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"And the band played on", a book by Randy Shilts from 1987, depicts the AIDS epidemic that emerged in the 1970s. Shilts sought to expose shortcomings in detecting and addressing the virus, affecting populations in New York and San Francisco. The rapid and enigmatic dissemination of AIDS, or acquired immune deficiency syndrome, posed a major obstacle. Shilts explored ethical, political, and medical dilemmas that potentially could have prevented many deaths during this emergency.
Throughout the 1980s, cultural issues were a major focus in cities with high populations like San Francisco.
The documentary "And the Band Played On" illustrated how the virus was first mentioned in publications targeting the gay community, underscoring the obstacles faced by homosexuals due to prejudice and isolation. Consequently, urban areas such as San Francisco and New York City saw a rise in their gay populations.
The higher populations of gays in certain areas made it easier for them to cope with criticism, resulting in a higher prevalence of the AIDS epidemic in those areas.
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The lack of knowledge about the nature of the virus initially led to it being called "gay cancer," contributing to increased prejudice against gays. This made it challenging to address the political side of the AIDS issue as the general public became aware of the outbreak.
The politics surrounding the AIDS epidemic in And the Band Played On was a complex issue, particularly because it was linked to the gay community, making it a delicate subject. President Ronald Reagan refrained from publicly addressing the matter out of fear that it could harm his reputation as the leader of the United States.
Additionally, Reagan's budget cuts impacted the CDC's funding, impeding research efforts to combat AIDS spread. Many doctors and scientists were hesitant to work on the problem, while blood bank officials questioned CDC's findings on tainted blood from AIDS patients. Despite awareness of AIDS transmission through blood transfusions, blood bank officials continued drawing blood from infected individuals.
The officials were more concerned about themselves and their business rather than the lives of people receiving their blood. Shilts also discusses how the bath house business in heavily populated areas was another key player in the political battle, costing many lives. The CDC found that gay bathhouses were where many gays were contracting the disease, with sex in these bathhouses spreading the AIDS virus rapidly. The CDC had no conclusive evidence at the time that the virus was being spread sexually. Bathhouse owners prioritized their revenue, particularly in areas like San Francisco, making it unlikely for them to address public health concerns raised by the CDC. Many bathhouse owners, like blood banks, prioritized their own interests over the well-being of others.
The CDC required compelling evidence to demonstrate that the majority of the virus was spreading in bathhouses before the public health director would close them. Concerned about losing his status, the director hesitated to shut down the bathhouses without concrete evidence, which could take years to obtain. Waiting longer to confirm this would lead to more lives being lost. According to Shilts in his book, some believed Ronald Reagan would be remembered for allowing AIDS to devastate America by prioritizing politics over public health. While it may be tempting to assign blame to one individual for a nationwide epidemic, the spread of the AIDS virus was not solely President Reagan's fault. Despite Reagan's unfulfilled promise of a CDC grant, businesses of all sizes and gay activists who resisted closing bathhouses despite knowing the risks also perpetuated the issue.
Not only did these issues stem from them, but also from scientists and doctors. The medical challenges in understanding and addressing the epidemic involved doctors and scientists competing to pinpoint the cause of the virus, particularly striving to identify it in order to test for it. The CDC found that they could test for the virus, but only with limited accuracy. This limited testing accuracy made it difficult to implement widespread testing, especially in blood banks. American Doctor, Dr. Gallo, was informed by the CDC about a new virus causing fatalities among gay individuals, prompting him to join the research efforts. Simultaneously, French researchers were also investigating the unknown virus. As these scientists and doctors worked together on deciphering the AIDS virus mystery, they realized its significance as the death toll soared rapidly beyond thousands.
Both parties of scientists were aware that discovering the AIDS virus could potentially lead to winning the Nobel Peace Prize. Dr. Gallo and the French, like blood banks and bath house owners, were more concerned about personal gain rather than the lives of people. This selfish attitude almost hindered the discovery of AIDS, as both research centers had found it but Dr. Gallo claimed to be the first. This dispute nearly resulted in a lawsuit by the French against Dr. Gallo, prolonging the process and causing more avoidable deaths. President Reagan's promised grant to the CDC for research that was never received could have averted this conflict as it would have allowed the CDC to acquire necessary technology for studying the virus and potentially saving lives.
In And the Band Played On, Randy Shilts discusses various factors that could have potentially saved lives during the AIDS epidemic. Shilts aims to highlight how the seriousness of the AIDS crisis was overlooked and disregarded. He brings up numerous issues in his book that, if addressed differently, could have minimized the complications faced during the outbreak. Shilts emphasizes the inadequate response to the epidemic. While he does not provide specific solutions to these mistakes, he prompts readers to ponder how these errors could have been handled better. The significant number of lives lost to AIDS could have been reduced. For instance, President Reagan could have taken a more proactive approach to addressing AIDS, instead of brushing it aside because it was a sensitive topic that could affect his reputation. Shilts also discusses the political aspects of the AIDS epidemic, particularly regarding blood banks. The politics surrounding blood banks led to numerous individuals contracting the virus knowingly. Had the officials prioritized public health over their own interests, many deaths could have been prevented. Similarly, politics played a role in the spread of AIDS in bathhouses, where owners neglected public health for personal gain.
The owners of the bath house were only concerned about their own interests and profits, neglecting the well-being of others. The struggle to identify the AIDS virus led to significant loss of lives as Dr. Gallo and the French competed instead of collaborating. The promised grant money from CDC never materialized, potentially delaying the discovery of the virus. Ethical, political, and medical complexities resulted in numerous avoidable deaths. Randy Shilts wrote this book to prevent a recurrence of such a tragic event like the AIDS epidemic in history.
"And the Band Played On": A Critical Analysis of the AIDS Epidemic. (2016, Mar 09). Retrieved from https://studymoose.com/and-the-band-played-on-book-review-essay
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