When the AIDS epidemic first exploded in the U.S., those who suffered from the largely-misunderstood disease were heavily stigmatized and often blamed for their sickness, as gay and bisexual men made up much of the initially afflicted population in this country. Some doctors and nurses even refused to treat these patients. But in San Francisco, one hospital created a dedicated unit, known as Ward 5B, that specifically cared for people with HIV or AIDS.
In for Jim Braude, Adam Reilly was joined by Alison Moed, one of the nurses from that unit, and Hank Plante, a journalist who covered the AIDS crisis in San Francisco from its early days — both of whom are featured in a new documentary about the unit, "5B."
