A.I.D.S. No Threat To The U.S.S.R. (Press, 16 October 1985)

On 16 October 1985, the Soviet newspaper "Sovietskaya Rossiya" commented on the American media's portrayal of A.I.D.S., suggesting that it was exaggerating the issue and creating unjustified panic. The article marked the first time the state-run press had reported on the death of American film star Rock Hudson, who had succumbed to A.I.D.S. It highlighted concerns about the societal repercussions of the disease in the United States, arguing that the media-induced hysteria was causing widespread fear and suspicion regarding those infected. The newspaper featured insights from Professor A. I. Vorobev, a prominent Soviet haematologist, who asserted that the disease's spread was primarily through blood transfusions and indicated that it could be effectively controlled. Vorobev dismissed any suggestion that an A.I.D.S. epidemic posed a threat to the Soviet Union, reinforcing the idea that the disease was not a significant concern within the country. The article notably refrained from mentioning the transmission of A.I.D.S. through homosexual contact, instead alluding to a vague description of victims among men who were "not too careful in their intimate relations." Additionally, a deputy Health Minister supported the newspaper's claims by stating that there were no recorded cases of A.I.D.S. in the Soviet Union at that time. Overall, the coverage portrayed the situation as largely a non-issue for the Soviet populace, contrasting sharply with the heightened alarm prevalent in the United States.

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