Final answer:
The boys in the question all had Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS), caused by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), a blood-borne and sexually transmitted disease.
Step-by-step explanation:
The disease that all of the boys had in the given question is Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS), which is caused by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). AIDS was first reported in 1981 when young men were hospitalized with rare opportunistic infections, and it rapidly became a leading cause of death in the United States for certain age groups within fifteen years. HIV is a blood-borne and sexually transmitted disease that leads to a severe decline in immune system function, making individuals susceptible to a range of infections.
The passage mentioned that the first cases of what would later be termed AIDS were reported in 1981 when young men in three major United States cities were hospitalized with cases of extremely rare, deadly opportunistic infections. It is now known that HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, is a blood-borne, sexually transmitted disease.