“All the first cases were seen in gay men” is incorrect. What we now call AIDS was also seen in Haitians right from the start. But low income people and minorities are not usually classified as 'innocent' victims, they are usually seen as 'guilty' in some way, as sadly these things are usually polarised into deserving and undeserving cases, often by the press. Consider the furore when haemophiliacs started to die – they were innocent victims, as opposed to those who actually had (whisper it) sex.

On a personal note, I was lucky in that I was 18 in 1990 – when HIV was well publicised and as such I have never had risky sex. However, most, if not all of my heterosexual friends avoid condoms at every opportunity, seeing safe sex as “the woman's responsibility” and nothing to do with disease transmission.

Funding and awareness was difficult to raise in the early days, because Republicans are not famously nice to gay people. Congressman Phil Burton: “If all the angels came dancing down to earth like the Rockettes, even they couldn't get a dime out of this [Reagan's] administration for anything with the name “gay” on it”

It's not perfect, but Shilt's And The Band Played On is well worth a read.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/And_the_Band_Playe…

My Lord, where do you people get your education from? First, ten years ago if it were not for prescription meds I would have committed suicide or killed someone. I tried the herbal path with absolutely no success. I agree the pharmaceutical companies seem to be out for profits. Don’t blame them blame the New World Order which pushes mind controlling substances. Thirty years ago a study proved 100% of the population of most major cities in North America had high levels of lead and mercury in their systems. By the time I was born (in 1955) over 150 nuclear weapons had been tested in the US. Now tell me why are there so many of us with psychological and physical problems. The Rothchilds family are steering the NWO. Do you think they eat contaminated fish and beef with high levels of hormones?