Nations across the globe commemorated World AIDS Day on Thursday, marking just over 40 years of struggles and triumphs surrounding the virus that has claimed over 40 million lives. In San Francisco, AIDS has taken the lives of over 21,196 people since it emerged in the early 1980s.

Though San Franciscans have much to be thankful for in the wake of new preventions and treatments for HIV infection, HIV continues to be a challenge in San Francisco, according to the city’s Department of Public Health.

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Katy St. Clair got her start in journalism by working in the classifieds department at the East Bay Express during the height of alt weeklies, then sweet talked her way into becoming staff writer, submissions editor, and music editor. She has been a columnist in the East Bay Express, SF Weekly, and the San Francisco Examiner. Starting in 2015, she begrudgingly scaled the inverted pyramid at dailies such as the Vallejo Times-Herald, The Vacaville Reporter, and the Daily Republic. She has her own independent news site and blog that covers the delightfully dysfunctional town of Vallejo, California, where she also collaborates with the investigative team at Open Vallejo. A passionate advocate for people with developmental disabilities, she serves on both the Board of the Arc of Solano and the Arc of California. She lives in Vallejo.