And the Band Played On by Randy Shilts - Essay Example

Book Report on, “And the Band Played On” by Randy Shilts Randy Shilts, the of thenon-fiction book, And the Band Played On, was a journalist of the San Francisco Chronicle. Shilts published the book in 1987. The book traces the discovery and subsequent spread of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome. In addition, it looks at the role various individuals and agencies played to combat the epidemic when it was first reported in late seventies. Of much importance to Mr. Shilts was the role the U.S. government played. Therefore, his book focuses much on the government’s lack of interest and internal wrangles in the U.S. during this time, AIDS was initially seen as a disease for gays in America, and there was an assumption that it could only affect gays and perhaps intravenous drug users. In the book, Shilts acknowledges that AIDS is a result of a biological agent and occurred naturally. However, it is because of negligence towards the early victims that encouraged the spread of the disease. He also attributes the spread to apathy toward the early victims. According to him, this disease would have been eradicated were the Americans willing to. Being an investigative journalist that he was, Shilts writes this book in an investigative form. The book covers the various events that led to the spread of AIDS. The book also covers the poor politics that were involved in the fight against the pandemic. In addition, the book clearly spells out the effects the battle had on certain groups in America such as the Gay society. Other groups involved in the battle were medical society. The beginning of Shilts work is set in the late seventies, when we get the first confirmed case of AIDS. This is the case of Greth Rask, a Danish doctor, who had allegedly contacted the disease while working in Africa. Shilts’ work ends in 1985, when Rock Hudson comes public that he is dying of AIDS. Hudson was an actor. The death attracts the international attention to the gravity of the pandemic (Shilts). Shilts’s book captures what most people said to be the major ways by which the disease spread. It first raised alarm in New York and California. Most gay men were not only developing opportunistic infections but also cancers, which were resistant to treatment. There were also similar infections in the intravenous drug users. Shilts commended San Francisco’s Public Health Department for their efforts in tracing communicable diseases. They searched for infected people and tried to get a connection between them and other people with connected symptoms in other areas. He saw this as a good way other people should have adopted in identifying infected people. He also gives a case of Parisian doctors’ way of identifying the victims. Some Parisian researchers had started taking biopsies of HIV-infected lymph nodes and discovered a new retrovirus. This was the virus found by a researcher in America later. Therefore, the virus would be tested from the lymph nodes. Another test we encounter in Shilts’s book is the use of antibodies to detect the virus. This was approved in 1985 by the food Drug Administration (FDA). This provided for the screening of blood before transfusion, to prevent transmission of the virus from an infected blood donor to an uninfected recipient. There was also a conclusion that the disease could be transmitted through sexual intercourse with an infected person. Those at more risk were the gays and intravenous drug users. This is somehow a biological concept. The predisposing factor among the gays is the fact that the surface they use for sexual intercourse is not lubricated and thus the friction during sexual intercourse arises to cuts that act as openings for the viruses to get into the body. For intravenous drug users on the other hand, the sharing of needles necessitates the spread from an infected user to an uninfected one (Luker). I have learned a lot from the book. First, I have actually known how ignorance on matters pertaining to the transmission of HIV/AIDS had many negative impacts on the U.S. population. Some of the lives would have been saved if people had taken. Shilts took the responsibility to document the emergence of AIDS, which was considered a taboo. This way, the taboo factor attached to it faded away, and today people are very open about the issue, thus reducing the spread. I have also learnt to appreciate the achievements that have been made towards getting a vaccine for the disease. Actually, people have done a lot to reach wherever we are as AIDS and HIV are concerned. This actually gives a lot of hope for future discovery of a vaccine and eventually a cure. We can also see the role of the media in the fight against diseases. I think the media should not be reluctant whenever there is an outbreak of any pandemic since its sensitization of the public is important. In addition, I now know that it was partly because of stigmatization of some groups in the society that AIDS got an opportunity to spread. Stigma on people with AIDS should be reduced in case we want to win the battle against AIDS. I have also learned that politics should never be played in health matters, since politicians are not always right. I have also found out that AIDS is still a “new disease” among humankind. We should therefore keep the idea of its newness and fight with the same vigor people had in the first few years the first case was reported. It is so encouraging to realize the many achievements, which were made during this time, ranging from naming the diseases to not only getting appropriate tests but also to getting antiretroviral drugs. One first thing this book chronicles is the journeys people have made to not only reduce the spread of AIDS but also to change the its identity as a death sentence. With increased sensitization, much has been achieved in the battle against AIDS. Both politicians and non-politicians need to take this battle seriously if this pandemic is to be eradicated completely. More emphasis has to be put on developing countries, with special focus to Africa where the disease is still a threat. The various groups should emulate the vigor such like that witnessed in the early days when the virus was first reported. The stigmatization still associated to the disease in some countries should be discouraged as much. This can only be achieved if governments and non-governmental organizations pump more resources on the campaigns and literature that promote behavior change and reduce stigmatization. More funds and commitment is also needed to sensitize people on matters pertaining to AIDS. In addition, all people should work towards having a world free of diseases and one with low rates of poverty, since these are some of the predisposing factors that encourage the spread. Governments should also treat all society members equally because discrimination against the gay community contributed a great deal to the spread of AIDS. Moreover, political unity and commitment are crucial ingredients for solving the many problems in the world, with no exception of diseases. This also calls for unity among all players when there is any disease outbreak- because lack of this led to early spread of AIDS. For instance, an American researcher refused to cooperate with the first Parisians to do research on the HIV virus. This was based on their personal differences, a factor that led to no finding made on the virus for the four years that followed. This was a big blow to the efforts already on the ground against the virus. The media also need to learn to be as objective as possible in their reporting and handling of not only different groups in the community but also sensitive issues. Moreover, people should take the fight against diseases as everyone’s responsibility and not of particular individuals. Human rights groups should know that the fight against human rights abuses does not stop at just that, but should extend to other things like eradication of diseases. It is also the duty of institutions of health to take a quick step in enlightening the public on health matters. This is because negligence on their part led to more ignorance among the public thereby aiding the spread of AIDS. To make the world better, free of diseases, all stakeholders need to emulate the heroic efforts of agencies like the CDC and a few individuals like Shilts who dedicated almost their all to counter the spread of AIDS. This is a book I would recommend to anyone without hesitation. Despite being an investigative work, I find it so deep in facts on AIDS. The sincerity with which he handles the various issues makes the work believable. Moreover, Shilts is strongly opinionated and does not spare even president Reagan in his critique. He also criticizes his fellow gays for their unwillingness to change. Even though I do not find him recognizing the community of People with Aids, I still think that he might not have neglected them intentionally but only had too much to write about. Works Cited Luker, Ralph E. Writing Randy Shilts. History News Network. Web. 28 Nov. 2011. Shilts, Randy. And the Band Played On. St. Martin’s Press, 1987. Print. Read More