# Did Jim Henson die of AIDS? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 25, 2005, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-jim-henson-die-of-aids/327888 "2005-10-25T21:26:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Kalhoun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3bc359/32.png) [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2005, 12:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-jim-henson-die-of-aids/327888/21 "2005-10-27T00:37:54Z")
I’ve had strep a number of times (as a kid) and you are sick as a dog from it. I think I would recognize it again and get my ass to the doctor. Yup! It’s a beast. Nope! You don’t want to fuck with it. ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/46a35a/32.png) [@Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_T-Bonham.net)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2005, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-jim-henson-die-of-aids/327888/22 "2005-10-27T02:38:51Z")
> [@GuanoLad](#): > > Though I have no idea if Richard was gay. He was. See his obituary in the national gay news magazine, the Advocate, for example. And regarding Yassar Arafat, I believe recent reports from the hospital pathology lab confirm that his death was a result of AIDS. Of course, some in the PLO are very upset about this, and trying to deny it. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2005, 2:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-jim-henson-die-of-aids/327888/23 "2005-10-27T02:46:02Z")
> [@Brynda](#): > > Minor hijack–if you haven’t seen the new Jim Henson and the muppets stamps, get thee to a post office. They are really great. When you put them on a white envelope, the muppets seem to be breaking through the envelope. I tried to buy some on Monday, alas, but they were gone. I’d be interested to hear more about Arafat, as last I’d heard, it was deemed unlikely that AIDS killed him. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2005, 3:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-jim-henson-die-of-aids/327888/24 "2005-10-27T03:45:17Z")
You may buy your Muppet stamps (and many others as well) directly from the U.S. Postal Service’s Stamp Fulfillment Services at (800) 782-6724. It’s a great resource for stamps and stamp-related stuff. ---
**Author:** ![pesch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pesch/32/4925_2.png) [@pesch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pesch)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2005, 3:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-jim-henson-die-of-aids/327888/25 "2005-10-27T03:58:08Z")
Synchronisity alert: I was in the post office today and saw the stamps on the wall and thought “How neat, I didn’t know that had been issued.” As for Yassir, this entry from [Little Green Footballs](http://littlegreenfootballs.com/weblog/?entry=17431&only) contains two links, one to an Israeli newspaper > [@](#): > > The release of Yasser Arafat’s pathology report has reignited a heated debate about the former PA Chairman’s cause of death. Although no sources point to a definitive conclusion, most signs — including an admission by Arafat’s doctor Ashraf al-Kurdi, that the French doctors that cared for Arafat found the virus in his blood — point to AIDS. Still, some experts maintain that he was poisoned. > > Al-Kurdi’s implausible allegation that the virus was given to Arafat by Israel to disguise poisoning was rejected outright by Prime Minister Ariel Sharon’s office, which according to a report in Haaretz, called the accusation “nonsense”. > > After Arafat died on November 11, 2004 at the military hospital in Paris, top secret copies of his pathology report were handed over to Arafat’s widow, Suha, and senior Palestinian Authority officials. > > On the date of his death, IsraelInsider reported that the hospital concealed the cause of his death, with the hospital citing French privacy laws; a concealment which strengthened the suspicion that Arafat had died of AIDS. > > After the French rejected requests for Arafat’s medical records, as reported by IsraelInsider, suspicions grew even stronger. So strong that Israel conducted an inquiry into the possibility of AIDS. Israeli newspaper Maariv reported that the accumulation of evidence — gathered by both intelligence and medical sources — suggested to Israel’s “intelligence branch” that such a possibility was “much more than speculation.” > > Later, when IsraelInsider brought to light that the French had accepted a falsified death certificate indicating Arafat’s place of birth as Jerusalem, rather than his actual birthplace of Cairo, suspicions of a cover-up grew even stronger. > > Then, when IsraelInsider reported that Arafat’s family had admitted that to publicize the medical truth would harm the Palestinians, the possibility of AIDS grew even likelier still. > > According to a report in Haaretz, Arafat’s pathology report findings are finally about to be published for the first time. The conclusions will appear in the revised edition of “The Seventh War,” by Israeli journalists Amos Harel and Avi Isacharoff, and released next week by Yedioth Ahronoth in Hebrew. > > Although Israeli and foreign doctors who have seen the report say the details do not lead to a definitive conclusion on what caused the death — “a discussion among a large number of medical experts… shows that it is impossible to pinpoint a cause that will explain the combination of symptoms that led to the death of the patient,” reads the report in Haaretz — several indications (besides historical evidence and al-Kurdi’s admission) suggest that he may have in fact had AIDS. The New York Times says their look at the records “dispells a rumor that he may have died of AIDS” but notes: > [@](#): > > But even the French doctors never discovered the specific cause of the infection that led to the bleeding disorder, the records show. “It’s a big puzzle,” said a specialist in infectious diseases. > > The records make no mention of an AIDS test, an omission the experts found bizarre. An Israeli infectious disease specialist said he would have performed the test, if only to be thorough and to refute the rumors that surrounded the case. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2005, 4:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-jim-henson-die-of-aids/327888/26 "2005-10-27T04:26:37Z")
> [@pesch](#): > > As for Yassir, this entry from [Little Green Footballs](http://littlegreenfootballs.com/weblog/?entry=17431&only) contains two links, one to an Israeli newspaper I did read that Ha’aretz concluded it was AIDS. We’ll see what else comes out. ---
**Author:** ![Diceman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Diceman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diceman)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2005, 11:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-jim-henson-die-of-aids/327888/27 "2005-10-27T11:35:32Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > I did read that Ha’aretz concluded it was AIDS. We’ll see what else comes out. What is Arafat’s official cause of death? The article quoted above says that his death certificate is obviously fake, but does anyone know what it says? ---
**Author:** ![irishgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/8edcca/32.png) [@irishgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/irishgirl)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2005, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-jim-henson-die-of-aids/327888/28 "2005-10-27T14:34:12Z")
Re: Arafat. I’m thinking about this, and really, this is all medical information that is supposed to be confidential (death doesn’t end confidentiality). Allegations of a “cover-up” are somewhat odd, and the fact that Israel is so interested in Arafat’s cause of death rather points to a smear campaign. In the grand scheme of things it matters very little what someone died from and breaches of patient confidentiality help no-one. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2005, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-jim-henson-die-of-aids/327888/29 "2005-10-27T15:23:22Z")
> [@irishgirl](#): > > (death doesn’t end confidentiality) Is that the case? I’d like to see some legal authorities, because I’m not at all sure that this is clear. Under the common law, for example, a dead person has no privacy rights. ---
**Author:** ![irishgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/8edcca/32.png) [@irishgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/irishgirl)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2005, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-jim-henson-die-of-aids/327888/30 "2005-10-27T15:30:26Z")
You try and get your family doctor to tell you confidential information about dead patients and see how far you get. It’s a serious breach of medical ethics. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2005, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-jim-henson-die-of-aids/327888/31 "2005-10-27T17:07:29Z")
> [@irishgirl](#): > > \*Pneumocystis carinii \* pneumonia is pathognomic of AIDS, and henson didn’t die of that. Clarification: Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia is pathgnomonic of _a suppressed immune system_. While most cases are related to HIV infection, others can get it too. A summary from [emedicine.com](http://emedicine.com): \*Causes: PCP occurs only in immunocompromised individuals, particularly patients with cell-mediated immune deficiencies. Patients at risk include the following: Persons infected with HIV CD4 count less than 200 and not on PCP prophylaxis Evidence of oropharyngeal thrush or fever, regardless of CD4 count Patients with HIV who have undergone splenectomy - May have spuriously high CD4 count Patients with hematologic malignancies Patients on long-term steroids or immunosuppressant therapy, including patients with systemic vasculitis or other autoimmune diseases Organ-transplant recipients Patients with other immune deficiencies Thymic dysplasia Severe combined immunodeficiency Hypogammaglobulinemia Patients with severe malnutrition\* ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/46a35a/32.png) [@Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_T-Bonham.net)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2005, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-jim-henson-die-of-aids/327888/32 "2005-10-28T00:20:45Z")
> [@Diceman](#): > > What is Arafat’s official cause of death? The article quoted above says that his death certificate is obviously fake, but does anyone know what it says? No cause of death is listed. French law allows this to be omitted from the death certificate, and Arafat’s wife requested that it be left off his death certificate. ---
**Author:** ![picunurse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7bcc69/32.png) [@picunurse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/picunurse)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2005, 12:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-jim-henson-die-of-aids/327888/33 "2005-10-28T00:41:33Z")
> [@Jackmannii](#): > > Clarification: Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia is pathgnomonic of _a suppressed immune system_. > > While most cases are related to HIV infection, others can get it too. A summary from [emedicine.com](http://emedicine.com): > > \*Causes: PCP occurs only in immunocompromised individuals, particularly patients with cell-mediated immune deficiencies. Patients at risk include the following: > > Persons infected with HIV > CD4 count less than 200 and not on PCP prophylaxis > Evidence of oropharyngeal thrush or fever, regardless of CD4 count > Patients with HIV who have undergone splenectomy - May have spuriously high CD4 count > Patients with hematologic malignancies > Patients on long-term steroids or immunosuppressant therapy, including patients with systemic vasculitis or other autoimmune diseases > Organ-transplant recipients > Patients with other immune deficiencies > Thymic dysplasia > Severe combined immunodeficiency > Hypogammaglobulinemia > Patients with severe malnutrition\* You missed those on marrow suppressive chemotherapy. As an aside, _Pneumocystis_ is carried by birds, I’m not completely sure if it occurs commonly else where, but in the U.S. mid-west, nearly everyone has antibodies to it. It was how we tested to see if someone could mount an antibody response. (Research project) It was injected intradermally, like a TB test, then read in 3 days. In a year of testing only one healthy volunteer came up negative. He was English and had only been in the area one week. This was before HIV was recognized. I doubt if it’s used routinely today. ---
**Author:** ![Enola\_Straight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dec6dc/32.png) [@Enola\_Straight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enola_Straight)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2005, 12:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-jim-henson-die-of-aids/327888/34 "2005-10-28T00:45:15Z")
IIRC the A&E Biography, Jim Henson was a Christian Scientist; modern medicine is against his religeon. When he finally, reluctantly, went to the hospital, it was too late. ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/46a35a/32.png) [@Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_T-Bonham.net)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2005, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-jim-henson-die-of-aids/327888/35 "2005-10-28T00:53:02Z")
> [@irishgirl](#): > > I’m thinking about this, and really, this is all medical information that is supposed to be confidential (death doesn’t end confidentiality). > . . . > In the grand scheme of things it matters very little what someone died from and breaches of patient confidentiality help no-one. No, this isn’t true, under the laws of most countries. Only a few countries allow a death certificate without listing the actual cause of death. And in many, putting false information can subject the doctor to legal charges. In fact, this information can help many people. After all, the purpose of medical confidentiality is to ensure that people get treated for diseases, even ‘loathsome’ diseases that might cause others to shun them if they knew about it. Obviously, this is not very relevant any more after the patient dies. At that point, society’s interest in keeping track of diseases & deaths for public health purposes is more important. Thus the existence of government agencies as the CDC & WHO, and their regular publication of reports about this. (See the US CDC’s weekly Morbidity & Mortality Report [http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/mmwr\_wk.html](http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/mmwr_wk.html), for example.) In the law, patient confidentiality for live patients is often trumped by the needs of maintaining the health of the general public in society. Think of the requirements for immunizations for schoolchildren, or the mandatory isolation & quarantine imposed on communicable disease outbreaks, such as SARS a few years ago. When the patient is dead, this is even more weighted in favor of the living members of society. ---
**Author:** ![Diceman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Diceman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diceman)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2005, 1:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-jim-henson-die-of-aids/327888/36 "2005-10-28T01:29:35Z")
> [@t-bonham@scc.net](#): > > No cause of death is listed. > > French law allows this to be omitted from the death certificate, and Arafat’s wife requested that it be left off his death certificate. Interesting. That’s a pretty big hint that Arafat’s condition was something that might be considered embarrassing or shameful. You don’t hide the cause of death if it’s cancer, or a stroke, or something common like that. ---
**Author:** ![Dr\_Paprika](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr_paprika/32/3042_2.png) [@Dr\_Paprika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr_Paprika)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2005, 1:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-jim-henson-die-of-aids/327888/37 "2005-10-28T01:54:01Z")
I’ve seen many people die of pneumonia. If you are elderly and already weakened by heart, lung and kidney problems, infection can be fatal despite the best antibiotics. If you are healthy and young, some strains can still be dangerous, even deadly. ---
**Author:** ![irishgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/8edcca/32.png) [@irishgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/irishgirl)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2005, 8:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-jim-henson-die-of-aids/327888/38 "2005-10-28T08:59:36Z")
**[t-bonham@scc.net](mailto:t-bonham@scc.net)**-there is a difference between collecting epidemiological data, with NO PATIENT IDENTIFIERS and breaching confidentiality by saying “Mr. So and So died of AIDS”. Do you see the difference? And I’m sorry, I meant to say PCP is an AIDS defining condition in an HIV positive person, rather than PCP is pathognomonic of AIDS. Apologies. ---
**Author:** ![shawn4455](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/94ad74/32.png) [@shawn4455](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shawn4455)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2023, 3:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-jim-henson-die-of-aids/327888/39 "2023-10-27T03:36:09Z")
I believe Jim Henson died of pneumonia complications from AIDS, this was covered up, because of his status as creator of Sesame street and the Muppets, to protect the millions of children who might have been unable to cope with this information! ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2023, 3:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-jim-henson-die-of-aids/327888/40 "2023-10-27T03:56:55Z")
> [@shawn4455](#): > > I believe Jim Henson died of pneumonia complications from AIDS, this was covered up, because of his status as creator of Sesame street and the Muppets, to protect the millions of children who might have been unable to cope with this information! - Just so you know, the culture here is when you make a assertion such as you did, you’re expected to back it up. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-jim-henson-die-of-aids/327888.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-jim-henson-die-of-aids/327888.md?page=3)