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.