Chronicle - AIDS Special: What You Don't Know Can Kill You

DateApril 22 1987

Can DescriptionsChronicle AIDS Special: What You Don't Know Can Kill You Master Wed April 22 1987

Abstract"AIDS Special: What You Don't Know Can Kill You"; First segment is on the AIDS crisis in San Fransisco; Mary Richardson interviews doctors and AIDs patients and discusses how the disease is overwhelming the medical system; The second segment is a spotlight on three New Englanders with AIDS; the following segment compares the AIDS education campaign in Great Britain to what is being done in the US; the fourth segment covers the science of AIDS and researchers looking for a cure; the final segment looks at how fear of AIDS has affected the country Boston.

Viewing NotesDr. William Owen has been dealing with a growing number of AIDS patients since 1981; b-roll of Owen talking with a patient (Alan Altman) in a hospital room; b-roll of the Castro District; Interview with Dr. Constance Wofsy about her work with AIDS patients and the strain on the medical system; b-roll of Nurse with a patient in San Fransisco General Hospital; Patients discuss the financial and emotional cost of the disease; Worry that the costs could bankrupt the city; A Catholic Church on the outskirts of the Castro District, the Most Holy Redeemer Church, has donated a building and is raising money to help AIDS patients; The Coming Home Hospice in the country; Dr. Mervin Silverman on the effectiveness of the City's public information efforts; interview with Shanti project volunteer. Spotlight on three New Englanders with AIDS; David [Parnum] of New Hampshire is a hemophiliac who got the disease from a blood transfusion; Ann is a former drug user who lives in the Boston suburbs with her 3 year old daughter; Mark Pfetsch is a gay man who lives in Cambridge [featured in another Chronicle episode, see Acc. 2716.3304]. No cure or vaccine for AIDS in sight but politicians like Regan have done little; Public Service education campaign in England, but not in the United Stated despite the fact that the US has 50 times more AIDS cases; British campaign is explicit and effective while in the US controversy stops similar campaigns from being seen; Educational video made for students in New York City was opposed by parent groups; No coordinated public campaign in the US just local groups; Representative Henry Waxman says "I think the Regan Administration may well be noted in history for what it failed to do to stop the AIDS epidemic."; A look at AIDS curriculums in schools around Boston; Program at Saint John the Evangelist School in Attleboro inspired by student Mark Hoyle, who got the disease in a blood transfusion and died. Science of AIDS; Research into vaccines and treatment is difficult due to the nature of the disease; Dr. Jerome Groopman on the science of AIDS and why it is difficult to find a cure or treatment; discuss ATZ; Epidemiologist Dr. Dori Zaleznick interviewed in studio by Peter Mohegan; Discusses testing high risk populations, transmission, and dispels myths on how the disease is spread. AIDS scare has spread fear and prompted unnecessary reactions around the world and the country; black market in fake cures; ICN wrongly promoted Virazole as a cure to boost stock; calls for quarantine from fundamentalists; Dr. Mervin Silverman rejects the misinformation; Parents of AIDS victim John Palantino share their story and campaign for parents to show compassion to their children with AIDs; Dr. Timothy Johnson met with the Attorney General and reports back that they want to use the lessons learned so far from the diseases spread through the homosexual community to reduce its spread through the general population; Need to boost federal funding and education; "The virus does not discriminate. The virus is exceedingly democratic." Mohegan and Richardson wrap up the show followed by credits. Commercials included: Clifton Davis Anti-Drug PSA; News Center 5; Hefty; Revlon; Lincoln Town car; New England Telephone; Bay Banks; Pantene; Pepsi; Wonder Bread; Hertz