"British AIDS Case Opens Up Discussion"

Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 1991. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.

"British AIDS Case Opens Up Discussion"

Christian Science Monitor (12/27/91), P. 13
Joffee, Linda

Abstract: The death of British rock star Freddie Mercury has heightened awareness of AIDS in Great Britain just as Magic Johnson's situation has increased awareness in the United States. Currently, Mercury is the most famous person to die from AIDS in Great Britain. The Terrence Higgins Trust, the country's main AIDS telephone hotline, was overwhelmed with calls the day after Mercury died from an average of 50-60 calls a day to about 200. Since then, concern about the disease has not tapered off. The way Mercury handled his disease was much different than the way Magic Johnson revealed his infection. Mercury waited until the day before he died to confess that he had AIDS, saying, "I felt it correct to keep this information private to date in order to protect the privacy of those around me." Many people respect that Mercury eventually addressed his condition, thus spreading awareness of AIDS, rather than avoiding the issue.

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