 his symptoms reappeared and had worsened. He had increased difficulty breathing, and his white blood cell count had plummeted. The doctors found that his immune system was dysfunctional. He developed a fever and died at 11:20 pm on May 15, 1969.

An autopsy of Rayford, led by Dr. William Drake, uncovered several abnormalities. Small purplish lesions were discovered on Rayford's left thigh and his soft tissue. Drake concluded that the lesions were Kaposi's sarcoma, a rare type of cancer that then mostly affected elderly men of Mediterranean or Ashkenazi Jewish ancestry. Kaposi's sarcoma was later determined to be an AIDS-defining illness.

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