Media ID 0212-A |
Interview and talkback on AIDS (1985) with Dr David Cooper from St Vincent's Hospital – Sydney
Unique ID | 1126779426-47 | ||||||||||||||||||
Speakers | David Cooper, talkback callers, unidentified speakers | ||||||||||||||||||
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Comments | Sound quality – recorded off the radio | ||||||||||||||||||
Disclaimer | This summary gives general themes as to the content of this recording. It is not a verbatim transcript. Always refer back to the original audio. This is a working document and any amendments/corrections are welcome. |
| Dr David Cooper from St Vincent's Hospital - Sydney, is interviewed about AIDS by Gillian Woodward (1985, National Programme) |
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01:20 | Woodward – introduction to Dr David Cooper .. putting AIDS into perspective.. |
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02:10 | David Cooper – in terms of numbers – it’s not as serious as cancer or heart disease.. seems to be spreading sexually.. killing younger people.. in Australia – 103 cases nationwide.. 70 were in NSW |
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03:30 | Cooper – a serious problem that is transmitted sexually .. a disease with no cure.. people have to be aware of it.. on the other hand there is an enormous amount of hysteria in the community .. you are not going to get it from ordinary social contact |
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04:30 | Woodward – historic context.. |
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04:50 | Cooper – 12,000 cases in the US.. 150 per week.. estimate of 1 million Americans already infected.. |
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05:30 | Caller: Patrick – Saliva |
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06:00 | Cooper – I could not give you a 100% guarantee that it is not transmitted via saliva.. the virus is found in saliva, although no cases of transmission via saliva |
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06:55 | Woodward – body fluids.. AIDS transmission |
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07:10 | Cooper - sexually transmitted – homosexual and heterosexual intercourse.. contaminated blood products, intravenous needles, from mother-to-child in the birth process.. |
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08:00 | Woodward – does the seminal fluid have to enter the blood stream? |
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08:20 | Cooper – women in Sydney being infected through an artificial insemination programme .. was a theory that there was more trauma in rectal intercourse.. |
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09:20 | Caller: Patrick – AIDS entering blood stream directly.. what about insects.. mosquito’s.. |
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10:10 | Cooper – possibly in Africa .. not in the US.. mosquito’s ..it is a human virus.. incidents in Africa.. |
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11:50 | Woodward – history of AIDS |
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12:00 | Cooper – it’s a new disease.. it hasn’t been buried in Africa for centuries.. prior to the late 1970s no one had identified this disease.. |
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13:00 | Cooper – the green monkey theory.. it looks like it emerged from Africa.. to the Caribbean and then to the United States.. spread to the South Pacific through travel of gay men.. spread to Europe by both gay men travelling and people from Africa.. |
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15:00 | Caller: Bill – can you reconcile the advert in the newspaper “AIDS is not a gay disease” with a recent Time article that says 78% of AIDS sufferers in America are homosexual males.. |
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15:30 | Cooper – 70% of AIDS cases are in homosexual men.. however it can be transmitted just as well through heterosexual contact.. it shouldn’t be considered a gay disease.. |
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16:20 | Woodward – read that it’s less likely to be transmitted from women to men.. how do women transmit the disease.. |
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17:00 | Woodward – has there been any study into AIDS coming from a human-made product.. drugs – poppers .. lubricants.. |
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18:40 | Woodward – symptoms |
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18:44 | Cooper - number of stages.. acute infectious illness – just after you’ve been exposed.. much like Glandular Fever.. some people don’t have any symptoms.. a percentage of people will get AIDS Related Complex.. some of those will go on to develop full blown AIDS.. destruction of T cells.. opportunistic infections.. |
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21:10 | Cooper – there are certainly people who will just present at the end of the disease.. |
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21:40 | Woodward – screening .. who should be tested |
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22:00 | Cooper – this is an enormous area.. homosexuals, bisexuals, drug users, haemophiliacs.. difficulties with this .. confidentiality.. screening should be done in a non-judgemental environment.. |
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23:30 | Woodward – is there any onus on the AIDS positive person to let other people know |
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23:50 | Cooper – if the gay man is practising safe sex.. |
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24:40 | Woodward – how safe are the precautions that you take |
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25:10 | Cooper – nothing is 100% |
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25:20 | Woodward – is there any resistance to the screening |
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25:30 | Cooper – our experience has been exactly the opposite.. AIDS screening clinic - Albion Street in Sydney .. six week waiting list.. The antibodies test simply tells you that the person has been exposed to the AIDS virus.. assumed that they are infectious.. US survey.. |
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28:00 | Woodward – follow up treatment .. do you keep in contact |
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28:20 | Cooper – confidential records are kept |
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29:10 | Caller: Josie – have they done surveys to see if these people have had large doses of Penicillin in the past.. Glandular Fever.. |
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30:10 | Cooper – active gay men have received a lot of antibiotics in the past to curb sexually transmitted disease.. |
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31:00 | Cooper – AIDS transmission and acupuncture.. |
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31:30 | Woodward – follow up treatments |
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31:40 | Cooper – there is no medical treatment.. try to improve the person’s immune system.. alcohol, cigarettes, recreational drugs, sleep.. we recommend an alteration in lifestyle.. distress.. there are a number of anti-viral drugs.. they’re currently being tested in the US and Australia.. all these agents work in the test tube.. |
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34:10 | Woodward – what percentage of people who are AIDS positive go on to develop AIDS related diseases |
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34:30 | Cooper – 10% of people who are antibody positive will go on to get full-blown AIDS.. people with AIDS Related Complex 20 – 25% will go on to develop full-blown AIDS.. we can’t tell from the antibody test who will go on to develop full-blown AIDS.. people may present 15-20 years later with full-blown AIDS .. infected for life |
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36:00 | Woodward – once you know you are AIDS positive how should you live your life.. |
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36:12 | Cooper – protection .. safe sex.. shouldn’t donate blood.. it doesn’t mean they can’t continue to work.. |
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36:40 | Woodward – victimisation |
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36:50 | Cooper – it’s important to educate the public.. not transmitted by ordinary social contact.. |
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37:20 | Cooper – study groups.. people are taking this advice.. enrolled a thousand gay men in Sydney between February 1984 and January 1985.. changing sexual practises.. |
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38:30 | Caller: Rachel – AIDS and promiscuity.. if homosexuals formed long-term relationships .. |
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39:00 | Cooper – I don’t believe sexually active heterosexuals are any different to sexually active homosexuals.. |
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39:40 | Woodward – concern about people associating with AIDS people.. safety issues.. |
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40:00 | Cooper – infection control guidelines for health workers.. needle-stick injuries.. nurse in the UK who developed AIDS.. laboratory safety.. |
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41:30 | Woodward – what about breast-milk transmission |
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41:40 | Cooper – case in Sydney of a woman and baby.. possible but not proven.. screening.. |
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43:30 | Woodward – it seems there’s not a great deal known about this disease |
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