The Blame Game: The USSR’s Response to HIV/AIDS

The Soviet Union tried to minimize news of the HIV/AIDS outbreak, blaming the victims.

On the surface, HIV/AIDS and Covid-19 seem as dissimilar as two viruses could possibly be. Yet, the ways in which the Soviet Union reacted to the arrival of HIV/AIDS, and how it spread in the first years of the outbreak, yield valuable insights into our current coronavirus pandemic.

Written by Svetlana Ter-Grigoryan. Narration by Dr. Nicholas B. Breyfogle. 

Video production by Laura Seeger and Dr. Nicholas B. Breyfogle. Video Production Assistance by Kristin Osborne. Audio production by Paul Kotheimer, College of Arts & Sciences Academic Technology Services. The Origins' editorial team includes Editors Nicholas Breyfogle, Steven Conn and David Steigerwald; Managing Editors Lauren Henry, Sarah Paxton and Brionna Mendoza; Associate Editor: Kristin Osborne

We thank the Stanton Foundation for their funding of this and other Origins projects.

Ohio Humanities Logo

This content is made possible, in part, by Ohio Humanities, a state affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities. Any views, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed in this content do not necessarily represent those of the National Endowment for the Humanities.