A.I.D.S. Publicity (Press, 7 January 1986)
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Summary: A.I.D.S. Publicity (Press, 7 January 1986)
In a series of letters published on 4 and 5 January 1986, a heated exchange occurred regarding the public perception and education surrounding AIDS in New Zealand. Varian J. Wilson expressed his outrage at a phone call he received, where someone labelled his views on AIDS as "disgusting." He emphasised the urgency of the AIDS crisis, predicting a significant rise in cases from 14 to between 98 and 112 that year. Wilson critiqued the AIDS Foundation for focusing on education about high-risk behaviours such as needle sharing and unprotected sex, arguing that those at risk already know what to avoid and that the foundation’s efforts were misplaced. In response, Nicky Ryan countered Wilson's viewpoint by stressing that AIDS does not only affect homosexuals but poses a broader threat to society. Ryan cautioned against labelling homosexuals as outcasts, asserting this would not help in managing the disease. Instead, she suggested that bigotry and narrow-minded attitudes could hinder communal efforts to combat the epidemic. Lastly, M. Bridgeman contributed to the conversation by questioning the efficacy of condoms in preventing the transmission of the AIDS virus. Bridgeman referenced medical data suggesting a high failure rate for condoms in preventing unplanned pregnancies, leading to concerns about their reliability as a safe sex practice in the context of AIDS. The letter highlighted that if public funds were being used to counter the spread of AIDS, materials provided by the AIDS Foundation should be accurate and not misleading. Overall, these letters reflect the societal tensions surrounding AIDS awareness, education, and attitudes towards the gay community in the context of a growing health crisis during the mid-1980s in New Zealand.
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