Suspected A.I.D.S. Victim Turned Away (Press, 9 January 1985)

On 9 January 1985, a report emerged from San Francisco highlighting the challenges faced by public health authorities in managing the risks associated with Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS), especially in relation to sex workers. An unnamed prostitute was turned away from a local clinic after police referred her there for screening due to her concerns about possibly contracting AIDS. She had engaged in repeated sexual activities with an individual diagnosed with the disease and consequently sought medical assessment at San Francisco General Hospital's clinic. Upon arrival at the clinic, the woman learned that it was experiencing a heavy caseload and was only able to accommodate patients by appointment or in emergencies. As a result, she was advised to return in three days, a decision that reflected the limited resources and overwhelming demand on medical facilities dealing with the AIDS crisis. Authorities recognised their inability to quarantine her, regardless of whether she tested positive for the virus. Captain Frank Jordan from the police expressed concern, noting that while prostitution was illegal and could lead to her arrest, there were no health regulations that could isolate her from continuing to work in that capacity. Public health officials voiced heightened concern following reports of two heterosexual men contracting AIDS from female sex workers, indicating an extension of the disease's reach beyond its previously identified high-risk groups, which included homosexual males, intravenous drug users, Haitians, and haemophiliacs. The woman in question was also an intravenous drug user, further increasing her perceived risk of contracting the virus. Statistics from the Centres for Disease Control in Atlanta revealed that since 1979, the United States had documented approximately 7,600 cases of AIDS, with more than 3,600 subsequent deaths. This dire situation highlighted the intersecting public health issues regarding the sex industry and communicable diseases like AIDS, raising questions about the effectiveness of current strategies to protect vulnerable populations while managing public safety and health concerns. The woman, expressing a sense of resignation, indicated her lack of alternatives for survival outside of sex work, underscoring the precarious situation faced by individuals in similar circumstances amid the burgeoning AIDS epidemic.

The text on this page is created, in the most part, using Generative AI and so may contain errors or omissions. It is supplied to you without guarantee or warranty of correctness. If you find an error or would like to make a content suggestion please get in contact

The text on this page is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 New Zealand