"Even at church, people would not shake my hand"

This quote by Ryan White speaks with the fear and stigma that surrounded HIV/AIDS in the 1980s. Ryan White was a young kid who contracted HIV through a blood transfusion and was consequently ostracized from his neighborhood. This quote talks to the discrimination and prejudice he dealt with, even in a place of praise. It demonstrates how people were so scared of the infection that they would not even shake his hand. This quote is an effective pointer of the worry and misunderstanding that surrounded HIV/AIDS at the time, and how it impacted those coping with the infection. It likewise acts as a reminder of how far we have actually been available in terms of understanding and approval of HIV/AIDS, and how far we still need to go in terms of eliminating the preconception and discrimination that still exists today.