Ignorance
1982. In London, whispers begin of a mysterious 鈥榞ay plague鈥�. As men contract Aids in alarming numbers, the community rallies to protect others from infection.
London, 1982. Thirteen years after the partial decriminalisation of homosexuality, the largest gay club in Europe opens its doors, and Heaven is packed. Whispers begin to circulate of a mysterious new disease, a 鈥榞ay cancer鈥� from New York, and Terry Higgins becomes one of the first people in Britain to die from what will become known as an Aids-related disease.
Activists and doctors come together to discover what they can about this new virus as the number of infected starts to rise. Fear and stigma spread across the nation, contributing to a culture of extreme homophobia and ignorance. Gay activists take charge of trying to spread educational messages about safe sex for the first time.
The stories of men including David, Pete, John and Tony, recorded at the time, bring these experiences to life. Their real voices are lip-synced by actors, giving first-hand insight into their lives at the time. They try to understand what they are hearing about Aids and cope with discovering their diagnoses at a time of heightened stigma and fear, when there is no cure.
As 1985 arrives, and with it the first HTLV-3 antibody test, the numbers of those infected with HIV gradually become clear, and the true scale of the epidemic begins to emerge.
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"My first thought was that it was a manufactured disease"
Duration: 01:11
Music Played
Timings (where shown) are from the start of the programme in hours and minutes
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00:02Divine
Native Love (Step By Step) (Alternative Remix)
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00:02U96
Ambient Underworld
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00:06Hazell Dean
Searchin'
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00:07Donna Summer
Love to Love You Baby
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00:12Diana Ross
No One Gets The Prize
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00:21Yazoo
Situation
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00:22The Clash
The Magnificent Dance
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00:25Depeche Mode
Leave In Silence
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00:27The Teardrop Explodes
Reward
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00:30Jean鈥怣ichel Jarre
Oxyg猫ne Part IV
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00:30Jean Michel Jarre, Jean-Michel Jarre
Oxygene 8
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00:30Jean鈥怣ichel Jarre
Oxygene, Pt. 4
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00:32Frankie Goes to Hollywood
Relax
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00:43This Mortal Coil
Song To The Siren
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00:47Bronski Beat
Why?
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00:51Intoxicados
El Rey
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00:51David Sylvian, Ryuichi Sakamoto
Forbidden Colours
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00:52David Sylvian & Ryuichi Sakamoto
Forbidden Colours
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00:58Pet Shop Boys
In The Night (2018 Remastered)
Credits
| Role | Contributor |
|---|---|
| Director | Mark Henderson |
| Series Producer | Morgana Pugh |
| Executive Producer | Leanne Klein |
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Discover more about the reality of living with HIV, by watching personal stories from The Open University
Visit The Open University website to learn more about HIV and AIDS.