"Rumors of sneezing, kissing, tears, sweat, and saliva spreading AIDS caused people to panic"

This quote by Ryan White speaks to the worry and panic that surrounded the AIDS epidemic in the 1980s. At the time, there was a lot of misinformation about how the infection was spread, and reports of sneezing, kissing, tears, sweat, and saliva dispersing AIDS triggered individuals to be scared of even the most ordinary activities. This fear was intensified by the fact that there was no recognized treatment for AIDS at the time, and the preconception associated with the virus made it hard for people to talk honestly about it. As an outcome, individuals were left feeling afraid and powerless, and the panic surrounding the infection only served to further separate those impacted by it.