Could it be in reference to the AIDS epidemic, with quotes such as this classifying the early days of that?

I don't think he said anything that merits more than a "what do you mean?" in response.

So I ask this person too, "what do you mean?"

I'm a gay man, and I'm on PrEP because I know I'm at higher risk of HIV. If I were straight and (1) neither I nor my partners used IV drugs, (2) neither I nor my partners had any visible STDs and I got checked for STDs regularly and (3) I were circumcized, to be honest I'd be fine having unprotected sex with random women because my chance of acquiring HIV would be exceedingly, exceedingly low. My chance of acquiring other STDs, especially Chlamydia, would be much higher, but if I were getting checked regularly it seems like a reasonable risk for a treatable disease.