Bianca Garcia

November 15, 2015

PHED 1304
Caprice Dodson
And the Band Played On Reflection Paper
I think the title represents a band, one that is formed of scientists who continue to play on or
discover/search for more information the cure especially of HIV/AIDS even after the fatalities and
credibility lost during the process.
Before watching the film I did have some prior knowledge of AIDS however I did not know the
actual history. The events and people who were involved in the discovery and history of AIDS was
unknown to me until watching this film. I do know that AIDS is a sexually transmitted disease which can
be contracted through bodily fluids, or inherited from a mother who is already infected. This disease, a
retrovirus is one that destroys the immune system; the human system that is meant to combat illnesses,
diseases, etc. I also know that it was often suspected to be a homosexual disease, one that affected gay
men as punishment from God and all. I figured this disease only added to the hated for the gay
community as a result of the fatalities and its prominence within the homosexual population.
A lot of my knowledge on AIDS can be credited to school, specifically middle school. During this
time sex and everything surrounding it became of high importance. I also took it upon myself to educate
myself on what I felt was imperative (and I continue to do so today.) Most of the information I gathered
was from the internet and other films/documentaries like this one. Today I know much more about the
history and those involved with the discovery of AIDS. I now know that AIDS was not always the name for
this immune disintegrating disease. GRID (gay-related immune deficiency) was the initial name for this
disease proposed in 1982. During this time the CDC believed a single man, Gatan Dugas spread this
deadly disease through having sexual intercourse with gay men from all around the world. Dugas was a
flight attendant, and he was dubbed patient zero for being the origin of this virus. Aside from America
(the CDC and other scientists) who were working on AIDS, the French too saw cases of this disease, thus
began the race to identify this Feline leukemia like disease.
The one scene that really moved me the most was the male patient whose room was ironically
stationed next to a cemetery. My emotions were wild through this part, the literal helplessness of his state
was unbearable. I could not help but imagine the pain this man was in. Warts were scattered upon his

Bianca Garcia
November 15, 2015
PHED 1304
Caprice Dodson
face while he coughed like a patient suffering from tuberculosis, but it was well known his diagnosis and
fate. The patient said one line that resonated with me throughout the entire movie, Why do they make
things like this that no one can ever solve? While saying this line he held a Rubiks Cube, an infamous
toy known for its difficulty to solve. There was a double meaning to when he stated things like this; he
did not mean the impossible toy but rather AIDS. This was a man who knew he was going to die and it
broke me to see this patient in such a state.
When the term bathhouses appeared I felt they were key players in the transmission of AIDS, and
I was right. Bathhouses are facilities where baths/showers can be used by the public, usually the less
fortunate to maintain hygiene. I knew bathhouses are not as sanitary as the name suggests because of
drugs and the amount of men using these communal buildings for more than bathing. It was no wonder
AIDS spread so profusely through these developments.
During the film there were quite a few quotes that caught my attention and I feel support my
feelings and the overall issues with the way AIDS was (mis)treated during its early years. Constantly,
people wanted scientific proof that AIDS was in fact sexually transmitted because Americans simply
cannot withstand from sex. This need for scientific proof was a must until Dr. Don Francis made the
analogy, When a house is on fire you dont wait for scientific proof! You just grab the first water hose and
put it out. I could not have agreed more with this statement as it clearly describes the ignorance of the
scientists and other health organizations that continued to deny the sexual transmission of this disease.
Another one of my favorites was, When doctors start acting like business men, who can the people turn
to for doctors? I feel this quote continues to describe the health world today, as it is often filled with
hypocrites and money hungry people. Lastly, I would rather die as a human being than continue living as
a freak. The emotional and physical suffering of this quote related to me beyond that of the AIDS
epidemic, but farther as the issues with acceptance and brutalness of difference within society.
In my closing statements I would like to recall that AIDS is in fact a growing epidemic that places
everyone at risk. Precaution, safety, and education of this STD is imperative in reducing and possibly,

Bianca Garcia
November 15, 2015
PHED 1304
Caprice Dodson
hopefully eliminating this disease. I do understand that combating this virus will not be easy but I do know
that will the proper tools and preparation we could discover/create the cure for AIDS.