Hacker News Reader

Comment by 6sG2C54md377Rxi | Hacker News Reader

I’m not questioning the reality of AIDS or its impact. I’m trying to understand the climate and people’s outlook of the time.

You’re right: I wasn’t around during that era. I was born in ‘86 in a faraway society that did not see these issues the same way. However, I was taught from a young age that sexual promiscuity lacking precautions was a sure pathway to disease and possibly early death.

Was this not common knowledge in the US? Were gay men fundamentally more reckless than a baseline American?

View on HN

> However, I was taught from a young age that sexual promiscuity lacking precautions was a sure pathway to disease and possibly early death.

Sex ed changed pretty significantly in the 80s/90s, yes.

> Were gay men fundamentally more reckless than a baseline American?

The attitude of "baseline Americans" was likely fairly similar - if you catch something, you can get a shot of penicillin. The US military in WWII got pretty comfortable treating "venereal disease" after shore leave.

>However, I was taught from a young age that sexual promiscuity lacking precautions was a sure pathway to disease and possibly early death

Yes, because you grew up post-AIDs. Pre-AIDs, it was different.

If you grew up before AIDs, you would have been taught the greatest danger of promiscuous sex was unwanted pregnancy.

Other commenters are appropriately addressing the nature of other STDs and attitudes at the time.

Yes, they were more reckless because until then they pretty much could be (caveats for the risks already known, but those were equal opportunity offenders).

Your lessons on the dangers were based on those learned at this time. When it hit there was no understanding and it was frightening for all.

Actually getting condoms used to be a highly stigmatized pain in the ass back in the "caveman" days in large swaths of the world (especially in large swaths of the US). You came up in a very different environment.

Not really. You just didn't want everyone knowing you're having sex. Especially in small communities.

Reply on news.ycombinator.com