In May of 1985, Birmingham AIDS Outreach was incorporated as a volunteer-driven not-for-profit with the mission of providing emotional support services and education to those affected by HIV and AIDS.

When BAO was first formed, an overwhelming majority of its clients were middle class gay white men. Because HIV was a new disease and the stigma attached to the disease lead to blatant discrimination, many young men did not have a support system in place. BAO was formed to provide emotional support, information, and financial assistance to offset the financial impact of the disease.

Today, BAO is a professional agency with a full-time staff of nine providing client services and prevention education programs in the greater Birmingham and surrounding areas. In the past 20 years, HIV has spread throughout the community, crossing racial, ethnic, socio-economic, religious, and sexual orientation boundaries.