Episode 32 - HIV: Reconstructed Memories of the Bad Old Days

For many younger clinicians, HIV is now a well-managed chronic disease. But for many patients, it carries memories of a very different era.

In this episode of The Host Response, Dr. Paul Bunce reflects on how his understanding of HIV evolved; from childhood memories shaped by television and the media, to caring for people living with HIV whose stories transformed his perspective. Along the way, he explores the "bad old days" before effective antiretroviral therapy, the devastating impact of stigma and political inaction, and the activism that forever changed medicine.

This is not a history of HIV. It is one clinician's reflection on what patients have taught him about illness, resilience, advocacy, and why remembering this history still matters.