Oprah Returns to Williamson, West Virginia
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In one of the most explosive encounters in the 1987 show, Dr. Woodrow Myers, a public health official from Indiana, directly addressed Jerry. Dr. Myers said Jerry was fearful of AIDS because he didn't know the truth about it.
Jerry says this heated exchanged provoked him to say he was repulsed by gays. "It wasn't about the gay; it wasn't about the disease. It was about the doctor telling me, 'Sir, you're afraid.'"
Watch this unforgettable moment from 1987.
Jerry also says he was upset because he believed the government was misleading citizens about how AIDS was transmitted. Dr. Myers says Jerry was wrong about this then and is still wrong today if he thinks the same things. "Public health officials who have no reason to lie didn't lie then, aren't lying today," he says. "We tell the public what we know; we tell the public the intensity with which we know it."
Dr. Myers says there's been progress in HIV/AIDS education. "We still have a lot of myths. We still have a lot of rumors around the world about how you get it, how you don't get it," he says. "But it's much better today than it's ever been."
Learn about the state of HIV/AIDS today.
Jerry says this heated exchanged provoked him to say he was repulsed by gays. "It wasn't about the gay; it wasn't about the disease. It was about the doctor telling me, 'Sir, you're afraid.'"
Watch this unforgettable moment from 1987.
Jerry also says he was upset because he believed the government was misleading citizens about how AIDS was transmitted. Dr. Myers says Jerry was wrong about this then and is still wrong today if he thinks the same things. "Public health officials who have no reason to lie didn't lie then, aren't lying today," he says. "We tell the public what we know; we tell the public the intensity with which we know it."
Dr. Myers says there's been progress in HIV/AIDS education. "We still have a lot of myths. We still have a lot of rumors around the world about how you get it, how you don't get it," he says. "But it's much better today than it's ever been."
Learn about the state of HIV/AIDS today.
As a reminder, always consult your doctor for medical advice and treatment before starting any program.
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