25 Years in the Shadow of HIV

“Brian” (not his real name) was diagnosed HIV-positive in 1987 along with many other hemophiliacs. Unlike most of the others, however, Brian did not start on AZT. Unlike almost all who did, he is still alive and well today…25 Years HIV+ without ARVs [ 57 min 30 s | 26.33 MB ]

Brian was so young at the time that his mother was making his medical decisions and her observation that the people taking AZT “looked like they were dying” saved his life. He quickly educated himself, and his resolve to stay away from the evolving AIDS pharmacopeia only strengthened with time. Brian is a unique witness to the genocide of hemophiliacs in the 1980s and 1990s and, in this interview with Terry and David, he discusses how drug companies, governments and hemophilia societies all “participated enthusiastically” in treating hemophiliacs with AZT and similar drugs, despite the tragic results.
For a scientific graph that shows how the deaths of hemophiliacs correlated with the advent of AZT, see this graph from the medical journal Lancet:
DarbyHemophiliacGraph
Brian’s voice has been altered to protect his identity.