[jessriedel]

> In the 1980s, getting HIV was a quick death sentence.

It has never been quick.

> Without treatment, average survival time after infection with HIV is estimated to be 9 to 11 years, depending on the HIV subtype

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HIV/AIDS#Prognosis

You may be thinking of the ~1 year survival times after an AIDS diagnosis, but HIV is usually latent for a decade after initial infection.

[mfoy_]

The passing of the sentence was quick, the execution of it was painful and slow.

[fatjokes]

So exactly like an American death sentence.

[loeg]

In the 80s HIV wasn't really diagnosed until it had reached the AIDS level, was it? AIDS itself was first diagnosed in 1981 and HIV wasn't isolated until 1983 and didn't have that name until 1986.

I've tried to do a brief search for earliest HIV (non-AIDS) diagnosis, but many websites use AIDS and HIV interchangeably.

[jessriedel]

Sure, but vkou didn't say "being diagnosed with AIDS was a quick death sentence" Importantly, you could be practicing very unsafe sex for a decade with no apparent consequences, which is not what one would conclude from vkou's comment.

[rangibaby]

"And The Band Played On" might have something about it. I don't remember because I read it a lot time ago.

[stan_rogers]

To be fair, "getting HIV" wasn't really a thing in the dark days. You found out when you developed AIDS, because some weird opportunistic thing popped up. Pre-AIDS diagnosis came along after an awful lot of people died slowly of things that folks ordinarily don't get or don't die from.