Wise Before Their Time: People with AIDS and HIV Talk About Their Lives

In 1991, HIV/AIDS was an immensely scary topic for the public. AZT had just been released, but no one saw it as a cure. Some were even frightened of the long-term side effects. In the decade following, multi-drug HAART therapy transformed HIV into a livable condition, at least for patients in the developed world. But in 1991, the fear the words “HIV” and “AIDS” invoked – especially in those given this diagnosis – needs to be captured in the historical record. Thankfully, this re-release by Ann Richardson does just that.

This read covers a heavy topic. It’s not dark per se, but instead addresses difficult matters often not talked about, like death, sexuality, or social stigma. These matters are helpful to think about or show more discuss from time to time, particularly if they affect your life or an acquaintance’s life. Contemporary readers can benefit from confronting current HIV/AIDS issues through a historical lens.

Richardson’s co-author was Dietmar Bolle, a nurse who died of AIDS complications shortly before this book was originally published in 1992. He wrote a moving poem that comprises its conclusion. This book contains interviews with dozens of people with HIV from dozens of countries all over the globe. Topics include: Being diagnosed, learning to live with the diagnosis, relationships, and reflections. At the end, such was the intimacy of the conversation that I felt like I knew each one of the interviewees in their given context.

Those who want to understand the psychology of illness can benefit from this book. So can sufferers of fatal diseases and those with chronic diseases. Healthcare workers (like nurses and physicians) can also read this work to gain empathy for their patients. The stigma and hardship of an HIV-positive result cannot be forgotten from history’s memory. This book brings real life to the fore to its readers. Although public health challenges remain, HIV and AIDS are thankfully not as scary as they once were. Still, in an era of global pandemics, humans can’t forget our common frailty in disease’s face. show less