Some press articles portray AIDS as being spread by deviant, marginal groups to the so-called general population. The metaphor of demonization is coupled with the metaphor of plague, implying that people who are contagious spread AIDS through casual contact. A look at the broader coverage of AIDS focuses on how the threat of AIDS is topicalized as a risk in a way that creates a signification crisis, where the symbolic exaggeration of threat actually makes the problem worse. The inquiry into Canada's blood supply uncovered new evidence of the prejudice and negligence which contributed to the spread of AIDS among hemophiliacs in Canada but did not address the wider symbolic misrepresentations that contribute to the spread of the disease. Early stereotyping of AIDS created a long-lasting stigma, and contributed to its spread, as people contracted HIV because they felt and were treated as if they were not at risk. The way the disease was signified contributed to its spread, and this misinformation was spread through the media. Figures, notes