France notes that early evidence of the epidemic was largely ignored by major news organizations. What impact did this have on the disease’s spread? Why was increased coverage not necessarily positive? What does this reflect about society at the time?

This encourages the reader to consider how discriminatory attitudes reduced coverage of the AIDS epidemic and made that coverage risky, given that it exposed the gay community to acts of violence.

What did Callen and Berkowitz initially propose as a way to stop the spread of AIDS and possibly cure it entirely? What was the response to this publication? How did Berkowitz subsequently change his approach?

This helps the reader understand the important role sexual expression played in gay culture and how that affected early responses to AIDS.

Describe the initial government and public response to the epidemic. What were some proposed solutions? What does this show about society at the time?