6. The Allure of Heroic Risk. gay men are described as a “risk group” for
AIdS, and AIdS education is said to encourage “risk reduction.” Paradoxically,
many AIdS-related ads depict men in wholesome but risky activities
like mountain climbing. this ad, one of a series for the AIdS drug
Crixivan, advises: “remember to ask your doctor about Crixivan.” Warnings
about side effects such as swollen organs, kidney stones, respiratory
infections, pneumonia, muscle pain, blood in the urine, abdominal
swelling, cirrhosis and liver failure are confined to a page of small print
which also states that the clinical significance of the drug’s supposed
benefits “has not been established.” like a series of viramune ads depicting
HIv-positive odysseans crossing the Pacific, this ad reinforces
the image of gay men as dutifully enduring their regimen of drugs.
