In the 1980s, when it became apparent that HIV was blood-borne, China banned blood donations from outside the country—but instituted no other HIV-related tests or regulations, not even against reusing needles. HIV quickly began to spread among those giving and receiving blood, possibly infecting as many as two million people.
An unlikely activist began to call people’s attention to the epidemic and try to find ways to fight against it: Gao Yaojie, a retired gynecologist. Her efforts earned her the nickname “AIDS granny,” as well as brutal retribution from the government.
