Stephen Crohn, Subject of AIDS Study, Commits Suicide

Stephen Crohn, Subject of AIDS Study, Commits Suicide

Stephen Crohn, whose resistance to the H.I.V. virus that causes AIDS helped researchers in their fight against the disease, committed suicide in August in New York City. He was 66. In 1978, Crohn cared for boyfriend Jerry Green when he suffered through a variety of symptoms, including eventual blindness, that came to be known as AIDS. Even though Crohn continued to be sexually active and had many homosexual friends who became infected with the virus, Crohn never did and his resistance to the virus not only helped medical researchers but also earned him the title, “The Man Who Can’t Catch AIDS.”

Crohn became a test subject for Dr. Bill Paxton. But because his CD4 white blood cells contained a genetic mutation, the virus was not able to attach to his cells and cause him to become sick. His brother reports that Crohn suffered tremendous survivor guilt after seeing his boyfriend die along with many other gay friends who succumbed to the disease. But he felt that his work helping medical researchers gain a better understanding of how people became infected and why some patients were immune to the disease gave his life some greater purpose. He is survived by his sister.

On The Web:

Stephen Crohn, Subject of AIDS Study, Commits Suicide
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/09/15/health/stephen-crohn-who-furthered-aids-study-dies-at-66.html?_r=0