Paddy Chew - Early Decline

Early Decline

Chew was not aware of AIDS or HIV during the first half of his career as a flight attendant, and never used a condom. He began practicing safe sex after hearing of the disease in 1986 or '87, but fell ill in 1995, two years after leaving Singapore Airlines. His hospital caretakers were inexperienced with his condition, failing to recognize his oral thrush until he made the diagnosis. He was put through a series of standard medical tests before being administered an HIV test at his request, to the reluctance of his doctors.

After his diagnosis he was relieved to know what was wrong. He traveled to Brussels to begin receiving treatment unavailable in Singapore at the time, but by 1996 he had lost 45% of his weight and his health was failing rapidly.

Out of an inability to function and a desire to prevent scandalizing his workplace should his condition be discovered, he left the Boom Boom Room.