HIV/AIDS: Plague of the 21st Century

In the 1980s, HIV began spreading throughout North America and the world at large. From "gay cancer" to the myth of Patient Zero, these are some of the stories that emerged from those first few years.
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Source/Further reading:
The Basics of HIV and AIDS:
www.hiv.gov/hiv-basics
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/arti...
CDC Opportunistic Infections:
www.cdc.gov/hiv/basics/living...
CDC Incidence rates by population sub-groups:
www.cdc.gov/hiv/basics/statis...
www.census.gov/quickfacts/fac...
AIDS/HIV origins and history:
www.healthline.com/health/hiv...
www.hiv.gov/hiv-basics/overvi...
jech.bmj.com/content/67/6/473
www.nature.com/articles/natur...
hivhistory.org/panels/panel-01/
www.the-scientist.com/daily-n...
The Story of Gaetan Dugas:
www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v40/n...
www.scribd.com/book/414171918
www.scribd.com/book/240406939
www.scribd.com/book/362833379
HIV/AIDS Today in Africa:
www.unaids.org/en/resources/p...%
20AIDS%20mortality%20levels.
aids2020.unaids.org/chapter/r...

[@walkerpantera]

My brother was raped in 1981 at age 13. When he went to join the USAF in 1985 he discovered he was hiv+. The guy that raped him was his only sexual encounter and that guy died in 1986. My brother is still alive and well today at 53. He's been living with hiv, without any illnesses, for 40 years. He takes 1 pill a day, a cocktail of 3 drugs in 1 pill. His only regret is he was unable to have the kids he always wanted. But he's happy and healthy, retired at 50 with a nice stash of cash and lives on a very large farm in Maryland, happy as can be, enjoying every day of his life with his partner, dogs, cats, cows, horses, pigs and sheep. He hopes to live to 100 but is grateful for the years he has had and wouldn't change a thing. Thanks for the very informative presentation.

[@benjalucian1515]

Glad to hear your brother made something positive out of his misfortune.

[@skrrtskrrt2410]

My heart goes out to your brother. Stay safe, all of you.

[@louise-yo7kz]

Praise God, your brother survived. I pray for his continued wellbeing

[@pank3245]

If your brother wants children he should look into adopting one.

[@bethany2820]

That is incredibly early in The Plague. Your brother should consider allowing scientists to study the specific strain of the virus he has. Understanding the origins of diseases is incredibly helpful in addressing them. I know this is a lot to ask of your brother after he’s been through so much- and, Baruch HaShem that he is still here for the world to see! ❤️

[@kellyrobinson6663]

I was only young but I remember when Princess Diana helped dispel the myth of HIV being transferred via touch by hugging someone with HIV.

[@mrvn000]

She was nutz.

[@nikkigriffin08]

@@mrvn000 Lol how so? She was an elegant, compassionate, empathetic woman who was taken from us way too soon.

[@brydon5721]

@@mrvn000 How? Physical contact doesn't transmit the infection (7:20)

[@brydon5721]

@lf? In a car crash, and as far as I'm aware HIV/AIDS doesn't affect the fates and cause road traffic incidents.

[@b3ans4eva]

I remember when Captain Planet tackled the subject

[@Hearth123]

My uncle was bisexual and died of AIDS in the 1980's, 😞 my dad is a strong traditional Christian and did not approve of his brother's lifestyle then or now, but when everyone else, including his gay friends abandoned my uncle as he declined, my dad took him in and cared for him and financially supported him until his death.

[@strnglhld]

Good for him, I can’t imagine disowning someone for getting sick. Like that’s some crime

[@manicpepsicola3431]

That's so beautiful so many Christians are so ready to abandon those that they don't approve of true Christians can ignore their feelings of wanting to engage in prejudice and instead engage in compassion bringing in light

[@strnglhld]

@George Boehringer No one claims you

[@LaLaLainey]

@George Boehringer I can’t imagine being a man and being worried about what another man does in his life. Unless I was jealous and intimidated that they were living their best life while I was still in the closet like a coward 🧍‍♀️

[@graemechristopher4008]

@@LaLaLainey With respect, I don’t think George said that he is worried about what some other men do, what he said was that he finds this lifestyle practice to be a disgusting one. Does he not have a right to express his personal opinion? After all, this view has probably been the dominant view, historically speaking. Sodomy was illegal even between a man and woman, until relatively recently. It was declared in statute law to be an unnatural practice ie against nature, and thus morally wrong, leading to criminal charges.

[@deazl666]

I was in college during the late 80’s/early 90’s. Having sex back then was like playing Russian Roulette. AIDS was scary as hell. And waiting for your test results was traumatizing as finding out you were positive was a essentially a death sentence. I’m very thankful that I made it through intact.

[@mr.potato5471]

@Malcolm Caden ever heard of a tear?

[@pamelaweller9496]

Don't land on the Dark side of the moon, if you do will see craters.

[@feederdiaries4862]

r u gay?

[@feederdiaries4862]

@@pamelaweller9496 ?

[@manicpepsicola3431]

Being from Lubbock Texas it reallly is a minefield lol you don't want to catch raider rash. But on a serious note I'm sorry you had to endure that trauma no one should have to experience something like that and being surrounded by death.

[@dylanmcgowan3737]

I'm 24, living with HIV three years now. Taking a single pill a day seems to be doing the job so far. I'm undetectable. I often wonder if we can cure it.. Hopefully I'm still here to see the day.

[@avoxhunter2387]

I’m 11 years in now, started treatment in Oct 18, I’m undetectable and my CD4 count is 1280! Hopeful for that cure too!

[@IamSome1]

Well i hope the best for you guys

[@wamnicho]

You should have been careful in your sexual behavior, I can never feel sorry for anyone who contracts HIV these days. In the 80s maybe because we didn't understand the disease very well and how it spread, nowadays there's no excuse.

[@avoxhunter2387]

@@wamnicho I just spent 45mins writing a reply to this but I will simply say… The mother of a good friend of mine died of AIDS 15 years ago, she was raped…

[@wamnicho]

@@avoxhunter2387 okay, I will make exceptions for rape victims and people born with it, or through blood transfusion

[@Timmy_The_P.O.G]

I learned more from this 20 minutes than I have learned in the past 20 years. They should show this in every health class in America.

[@stephenboley5758]

No they fucking shouldn’t! There’s nothing special about this that it needs to be learned in school

[@sarahlizziebethc-k7902]

@@stephenboley5758 they should teach it in health and history classes.

[@menikiwarren167]

You are most certainly rite

[@AgentOroko]

@@stephenboley5758 I was in school when AIDS started blowing up in the US. There was NEVER any information as good as this video ever presented in school!! This SHOULD be shown in EVERY school around the world!

[@blastradius7193]

@@stephenboley5758 ignorance=death

[@zedjay81]

My good friend James was raped as a teenager, he didn't discover his HIV status until his mid twenties when the culprit was brought to justice, he served a meagre sentence and continues to live. James is a sadder story, he got really depressed when he found out.. the stigma was still strong in our town in the 00s he thought he would be able to continue to hide it without any medication. He died a few years back. So sad, this video should be shown in schools.

[@donelkingii3738]

Yet ironically, people want certain people around their kids.

[@JamesiaInc]

@@donelkingii3738 Yeah, can you believe people still allow catholic priests around their kids?

[@christiansebastianlauritse2404]

@@donelkingii3738 There are gay rapists, yes. And lasbians. And straight guys. and straight women. and teachers. and police officers. and priests. You're so determined to find a reason the hate you don't even bother thinking it through.

[@gloriousnarrator]

Excellent documentary! Thank you

[@Thety1243]

I can speak to the public school experience in Colorado. Part of our health class was bringing in an HIV positive speaker to discuss his experiences. This was one of the most impactful days of my entire high school career and I wish every high school curriculum would incorporate something similar.

[@Berengier817]

When I was in 7th grade my best friend confessed to having HIV. I gave him a hug. I had to attend his funeral two years later. He contracted it in the 1980s from a blood transfusion.

[@louise-yo7kz]

🥺. So sorry

[@danyielsays4621]

I'm so sorry for your loss this is heartbreaking 😭

[@Lordmij]

I know we don't know each other, but it's hard for me to believe u hugged him, but if u truly did, ur a Godsend

[@AA-tq7dm]

@@Lordmij The fact that you struggle to believe it or fear it only highlights your ignorance. You can't catch it from a hug, it's literally IMPOSSIBLE.

[@Lordmij]

@@AA-tq7dm yr not understanding me, for a 7th grader at the tine it must have been very scary, read the comments well b4 u reply my friend

[@RobinsonRDavid]

I was in NYC during the AIDS crisis of the 80s. Thank you for your efforts to educate and destigmatize in your piece. I had dear friends who died. May we all value knowledge.

[@dafttool]

Yeah, I came of age as a young gay man then, losing people in wave after wave over the subsequent decades. It’s very weird to lose people like that. They would say, “Why me?” And then, as you survive one wave after another, you say “Why me?” out of survivor’s guilt. It was all so random. 🤷‍♂️

[@everydayabovegroundisagood1693]

@@dafttool I lost my brother in 1994 and I miss him so much. So many of his friends also perished, but his life left a lasting mark on me because he was such a good person.

[@justinh6651]

Meanwhile I'm here as a hetero man who wasn't born yet in the 80s

[@mariekatherine5238]

Was also in NYC during this time. I moved to a rural area of Ohio in 1988. If you think discrimination and ignorance were bad in New York, just try Trump’s Ohio. I’m straight, not promiscuous, but I was refused by three oral surgeons to remove my wisdom teeth. Why? Because I truthfully answered, “Yes,” on the presurgical questionnaire to whether I’d spent three or more days in, “any of the following locations,” among them, New York City, or engaged in, “intimate behavior,” while there! I was truly “engaged” to my now husband! I ended up having to delay my surgery and have it in New York! Yes, I lost several friends to AIDS. Once someone got it in the ‘80s, he declined very quickly to the point where death was a relief. Now we have COVID to which everyone is susceptible and as a society, so many are ignorant by choice!

[@RobinsonRDavid]

@@mariekatherine5238 I’m sorry for the ignorance you endured and the friends you lost.

[@urbannanni5864]

I was working as a nurse in 1993 in the emergency field when I began getting sick. I was diagnosed HIV+. Before I got home from the doctor's office, a letter had been posted on my apartment door from management stating I was unwelcome to use the pool or laundry facilities. I left my husband, who was in the military, and my home to save my family any repercussions, but I lost my job within a week. A week later, I was held in handcuffs for 2 1/2 hours in a public restaurant while I was loudly badgered about who my pimp was, where I was shooting up, how people like me aren't welcome, etc. The lady I was lunching with never spoke to me again. I'm close to hitting my 30th anniversary with this disease. Its nearly killed me twice, and the police did their best too. I'm thankful that I have lived long enough to have seen opinions change but it remains stupid to judge someone based on a medical condition. Diana went a good distance towards acceptance, but it shouldn't have been needed in the first place.

[@bestplayeralive]

So did your husband get it too?

[@urbannanni5864]

@@bestplayeralive nope. He was terrified that he would but he was fine.

[@bestplayeralive]

@@urbannanni5864 so you had an affair and contracted hiv? Was it while he was serving

[@urbannanni5864]

@@bestplayeralive NO! In the emergency room, you get people from car accidents that are covered in glass and blood. There was no glove to protect anyone fully, in fact, through the 70's and 80's, employers didn't like us using gloves because they were expensive. The concept that I had an affair on my military husband is rather insulting and indicative of the prejudice I (we) still face today. You assume I had to do something wrong to get this. He was my first, my last, my one and only. I don't appreciate your comment and I would like an apology. If I had caught a cold, would you assume I was doing something wrong? Please, adjust your attitude.

[@bestplayeralive]

@@urbannanni5864 no im calling you a liar.

[@jennifercordova7229]

I can't imagine how much it would suck to get a blood transfusion for an already existing illness, to only be diagnosed with HIV later...

[@DaveTexas]

I’m grateful to have survived the ‘80s unscathed. Coming out and becoming sexually active during the beginning of the AIDS crisis was terrible. The stigma associated with just being gay, the bigotry, the discrimination, all were awful. I lost a lot of dear friends, too. I had a "funeral suit" that I wore a lot in those days. People in their 20s shouldn’t need a funeral suit.

[@bayleighc.5843]

It breaks my heart to hear how my elders in the community suffered through the AIDS crisis. Too many died too soon. There’s plenty we have to fight against now, but at least there’s medical care that can save lives. Thank you for being part of the generation that paved the way so my coming out was a happy and safe experience ❤️

[@feederdiaries4862]

haha

[@feederdiaries4862]

i thought u guys love to dress up

[@strnglhld]

@@feederdiaries4862 🤡

[@feederdiaries4862]

@@strnglhld 👹🏳️‍🌈💯✴️☠️😂

[@EveryFairyDies]

That ending was really powerful. "Don't Die of Ignorance" is now entering my lexicon. Great video.

[@just_chris1630]

Those who don’t understand history are doomed to repeat it, also springs to mind. So many of the things that happened around hiv are so close to covid it’s not true.

[@harryballz9486]

Hmm now maybe some people can use that advise for Covidiots

[@tigercap100]

Maybe the lesson is don't sleep around

[@brydon5721]

@@tigercap100 The lesson is keep yourself safe with condoms in order to enjoy a long and healthy sex life

[@seanbrazell6147]

Sadly it's quite timely, too.

[@LordMcKrakenVonLittleBits]

My mother was a nurse in Prince George's County Hospital when the epidemic hit. She was terrified of catching it and for a decent amount of time no one knew the transmission vectors. So much misinformation came out so quickly. The 80's were crazy times.

[@russellfitzpatrick503]

It is usually when so little real information is available that folk grasp at anything that will satisfy them ...., hence the spread of mis- and fake information .... which then fuels prejudice (just as now).

[@josephperkins4080]

And you think people are smarter now? Unlike the 80s the world now thrives on misinformation

[@LordMcKrakenVonLittleBits]

@@josephperkins4080 Misinformation spreads faster but so do ways to disprove it. With one stroke of the keys you get a lie. Within a few more strokes you can find the truth. Too few people do the second act and rely only on what's directly in front of them.

[@LordMcKrakenVonLittleBits]

@@russellfitzpatrick503 I believe that prejudice was the primary driver for the AIDS epidemic. Sexual acts done in secrecy for fear of prosecution often didn't involve protection. Then when someone got ill they were almost more afraid of being branded gay or a drug user so they wouldn't come forward. A perfect storm to spread a disease.

[@davekennedy6315]

@@LordMcKrakenVonLittleBits yeah, the Eighties were far from friendly towards gay people and AIDS just made that all the worse. I was still at high school in the UK and remember seeing the headlines in the papers (I was a paperboy) and on TV. AIDS was always referred to as the 'Gay Plague' which must have been horrendous for gay people and no doubt also resulted in many 'straight' people getting infected. I think it certainly put back the rights of gay people here at least a decade.

[@yvonnemorrow2251]

My 55 year old brother died on Sept 12, 2020, from AIDS. Three people were by his side, my 80 year old mom, my sister and myself. We had no idea he was HIV positive, until just a few days before he died. He wasted away to nothing, on his 6 ft 8 inch frame. His mouth was completely eaten up, from Thrush. I have never witnessed anyone in such a deteriorated condition. He knew he was loved ,as my mom told him to let go ,and go home, go to peace!

[@szilviaszabo7940]

I am so sorry you had to go through this and see your brother in this way but he is at peace now. Sending you hugs from Manchester, UK

[@Zaasi]

My heart goes out to you and your family. It's hard to watch your loved one waste away. He will be waiting in Heaven for his loved ones.

[@manicpepsicola3431]

He is no longer suffering I will pray for you and your brother

[@sharksport01]

Did he not take his meds?

[@malakYHWH]

God bless you and your family

[@bobcarn]

I was 21, just came out, and had moved in with my life partner in 1980. It was terrifying watching our friends die, being part of the at-risk demographic, and not knowing what caused it. I hope they're still looking for a cure for this and that the drug companies are satisfied with long-term treatments instead.

[@bobcarn]

@@emmaisalone I know. Conservatism tends to believe sex is "dirty" and bad, and would like to keep it that way. People will fight anything that takes away negative aspects, even if it's a life-threatening disease.

[@ForgeMasterXXL]

Sadly you also have to take the economics into account, selling a one shot vaccine versus selling a tablet a day for life. The maths shows why vaccines are still a dream.

[@greengreen4616]

The problem is, they're finding it's coming back because younger people tend to think it's cured now (because of PrEP) and go on holiday, get drunk and have unprotected sex. A lot of the popular young backpacker destinations, such as Bali, still have pockets of the disease and so the cycle continues. PrEP is amazing though at ensuring quality of life.

[@ForgeMasterXXL]

@@greengreen4616 And that’s not to mention all the other STDs that are running rampant these days, and are now becoming superbugs with high levels of antibiotic resistance. This is mostly caused by the fact people have got used to popping to the doctors when they get an STD and getting antibiotics, people seem to view these things as not a big deal. How wrong they are.

[@biomutant1468]

@@ForgeMasterXXL it’s worth noting many STI’s are treated with rather “general use” antibiotics that target a wide spectrum of bacteria, with the pandemic, many doctors give antibiotics even when it’s not necessary just to calm down covid patients, it’s believed that the pandemic is going to accelerate the rate in which superbugs appear, we’ll have to see what the big pharma decides to do, a viable alternative is known (bacteriophage therapy), but as always, human suffering can be profitable so it’s all up to them (sadly).

[@nicholasbradley8794]

My dad has lived with HIV for about 17 years on about 8 pills twice a day. He almost died when he got shingles. The docs say he could live to the rip old age of 80.

[@harrietharlow9929]

My late godson was infected in 1984 and died in 2011. He actually died from pneumonia and heart disease caused by inherited hypercholesteremia (bexcess cholesterol). So hopefully your father will live a long life. The drugs today have vastly increased life expectancy. When I started carinf for Aids patients in 1987 average life expectancy was less than six months. Now it's decades.

[@hecateswolf6007]

Best wishes to you and your loved ones.

[@polyestermammoth740]

I hope he lives to 100 Nicholas. Best wishes to him and you.

[@walterhenderson2155]

When I was diagnosed in 1989, it was a death sentence. I have not died and have never been sick. May God get the glory!!!

[@bayleighc.5843]

@@walterhenderson2155 I’m glad to hear it. I hope a cure is found in your lifetime, but at least the drugs available now allow a one to live a full life if nothing else.

[@desean3402]

“Ignorance and it’s brother, prejudice..” man that’s one of the best lines ever. Thank you so much for doing these.

[@wiggy5209]

Don't like the use of brother in the quote as women and men were and still are ignorant and prejudice . There was ignorance in the guy who continued having sex even knowing what may happen further and I'm sure some women did the same, much the same way as the maid who kept spreading tb I think it was even when told by doctors ....it's all good to preach about the above negative traits but we can only stand on our high horse now when we have access to all this information and data ..

[@teensymom1420]

I live Indiana and feel like we learned so much from brave little Ryan White. I know he was not the only child to be treated so poorly. It was so heartbreaking to know that people had the capacity to treat anyone the way he was treated much less a child. Ryan was special and wise beyond his years. I saw him in front of many groups including congress and he was able to answer every question thrown at him from adults calmly and comprehensively. I know he would be proud of the bill that carries his name and has helped thousands of individuals with HIV and AIDS. In a strange twist, shortly after Ryan died my youngest son came down with a condition I had never heard of. We had (still have) an amazing family doctor who completed his college thesis on this condition but had never seen a child with the disease...until my son. He sent us to Riley Hospital for Children where my son was treated by Ryan White's doctor. These two doctors saved my son's life and I will be forever grateful.

[@dawnreneegmail]

Lest we forget Elton John's super hero moves to be close to Ryan upon learning the boys plight, holding fund raising concerts, Ryan and Elton swapping personal phone numbers, paying for medical treatment and funeral. Terrible end, wonderful support. RIP Ryan

[@alyssa6876]

I watched my Uncle die from an AIDS related infection when I was only 5. I was told by my mom to not speak about it because of what people thought. Even at 5 I knew that was wrong.

[@deemariedubois4916]

My uncle died of AIDS during the early days of no treatment and misinformation. The preacher of the church my uncle attended wanted to preach a sermon about his sins bringing about retribution from God and his damnation to hell at his funeral. My mom ripped him to pieces about his judgement and how much his words would hurt his family especially their mom who had two sons who were stillborn and her other son was killed at the end of WWII. Now she had lost her only surviving son. After going off on the preacher, my mom literally fired him from doing the funeral. She found another preacher to do his funeral service. My grand momma, his two daughters, and his sisters including my mom were devastated by his loss but even worse was the way the entire family was treated over his death.

[@dylanhicks48]

My aunt had a similar experience with a priest saying a suicide victim is damned to hell. Some people just don't know when to keep their religion to themselves...

[@Skoomapeddler88]

The priest was right

[@paulheap1982]

@@Skoomapeddler88 the priest was a prick. So is uppose you're in good company.

[@d3vilmaycry25]

You don't tell us the full story, any reason why he contracted the disease? Was he promiscuous? A drug addict? If so then it's his fault.

[@whocares6574]

I mean how did he get aids tho

[@lukejackson1575]

'He wasn't going around deliberately infecting people'. Yeah, but he said 'what I do with my body is my choice' which is blatantly irresponsible if you know yourself to be infected with a particularly nasty unknown STD. He was the bad guy. His own pleasure was more important than the wellbeing or lives of the dozens of people he slept with.

[@russianvalkyrie2358]

Absolutely! Well said.

[@jadecoolness101]

And I bet he wasn't telling his partners he's infected either. I still can't believe the government removed laws that allow you to sue for damages if you contract HIV from someone who didn't tell you... Men like THIS are why we NEED those laws. It's borderline attempted murduer.

[@Waterspons]

He literally said in the video that they discovered that HIV was sexually transmittable in 1983. The guy talked to the doctors in 1982, so he didn't know that he could infect people by having sex with them.

[@TwoPlusTwoEqualsFive32]

@@Waterspons They confirmed it in 1983 but suspected it long before and told him of their suspicious and he continued anyway.

[@johntotten4872]

It was not just him. In the city of San Francisco they had bath houses strictly for the LGBT community. People would go there for sex. Once AIDS was full blown they tried to get everyone to wear condoms to try and make it safer. Most refused to do so. The bath houses eventually shut down.

[@partlycloudy7707]

As someone who works in a medical laboratory and studies infectious disease, I appreciate that your videos on diseases and infections are always quite accurate and easy to understand. These channels are informative, and I appreciate how you approach health topics.

[@dreamdiction]

hahahaha

[@angelapalmer6782]

When my son was born he was diagnosed with Hemophilia. Through hospital services we met a boy who had Hemophilia and had gotten HIV from a blood transfusion. His name was Henry, I will never forget him. He died in a car accident this year.

[@henrydamilola8801]

How can I stay calm after Dr Abiola on KZbin helped me cure my HIV virus

[@achiradissanayake3580]

I am thinking of donating blood 🤔.. I got tested. And it's negative. Have another confirmation test coming on this 14th...

[@mrmagoo8956]

South Park as always nailed this subject. The cure is wealth as is with most things, sadly

[@tightywhitey9779]

Better than there being no cure at all. If you strive for generational wealth, you and your offspring are more likely to live longer. Simple natural selection.

[@starforce1003]

@@tightywhitey9779 nothing natural about generating money 🙄

[@luckyluciano3582]

@@starforce1003 take the L commie

[@MrDub003]

@@luckyluciano3582 lol nothing to do with being a commie, you're just looking at this from a privileged pov.

[@JuanLopez-rl7ry]

@@tightywhitey9779 that is not true

[@whatifschrodingersboxwasacofin]

Last week was my 30th anniversary. Tested positive on my first test right after finally getting my professional credentials, which sucked. Lost a lot of friends over the years. Going to be 58 next month, happily married to an amazing, supportive HIV- (still) guy and still going strong! Take your meds as prescribed and they’ll do wonders! I am blessed. ❤️ 🙏 Thanks for making this video. From the comments I’ve read, it seems it informed a lot of people well. ✌️

[@kmsleyang8972]

I LOVE your screen name!!!! ❤

[@slaphappysmokey1]

@@kmsleyang8972 I was thinking the same thing!!😁

[@santiagoaavalos5876]

❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤

[@anilchopra4751]

​@@slaphappysmokey1RFT CAN KILLHIV.

[@anilchopra4751]

RFT CAN KILL HIV.

[@thomaskelliher]

A few years ago I had gotten really sick with similar symptoms to HIV so I went to get tested. I was so scared and disappointed with myself when I was waiting on the results. Thankfully the tests came back negative. (A few months later I was diagnosed with an IBD that explained some of the symptoms I had). To everyone out there who are living with HIV/AIDS; you are loved, you are strong, you are beautiful, and you are worthy. I love my brothers and sisters and I will always fight the stigma and prejudice.

[@CankleCankle]

Wow that’s scary. May I ask (non judgmentally) we’re you involved in risky behaviors before hand? I’ve done my share of risky things and thankfully I’ve escaped scot free, albeit a little emotional scarring.

[@fishmandaman]

Nah they gross

[@thomaskelliher]

@Cankles I'm not a big drinker, and I went to a party over pride and had several drinks, which led to some dumb decisions. I wasn't feeling well a few weeks later (this was actually my IBD that I know have; developing.) and I was concerned that it could have been HIV. I did a lot of research leading up to getting tested, and I learned a lot, which helped me get over that stigma that's attached to it. It's not a death sentence these days and they're making big breakthroughs with treatment too.

[@realjrq]

Wtf is IBD?

[@hearsebulance9601]

@RealJRQ Inflammatory Bowel Disease. It's an autoimmune disease affecting the gut, and the 2 main types are Crohns Disease and Ulcerative Colitis

[@Ellie0427]

My mother was just starting her career as a young nurse in Chicago in the 80s. Hearing her speak of the way medical staff would draw lots to figure out who would "have" to treat AIDS patients (as the combination of fear, prejudice, and misinformation especially in regards to transmission, held many of them back), of young men dying alone, of families contacted but responding "I don't have a son" as they claimed no connection to their terminally ill children.. it's beyond devastating.

[@SammyInky]

My uncle died of aids, when I was about 12, my dad just told me he was really sick. I never realized he was gay, I was too young to know his "roommate" was his partner. He was an amazing soul, I wish I could know him now as an adult. Miss you Uncle Jeff

[@matthewliek7935]

My uncle died of pcp/aids worst thing. I was staying in the room with him i remember his last words. I remember watching him convulse. It haunts me to this day and makes me depressed that we can't rally behind finding a cure

[@michaelgadsby]

That's so harrowing, Matthew. Sorry to read x

[@aerialmanx4852]

I hear you, I'm horrified how few people are aware of PreP in this day and age

[@IAmAnEvilTaco]

I mean we’re trying. It’s clearly not an easy thing, because you can’t really get antibodies for it. You apparently need those to make one.

[@matthewliek7935]

@@aerialmanx4852 me too sadly

[@soylentgreenb]

What do you mean "rally behind finding a cure"? The world spent half a trillion dollars on HIV research. Far more than what was spent on the moon landings or on fusion research globally.

[@nc5809]

As someone personally affected by HIV since 2002 and I really appreciated your compassion which is common in your videos but still very pleasant

[@ljphoenix4341]

Arnaldo did an amazing job with the script for this video, wow! Simon, your narration was on point as well, and the editing was great too!

[@anduncan15]

I would add that another reason Rock Hudson's death brought attention to the AIDS crisis was because he was a friend of Ronald Reagan, who had previously been ignoring the epidemic.

[@jmiller7471]

Regan refused the cdc cries for funding until his buddy got it. I really disliked him for that, the war on drugs, and pushing the far religious right into the republican party. He could have saved a lot of lives by supporting the cdc when they first asked for help. We have made great strides since 1984 and hope we can all see a better future soon.

[@michelle-loraejones5169]

Rock.hudson could have gotten it from a blood transfusion from open heart surgery.

[@margaretedwards1366]

Blood transfusion ? Keep telling yourself that.

[@nicole4659]

He was a gay man.

[@justhereforkicks8208]

If there’s one person that kind of gives me hope it’s Magic Johnson. He caught it early on and so far he’s been doing well, as far as I know. He was already very fit and like I said caught it early. Though he admits that he has to take a pharmacy’s worth of pills everyday to keep it at bay. I totally remember the Ryan White story, people treated him very cruelly. He was practically run out of town, people picketed his parents house calling him names and telling his whole family to leave that they didn’t want them there. It was really sad to me, even back then. But what really amazed me was how Elton John jumped in and literally took this kid under his wing. As far as I know Elton was there the night Ryan died.

[@seanbrazell6147]

There was a movie made about Ryan White. It was an early HBO film I think. It was deeply affecting and well worth a watch.

[@robwilliamson9056]

Because he’s rich

[@marysmith2060]

Ryan White was a hemophiliac. Transmission through infected blood transfusions wasn’t a known transmission factor. Ryan was treated cruelly. But Elton John did help.

[@gailmiller6333]

@@marysmith2060 Yes, poor Ryan was treated unbelievably cruel! However he didn’t lash out at the evil that was relentlessly heaped on him. He had a beautiful soul.✌🏾

[@missdeejay]

Yes, there are even pictures of Elton and Ryan's mom holding his hands during his last breaths

[@mt7able]

My Uncle passed away from AIDS when I was 2 years old so I never really got the chance to know him. He was a gentle soul and very compassionate and quite intelligent. It was during the late 80s that he had contracted it and at the time it was quite misunderstood. Now I am a doctor that has taken care of hundreds of patients with HIV and it is truly remarkable how far we have come regarding treatment methods in my short lifetime.

[@cjdarwish]

I watch a lot of your videos, particularly the biographies of people long before my time. I’m currently a medical student in the US and I am genuinely impressed with the composition of this video. You have thoroughly analyzed the literature of the topic, provided citations from peer reviewed journals, and presented the information in an interesting way. Just wanted to say that your free videos are an incredible resource for inquisitive minds and, despite my training, I couldn’t have done better myself.

[@davidbenn911]

LV XX DVD

[@literaltiffy1699]

My uncle passed two years ago of AIDS related cancer. He fought for a very long time, since the early 90's. His partner passed a decade before him. He had a hard life, coming of age and being a gay man during those times. Remembering him and his long fight. May all who've succumbed to this illness rest in peace. To those still fighting, never give up.

[@eaphantom9214]

Let's not forget Freddie Mercury Hes a classic case in point here

[@harmonetheanimationaddict4419]

And Howard Ashman.

[@eaphantom9214]

Ah yes himm too Good 1, though I'm not sure if Hes quite as well known so spare me any apparent ignorance I may have ;p

[@annescholey6546]

Philadelphia and Forrest Gump.

[@danijelujcic8644]

And Ricky Wilson.

[@alexs5744]

Arthur Ashe

[@mattsaoit]

I was curious about the history of this and I thought to myself “I’m sure Simon has a video on the matter”. You never fail to disappoint, my friend!

[@christianrivero1983]

This is a really great video. My only thing was I wished he talked more about PREP for treatment as prevention.

[@thedkboyz]

"Don't be a fool, wrap up your tool" makes a whole lotta more sense now

[@yosquidd242]

It made sense back in the day too, people did experiment with promiscuity. wasted by consumption, what was that?

[@marthahawkinson-michau9611]

My mom worked as a laboratory technologist from the mid-sixties right through the end of the eighties. She finally retired due to health reasons sometime in ‘89 I think(I was five, and my memory is a little bit fuzzy.). She told me stories about some early cases that happened in her hospital in the ‘70s. She had also heard anecdotal reports second hand about other cases in the sixties. She was always convinced that AIDS did not magically blossom out of nowhere in 1980 just to infect the gay men of America. That the virus had a much longer history in the US, but that the transmission rates were just much lower until the mid-seventies, and finally getting noticed in the early eighties.

[@jaronstephens9894]

Yes it seems more likely AIDS became more widespread in the 80s as people started sleeping around a lot more. Imagine a lot of people in the 50s and 60s only ever had one sexual partner in their life who they were married to.

[@marthahawkinson-michau9611]

@@jaronstephens9894 Promiscuity is still one of the biggest risk factors for HIV/AIDS even today.

[@sitdowndogbreath]

@@marthahawkinson-michau9611 any disease has this risk.

[@golddustwoman4993]

I've heard they've tested samples from the late 50s and discovered it was HIV.

[@marthahawkinson-michau9611]

@@golddustwoman4993 I’d believe it!

[@kathy51767]

Very well done, Simon. I wish I could give 2 thumbs up on this one ❤

[@stephanieden4]

👍👍

[@cynthiatolman326]

I've been wondering about the latest news on Aids. This is great!

[@jimstanga6390]

I recall when they first wanted to call it GRID - Gay Related Immune Deficiency....eventually they figured out that the virus didn’t care who you were or how you identified....

[@IAmAnEvilTaco]

Wasn’t a want, they DID call it grids. Misinformation was bad in the early days.

[@spa9920]

But most were gay men

[@PrezVeto]

@@spa9920 It wasn't _Mostly_ Gay-Related Immune Deficiency.

[@Stolas1777]

I think it’s pretty undeniable that it’s early spread was exponentially facilitated by gay men and I remember seeing a movie about the initial spread involving a gay flight attendant could be im misremembering or that wasn’t factually correct but there’s no doubt it spread initially through gay men.

[@princemwamba5230]

@@Stolas1777 even now dont gay men have the highest risk of catching aids

[@ciaravalenzuela2467]

I was born in 82 so I vividly remember the AIDS crisis in the 90's. Its weird to realize that it is barely talked about anymore. AIDS was headline news for years throughout the 90's.

[@PrezVeto]

The antiviral drugs developed since then have completely changed the prognosis. That's much of the reason.

[@davidjohntough9115]

Unfortunately now there is antibiotic resistant STDs!

[@carlmaster9690]

AIDS was still extremely common in the 90s. It wasn't until the 00s when HIV/AIDS treating medicine finally started improving, thus allowing for people who are HIV Positive to live normal lives knowing their not going to due from full blown AIDS that would kill them within three years.

[@pantybeaver]

Very informative and professional presentation! Thank you for a video !

[@Liveeruptsuj]

One of your best episodes, spoken with conviction

[@RoelofColyn]

Absolutely brilliant video you guys. The fact that you handled all the info so respectfully and with compasion almost made me cry.

[@julez2106]

Instantly clicked on this, really love that you don't exclusively cover people, thanks so much for your work!

[@elizabetherne556]

My uncle died of it in the mid 90’s. He was gay. But also a nurse. He had a ventilator blow up in his face that was being used on a AIDS patient. So we will never know for sure how he got it. My uncle was in the closet until he was diagnosed. He also was fortunate we accepted him as most families turned their backs on their sons that came out as gay and now HIV positive. The prejudice was awful. I grew up in the 80’s and early 90’s. People did horrible things to their family members when they needed their love and support. The lesbian community did wonders to support and care for gay men that had it and had no support.

[@willhouse]

Well done, Simon & Co. Well done. 💌

[@nixpuk75]

One of the most useful and informative Biographics that you've done, Simon. Well presented, balanced report.

[@woofguy]

Simon, your best video yet! Such a powerful and compelling story and how you ended it. We all need to do our part to be educated a d practice common sense. I really hope you win an award for this piece. ❤️

[@wistyrivendell1658]

Excellent presentation...very informative. I remember the 80s and the fear and hysteria that ensued, ads etc.

[@smeva26]

This is an excellent video, i learnt a lot!

[@Zeruel3]

One of the guys I work with is an older gay man who was a paramedic back in the 80s and 90s, it's hard to imagine what he must have seen and felt during the dark days of the pandemic

[@neilhunter3144]

I'm so glad someone has shone some light on this. There's a more in detail documentary called Killing Patient 0, but it's very hard to find a stream

[@stananders474]

Great research. I like your fast speaking. Its like speed reading.

[@jokebosveld2468]

Thank you for this video. I liked the end a lot.

[@kailoveskitties]

Dad was born in ‘63 with hemophilia A; Grandma was a nurse and decided not to give him Factor VIII prophylactically, which was the custom at the time. He only received it if he was injured. Roughly half of the hemophiliacs alive at the time did not make it through the AIDS crisis. Dad was lucky - he found out he had Hep C a few years ago but has since been successfully treated. He now only takes factor prior to medical procedures, and if he gets injured (which is rare, because he’s had a lot of practice being careful). I’m lucky to have been born, although I’m a carrier, which means if I were to have a son, he’d have a 50% chance of inheriting hemophilia.

[@qwertytheatre1293]

This was actually a really good and informative video, thank you for making it!

[@CouncilEstatePopMusic]

I do like Young Uncle Alberts uploads. Thanks for the info on this subject.

[@zuglymonster]

My uncle passed from AIDS in the early 90s. After watch a few of your videos about AIDS in the early days I decided to try to find my uncle's AIDS quilt square. With the help of Reddit and the AIDS memorial website I was able to find it and posted it on Facebook. I wish I had been able to have more time with my Uncle Dale and he had lived to see the advances made in treatment for HIV and AIDS and the huge strides in acceptance the LGBTQ community has made.

[@amb163]

I was in 6th grade when Ryan White died and what happened with him, all the hate and misinformation, was explained to us when we were in 7th and 8th grade health education. I remember being utterly heartbroken for his family and friends, that they not only lost a loved one but had to endure all the ignorance and BS from others as well. At least his case shone a light on myths and discrimination surrounding HIV/AIDS.

[@Neville133]

That ending note was powerful stuff. Great video as always, thank you.

[@Henria99]

This was wonderfully informative.

[@lizdyson3627]

Excellent video Simon.

[@squeezme88]

Thank you so much for making this video. As a child in the 90s I knew of AIDS and HIV but never really understood either. You've helped me understand it so much more now and I thank you for opening my eyes. Keep up the good work ❤

[@JudgementalGoat]

This is the most comprehensive summary I've watched about AIDS. Great job Simon, thumbs up!

[@danawinsor1380]

You know, your videos are interesting and brilliant. Just one suggestion: do you think you could slow down?

[@godstomper]

I had a friend who told me he recently tested positive for HIV infection. What boggles my mind was his attitude about getting it. He felt it was worth the price for living passionately. Smh.

[@Truename586]

Typical fig

[@rogerdotlee]

Wow. This has got to be one of your best videos, Simon. Having lost a family member and a close friend to AIDS (both in the early to mid 80s), it hits close to home. Don't Die of Ignorance indeed. Well done.

[@MrTwotimess]

Ignorance can almost be forgiven, but dying of prejudice is worse. So many people here in Africa were shunned, lost their jobs and homes. Nobody admitted to being sick until, eventually, there were too many cases to ignore.

[@jennsem476]

Simon, no one can match storytelling like you. Thank you!

[@stalag14]

My sister was a flight attendant with AC in Montreal and Toronto and probably worked with him. Her best friend Terry, passed away in 1986 also. He has a plaque on the Aids Memorial in Toronto. Such a great video.

[@dricka49221]

I found it very informative when you gave the history of the HIV virus. I had heard minimal rumors about chimpanzees or monkeys of some sort. I was in health care for 35 years and only did minimal CEUs (continuing educational units) about HIV/AIDS. I don't know that I ever had an HIV+ patient but I definitely have had contact with many people outside of work that was HIV+. Very interesting video and appreciate your work!

[@pobg]

So well presented. Great work Simon and team.

[@_ZeroQueen_]

I work with PLWHA and Simon, I thank you for this video. I was a baby in the 80s so my knowledge of HIV doesn't include the time when it was unknown. Even with all we know now there is still so muchs stigma and fear. I'm glad to see that people are still using their large public platforms to educate about the past of HIV as well as the illness itself. It's always risky to discuss it and again, thank you for taking the risk.

[@JeffinTD]

Outstanding video. Hoping for the day you can do a video documenting the development of a cure

[@DM-ql6ps]

My parents lived and worked in a small country called Lesotho in Southern Africa. Several of their former friends and coworkers have died of it. Treatment and prevention access is still a huge problem. Nearly 1/4 of the adult population is HIV+.

[@jellybelly9662]

Thank you for this video. I learned a lot more on HIV/AIDS and thank you to the people in the comments sharing your stories and personal experiences.

[@padawanmage71]

I grew up in the 80s and there as so much misinformation about the disease: you could catch it from door handles, bathrooms, sharing drinks, etc. I wonder if anyone back then complained that having to wear a condom to protect not just themselves, but their partners, was against their rights?

[@fallingpetunias9046]

I mean, people complain these days about wearing condoms

[@Pretermit_Sound]

There’s still people spreading misinformation about HIV/AIDS. Just checkout the comment section on this video. Humanity is going backwards, not forwards.

[@mariekatherine5238]

In short, the answer is yes. People still complain about wearing condoms.

[@Pretermit_Sound]

@Jace Anderson it isn’t your right to kill anyone else though. In fact you can be charged with attempted murder if it can be proven that a person knowingly tried to infect someone with HIV. Through deception, or otherwise. I wouldn’t advise doing it.

[@Pretermit_Sound]

@Jace Anderson point taken. One can’t always tell. I apologize.

[@vikwitch2185]

Breaks my heart,the way many suffered (& still do) who were treated so badly,the hatred,the judgement....i learnt lots about HIV (& AIDS) from what Freddie Mercury went through,and knowing that his foot was in such bad shape that he struggled to walk,rotting away because his body couldnt heal 😪....then 10 yrs ago,my brother found out he had started to develop lesions on his brain,he didnt want any family watching him lose parts of his personality etc,that he commited suicide 😥

[@thecynic9232]

The movie (and book) “And the Band Played On” is absolutely wonderful. Great cast and a tragic, gripping story.

[@kristinapella]

It stole our Freddie...

[@LexieLPoyser]

Freddie is my hero. I wish I could have met him.

[@kristinapella]

@@LexieLPoyser agree!

[@kristinapella]

@Matt Guitar what's AZT?

[@eduardogutierrez4698]

Is it weird to miss someone who died even before you were born?

[@fracturedLIT]

@Matt Guitar show your evidence before you say something like this. you have no evidence and are spewing misinformation.

[@perennialxennial]

The title of the book "And The Band Played On" was homage to 'The Titanic' where despite the ship sinking, the band continued to play.

[@GradyBroyles]

Hi Simon, I'm a long time fan, you're great. As also a 34-year AIDS survivor and former AIDS educator and San Francisco based activist with ACT-UP and Queer Nation. Thank you for your attention to this. However, I need to clarify a factual point you made. (you were correct, but incomplete in a way that really matters) IMPORTANT: HIV can be found in sweat and saliva but *not in concentrations high enough to infect someone*. One would have to drink hundreds of gallons of infected saliva and thousands of gallons of sweat. This is a very, very important point that cannot be omitted when saying that it can be found in sweat and saliva. There was a LOT of hysteria over the years with people unnecessarily being afraid of hugging or kissing HIV+ people and thus subjecting PWAs (people with AIDS) to all manner of ill treatment and discrimination in the real world. Thank you for mentioning the problem with so-called "patient zero" He was scapegoated. He was used in anti-sex propaganda campaigns aimed at gay men by the government who wanted all gay men to be like Will on Will and Grace and not really be sexual at all.. (long story, but true. Even George Michael got caught up in it) Remember when 90's pop was obsessed with monogamy? That's why. We were ALL promiscuous. Human adults are promiscuous. Also it was the 80's. I mean... Cocaine. Anyway, gay men were easy to sensationalize and scandalize in the 80's and 90's. That was the origins of the in-your-face radical AIDS and QUEER organizing of ACT-UP and Queer Nation. That's literally where "We're Here, We're Queer, Get OVER it" rally cry came from. Yes the original was "get OVER it" not "get used to it" The first case of KS in an inappropriately young, healthy gay man was reported at Ward 86 at SF General Hospital (the out-patient Oncology ward) attended by Doctor Paul Volberding who went on to be one of the top researchers on the world and the head of University Of California San Francisco's AIDS/Oncology Division for the next 20+ years. I have known Paul over the years and revere his work. He and Dr. Fauci are friends. Read about him, he's AMAZING. I have been a patient there since 1990. I was diagnosed at 17 years old in 1987. In the early 90's. A little later, I co-founded Bay Area Youth Positives (aka Bay+ or Bay Poz) the first HIV/AIDS service organization for youth in the world. We had support groups and programs to help young people survive when most of them had long been abandoned because at the time AIDS was blamed on its victims gay lifestyles. We held the hands of teens and young adults as they died in the ICU because they had no one else. We walked them to doctors appointments, helped get them food and housing assistance, sign up for and navigate community college and more. It will be the thing in my life I'm most proud of. I am one of the last 3 of my gay friends from back then who is still alive. I buried all (but 3 of) my friends. Even typing that gives me all the (f'd up) feels. This Queer Pride weekend as I venture out into the sea of strangers, I will miss every single one of them. It was a f'd up time. Super duper f'd up. I'm still traumatized from the hundreds of funerals and haunted by the faces of young men wasting away in front of me on a daily basis for literally years. Silence = Death. What is remembered, lives.

[@strnglhld]

Diagnosed at 17!! I would have been terrified!!!! 🫢 wow, you are a very strong individual, you had to be!

[@elisabethblackwood3921]

I'm from Indiana, Ryan White was a few years older than me. I remember the whole mess, that poor kid didn't deserve everything he went through. He wrote an autobiography before he passed away, I highly recommend it.

[@Kylefassbinderful]

This was the most informative video about HIV/AIDS I've ever watched. Thanks!

[@thebiddler6907]

"How to Survive a Plague" is an incredibly powerful documentary on the AIDS crisis in the US (mostly NYC). Well worth a watch.

[@afwalker1921]

I graduated high school in 1981, so my adult life began at the same time this pestilence revealed itself to the world. Now, in 2022, we have yet another pandemic to deal with, and the plague of the last forty years almost seems forgotten. There are still new HIV infections, and people are still suffering the effects of this virus. I've wondered how many of the casualties of the killer cold of our time have been those whose immune systems have been compromised by the pandemic of our last century. Every time someone dies, a library burns, a recipe is lost, a story goes untold...

[@TheWhittleGreenVanUK]

Thank you for doing this video, it's so important to get this information out there to reduce the stigma of living with HIV, I was diagnosed 12 years ago now, and it was the stigma both external and internal that was the hardest for me to deal with.

[@skycloud4802]

I hope they find a cure so that you'll never have to even deal with it ever again.

[@TheWhittleGreenVanUK]

@@skycloud4802 There is that hope, but the only way to truly beat the stigma is to get this information out there, and also in schools so that the next generation do not grow up with the same fears and prejudice that we did.

[@HarvestMoonHowl]

One of my Uncles on my Father's side died from complications of AIDS in the late 1980's. If there was ever a pharmaceutical shortage later on, it would be just as deadly now as it was back then. Just something to think about.

[@royscott9162]

In 2004 I was working in a nursing home as an aide. Even that late...staff was deathly afraid to take care of the lone AIDS patient we had for a time. They didn’t refuse, but it was clear by the way they carried themselves he was persona non grata. That was very sad.

[@josephbolcome5462]

Last year, my prior college had the AIDS Quilt displayed for a week, with an entire exhibit dedicated to it. I have to say, looking at the quilt felt like the Vietnam memorial or something along those lines. I recall I tried to every day that week visit the exhibit; no one deserved to die of a disease like AIDS, and no one deserved the stigma and prejudice associated with it.

[@GuntherRommel]

Magnificent, Simon.

[@hannahstahl1857]

What’s amazing is that they’ve come a long way in medicine for it. They’ve made it to where a person with it can show no trace of it so they can’t and won’t pass it to their lover

[@sandrastreifel6452]

Yes, proper therapy decreases viral load, to where transmission is virtually impossible, but more importantly, persons with HIV can live normal healthy lives if they take their medications!

[@BamBoomBots]

You can even take pre-exposure drugs which block HIV from infecting you despite it entering your bloodstream. If you have sex without a condom, use PrEP. Gay or straight. Make sure it's available to all people on earth and this virus can be defeated even without a vaccine.

[@BamBoomBots]

@@thatsnodildo1974 That's BS for HIV. Undetectable = Undetectable.

[@thatsnodildo1974]

@@BamBoomBots you literally still have HIV and can still spread it. Undetectable does not mean cured idiot

[@BamBoomBots]

@@thatsnodildo1974 Why don't you read some literature on this. Your statement is simply incorrect. Undetectable viral load means there is so little virus in your body that you cannot spread it to others anymore.

[@tolentarpay5464]

Very well researched & sympathetically presented. Well done; I stand thoroughly chastised...

[@KevinHarrington1979]

Excellent article.... My compliments to your team, Simon . ... Very accurate and culturally sensitive... Particularly in the mention of "a detectable viral load"... Thank you, good sir!

[@doginthecity9635]

What a fascinating video about HIV / AIDS... This documentary should be made available to schools, to educate and make our children aware of this horrible virus which has been security looming for over 40 years before it came to light in the early 80s. I can't believe the amount of lives take have been taken and still their is not enough public publicity on this matter. The narrator was amazing... 👏👏👏👏