The Plague in the Shadows

The Plague in the Shadows

From Reveal by The Center for Investigative Reporting and PRX

June 13, 2026 · 51 min

About this episode

The episode revisits the early years of the HIV epidemic, focusing on the overlooked impact on women and communities of color, featuring activist Katrina Haslip's story.

Decades before Covid-19, the AIDS epidemic tore through communities in the US and around the world. It has killed some 40 million people and continues to take lives today. But early on, research and public policy focused on AIDS as a gay men’s disease, overlooking other vulnerable groups—including communities of color and women. This month marks 45 years since the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention published its first report about a mysterious illness that would eventually be called AIDS. So we’re bringing back Blindspot: The Plague in the Shadows, from reporters Kai Wright and Lizzy Ratner, which chronicles the first years of the HIV epidemic in New York City. One of the most influential activists for women with AIDS was Katrina Haslip, a prisoner at a maximum-security prison in upstate New York. In the 1980s, Haslip and other incarcerated women started a support group to educate each other about HIV and AIDS. Haslip took her activism beyond prison walls after her release in 1990, even meeting with CDC leaders. One of the main goals was to change the definition of AIDS, which at the time excluded many symptoms that appeared in HIV-positive women. This meant that women…

Topics covered

  • AIDS epidemic
  • HIV
  • activism
  • public health
  • women's health
  • prison reform

Keywords

  • AIDS
  • HIV
  • Katrina Haslip
  • activism
  • public policy
  • women
  • communities of color
  • CDC
  • support group

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, The History Channel, WNYC Studios

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