Public Enemy Number One
A color is more than a pigment, shade, or reflection of light. Color represents things, such as pink is girl, blue is boy, and blue is water. In recent years, red has become to represent something to many people as well. Red is AIDS awareness, and we need more than awareness to stop this disease. AIDS is one of the fastest growing disease epidemics of our time, and has the power to be the worst epidemic ever seen in human history. What is worse is that we can prevent such a massive outbreak. Humans have had a name to put with the disease since 1982, when the term “AIDS”, Acquired Immune Deficiency Disorder, was first used. There are many events in the past twenty five years that have lead up to what we know about this fatal disease, how far treatment and discrimination have come, and where we might be in the next twenty five years. It is imperative to our survival that where awareness leaves off, prevention, technology, treatment and an eventual cure need to begin.
It is unclear as to exactly how this disease came to be, but the most probable cause is from the African “green” monkeys from the region around Kenya and Rwanda. These monkeys carry a strain of the virus almost identical to the strain which infects humans, but developed a built-in protection against that specific strain. It is believed that from scratches and bites from the primates and also the consumption of the flesh of the monkeys, the deadly virus was transferred to humans in the region (www.innerbody.com). This transfer of the virus lead to what is believed to be the first known case of the disease, and the eventual death of an African man in 1959 (http://www.infoplease.com/).
The first public report by the Center for Disease Control (CDC) about the virus was in 1981, which confirmed that five gay males had been treated for what was called “gay cancer” or GRID (Gay Related Immune Deficiency), and by the end of the year 121 deaths were related to the disease. The next year, the term “AIDS” was introduced, and the disease was linked to blood, but the CDC’s reports seemed to fall on deaf ears. At this time, AIDS was not well known in the country, and even joked about by then President Ronald Reagan’s press secretary Larry Speakes. In a press conference on October 15, 1982, Mr. Speakes joked with a reporter questioning the president’s position on the epidemic, claiming neither the president nor anyone in the White House even knew what AIDS was. The following press release puts into perspective how the White House felt about the disease at the time.
Press Briefing by Larry Speakes October 15, 1982 Q: Larry, does the President have any reaction to the announcement the Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta, that AIDS is now an epidemic and have over 600 cases? MR. SPEAKES: What's AIDS? Q: Over a third of them have died. It's known as "gay plague." (Laughter.) No, it is. I mean it's a pretty serious thing that one in every three people that get this have died. And I wondered if the President is aware of it? MR. SPEAKES: I don't have it. Do you? (Laughter.) Q: No, I don't. MR. SPEAKES: You didn't answer my question. Q: Well, I just wondered, does the President… MR. SPEAKES: How do you know? (Laughter) Q: In other words, the White House looks on this as a great joke? MR. SPEAKES: No, I don't know anything about it, Lester. Q: Does the President, does anyone in the White House know about this epidemic, Larry? MR. SPEAKES: I don't think so. I don't think there's been any… Q: Nobody knows? MR. SPEAKES: There has been no personal experience here, Lester. Q: No, I mean, I thought you were keeping… MR. SPEAKES: I checked thoroughly with Dr. Ruge this morning and he's had no (laughter), no patients suffering from AIDS or whatever it is. Q: The President doesn't have gay plague, is that what you're saying or what? MR. SPEAKES: No, I didn't say that. Q: Didn't say that? MR. SPEAKES: I thought I heard you on the State Department over there. Why didn't you stay there? (Laughter) Q: Because I love you Larry, that's why (Laughter). MR. SPEAKES: Oh I see. Just don't put it in those terms, Lester. (Laughter.) Q: Oh, I retract that. MR. SPEAKES: I hope so. Q: It's too late (www.aegis.com).
In 1983, the Institut Pasteur in France found the virus, known as HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus), and traced contraction of the virus through blood-on-blood transfusion and sexual contact. During that year alone, 2,305 people died from the disease. Despite the ongoing reports and deaths from this disease, President Ronald Reagan had yet to even mention the word AIDS in public. People continued to die, but did not know how the virus was spread or what the warning signs were. A majority of the public, including many White House officials, believed that only gay men could be infected and did not worry themselves with such “nonsense” (http://www.aegis.com/). It was not until 1986 that American households were informed about HIV and AIDS, through a pamphlet sent out to every American household by Surgeon General C. Everett Koop. He infuriated many people by issuing the pamphlet, which spoke about anal sex transmission and called for sex education in schools. During this time, it is fit to say that ignorance was bliss (surgeon general).
There was no treatment for AIDS or HIV until 1987, when the FDA approved Retrovir. This medication had very many side effects including nausea, vomiting, severe headaches, and even lead to fatal problems with the liver and blood (www.medicine.net). Along with the side effects, the patient receiving the drug had to take one 100 mg capsule every four hours, around the clock. Also, the medication cost $10,000 annually for one person. Because this price was so high, many people couldn’t afford the life-lengthening drug. It was not until 1989 that the makers of Retrovir, Glaxxo Wellcome, lowered the price by twenty percent due to massive protests by ACT UP, a group supporting AIDS patients and research to find new treatments and cures.
Since 1987, a few other treatments have been found for HIV and AIDS. Among these medications, the first protease inhibitor, which inhibits the AIDS virus’ ability to spread to new cells, was invented in 1995. But since that finding, it seems as though these seemingly “treatment breakthroughs” have stopped. With billions of dollars in grants going to research in the drug, one has to wonder where the money is going and where is the cure?
In conclusion, after twenty million lives worldwide have been lost, and billions of dollars have gone to research, the process of getting to this plateau is clear. We have not found a cure and we have not lowered the amount of lives affected by this epidemic. Despite all of the information we have about this virus we have not, in the words of President Ronald Reagan, prevented the spread of “public enemy number one.”
REFERENCES
http://www.innerbody.com/
www.surgeongeneral.gov/library/history/biokoop.htm
http://www.aegis.com/
http://www.medicine.net/
http://www.infoplease.com/
It is unclear as to exactly how this disease came to be, but the most probable cause is from the African “green” monkeys from the region around Kenya and Rwanda. These monkeys carry a strain of the virus almost identical to the strain which infects humans, but developed a built-in protection against that specific strain. It is believed that from scratches and bites from the primates and also the consumption of the flesh of the monkeys, the deadly virus was transferred to humans in the region (www.innerbody.com). This transfer of the virus lead to what is believed to be the first known case of the disease, and the eventual death of an African man in 1959 (http://www.infoplease.com/).
The first public report by the Center for Disease Control (CDC) about the virus was in 1981, which confirmed that five gay males had been treated for what was called “gay cancer” or GRID (Gay Related Immune Deficiency), and by the end of the year 121 deaths were related to the disease. The next year, the term “AIDS” was introduced, and the disease was linked to blood, but the CDC’s reports seemed to fall on deaf ears. At this time, AIDS was not well known in the country, and even joked about by then President Ronald Reagan’s press secretary Larry Speakes. In a press conference on October 15, 1982, Mr. Speakes joked with a reporter questioning the president’s position on the epidemic, claiming neither the president nor anyone in the White House even knew what AIDS was. The following press release puts into perspective how the White House felt about the disease at the time.
Press Briefing by Larry Speakes October 15, 1982 Q: Larry, does the President have any reaction to the announcement the Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta, that AIDS is now an epidemic and have over 600 cases? MR. SPEAKES: What's AIDS? Q: Over a third of them have died. It's known as "gay plague." (Laughter.) No, it is. I mean it's a pretty serious thing that one in every three people that get this have died. And I wondered if the President is aware of it? MR. SPEAKES: I don't have it. Do you? (Laughter.) Q: No, I don't. MR. SPEAKES: You didn't answer my question. Q: Well, I just wondered, does the President… MR. SPEAKES: How do you know? (Laughter) Q: In other words, the White House looks on this as a great joke? MR. SPEAKES: No, I don't know anything about it, Lester. Q: Does the President, does anyone in the White House know about this epidemic, Larry? MR. SPEAKES: I don't think so. I don't think there's been any… Q: Nobody knows? MR. SPEAKES: There has been no personal experience here, Lester. Q: No, I mean, I thought you were keeping… MR. SPEAKES: I checked thoroughly with Dr. Ruge this morning and he's had no (laughter), no patients suffering from AIDS or whatever it is. Q: The President doesn't have gay plague, is that what you're saying or what? MR. SPEAKES: No, I didn't say that. Q: Didn't say that? MR. SPEAKES: I thought I heard you on the State Department over there. Why didn't you stay there? (Laughter) Q: Because I love you Larry, that's why (Laughter). MR. SPEAKES: Oh I see. Just don't put it in those terms, Lester. (Laughter.) Q: Oh, I retract that. MR. SPEAKES: I hope so. Q: It's too late (www.aegis.com).
In 1983, the Institut Pasteur in France found the virus, known as HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus), and traced contraction of the virus through blood-on-blood transfusion and sexual contact. During that year alone, 2,305 people died from the disease. Despite the ongoing reports and deaths from this disease, President Ronald Reagan had yet to even mention the word AIDS in public. People continued to die, but did not know how the virus was spread or what the warning signs were. A majority of the public, including many White House officials, believed that only gay men could be infected and did not worry themselves with such “nonsense” (http://www.aegis.com/). It was not until 1986 that American households were informed about HIV and AIDS, through a pamphlet sent out to every American household by Surgeon General C. Everett Koop. He infuriated many people by issuing the pamphlet, which spoke about anal sex transmission and called for sex education in schools. During this time, it is fit to say that ignorance was bliss (surgeon general).
There was no treatment for AIDS or HIV until 1987, when the FDA approved Retrovir. This medication had very many side effects including nausea, vomiting, severe headaches, and even lead to fatal problems with the liver and blood (www.medicine.net). Along with the side effects, the patient receiving the drug had to take one 100 mg capsule every four hours, around the clock. Also, the medication cost $10,000 annually for one person. Because this price was so high, many people couldn’t afford the life-lengthening drug. It was not until 1989 that the makers of Retrovir, Glaxxo Wellcome, lowered the price by twenty percent due to massive protests by ACT UP, a group supporting AIDS patients and research to find new treatments and cures.
Since 1987, a few other treatments have been found for HIV and AIDS. Among these medications, the first protease inhibitor, which inhibits the AIDS virus’ ability to spread to new cells, was invented in 1995. But since that finding, it seems as though these seemingly “treatment breakthroughs” have stopped. With billions of dollars in grants going to research in the drug, one has to wonder where the money is going and where is the cure?
In conclusion, after twenty million lives worldwide have been lost, and billions of dollars have gone to research, the process of getting to this plateau is clear. We have not found a cure and we have not lowered the amount of lives affected by this epidemic. Despite all of the information we have about this virus we have not, in the words of President Ronald Reagan, prevented the spread of “public enemy number one.”
REFERENCES
http://www.innerbody.com/
www.surgeongeneral.gov/library/history/biokoop.htm
http://www.aegis.com/
http://www.medicine.net/
http://www.infoplease.com/
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