Mental Health Group: First Secondary source Colin Ference
Abstract
This article examines heterosexual social reactions to the AIDS pandemic in the 80’s through many lenses. One I found particularly interesting was a short analysis of the phenomenon of public calls being made to quarantine homosexuals. In a time when reactionaries rage against the quarantine measures, this is a damning bit of historical context. The author confirms that there is no medical basis for such calls and that exaggerated fears of AIDS were based in prejudice against homosexuals. The article also shows that significant parts of the heterosexual public were largely ignorant of actual AIDS safety measures. This particular part of the article refers to The Social Reaction to AIDS (1988) by Peter Conrad, who is quoted repeatedly.
This paper has been withdrawn.