Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome Analysis Essay Example

dawn in 1996 as doctors started prescribing drug cocktails containing newly developed protease inhibitors. This brought hope to those affected by the ailment, but limited access to these treatments led professionals in the field to work on expanding availability for combination antiretroviral therapy.

One major aspect of the expansion has been providing medicine to those who cannot afford it, which is crucial in combating the ongoing 25-year epidemic. Although recent estimates indicate that approximately 33. million people are living with HIV, there was a decline in AIDS-related deaths and new HIV infections starting in 2006. The documentary "And the Band Played On" provides a compelling depiction of the virus's rise in America and sheds light on why there was minimal reporting for an extended period.

The text discusses a complex situation involving courageous and irresponsible patients, dedicated medical professionals, government and blood industry bungling, and the mixed response of the gay community. The author expresses some bias, criticizing the CDC's decision to release patient names and disagreeing with certain members of the Reagan administration. However, the author also praises politicians like Orrin Hatch and Everett Koop while recalling the inaction of Ed Koch's administration in New York.

In "And The Band Played On", Randy Shilts documents the emergence of a new organism in the late 70s and early 80s that quickly became the number one health crisis worldwide. Mostly affecting gay men and intravenous drug users, those belonging to the "4-H club" (homosexuals, hard-drug users, hemophiliacs, and Haitians) were ostracized. Despite being mostly fair, Shilts did not have a fondness for LGBTQ leaders and chronicles how people lost their jobs and children were barred from schools due

to the AIDS panic of the 80s. The secrecy and denial surrounding this crisis helped it spread persistently.

Shilts expressed fury towards various groups for their handling of the AIDS crisis. The Reagan administration was condemned for their empty rhetoric and failure to provide necessary funding for medical research. Shilts also criticized the radical gay community, who denied their role in spreading the disease through immoral behaviour. Additionally, members of the medical community were accused of grandstanding and spiteful behaviour towards dying patients. Moreover, the media was chastised for disregarding the disease as irrelevant until heterosexual individuals began to get infected. Nevertheless, there were inspiring figures such as physicians who dedicated themselves to treating their patients, gay activists like Larry Kramer, Rock Hudson who openly admitted his illness, and C. Everett Koop, an exemplary Surgeon General who demonstrated sensible leadership in addressing the crisis. Shilts shared his outrage towards doctors who prioritized their own self-promotion over their patients.The politicians on the right treated those affected by a fatal disease as if they were sinners receiving God's punishment. The homosexual men in bathhouses prioritized their enjoyment of casual encounters over the potential transmission of the illness. The most astounding were the blood banks that were profit-driven and denied that their blood carried the virus for three years. Despite the increasing number of deaths caused by infected blood transfusions, they fought against blood testing.

Shilts intentionally delayed testing his own blood while writing this story to prevent any potential bias on his judgment in the event of a positive HIV result. After completing the narrative, he discovered that he had contracted the virus, which had already claimed numerous lives

and would eventually take his own. Although AIDS tragically took Shilts from us, this account preserves his powerful legacy. His intelligence, compassion, and proficiency have provided us with greater understanding.

People worldwide, including those infected with HIV, their families and partners, are affected by this disease. Knowing about HIV and AIDS can help protect health and reduce its impact. HIV weakens the immune system which can lead to AIDS.

The process can be slow as it may take over a decade for symptoms to appear in individuals who are positive.