“In saner times, American authorities understood the problem and took common sense measures to fight the spread of the disease.”
Similar to the lack of action when AIDS first hit the scene. Rather than take the politically incorrect position of admitting the disease was spread primarily by gay sex, it was allowed to run rampant. At some point, it was promoted as spread primarily by heterosexuals. This enabled tainted blood to get into the blood supply used for operations, killing many, who were non-gay. Arthur Ashe and Isaac Asimov, are two examples. Everett Koop did a mighty dis-service to the American people when thousands of deaths could have been averted.
AIDs was not allowed to run rampant. My wife and I were in SF in 83-84 when the “gays” ran riot over the town because CDC had come in and closed the bathhouses. By riot, I mean burning buildings and cars, threatening to kill people, etc. Reagan was so flummoxed by the insanity that he agreed to remove the restrictions, not understanding what was really going on in the streets.
The gays killed themselves because they could not control their lusts to allow the disease to die.