Anne-Lise Middelthon (born 1950)

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In Norway, Middelthon was among the very first members of the national healthcare system to become involved in responding to the early cases of HIV and AIDS.

In 1985, Anne-Lise Middelthon was working with people who inject drugs in Copenhagen, just as the HIV epidemic was beginning to spread seriously in the city. Back in Norway, she became a member of the Central Council on Drug Issues and was soon appointed to the Director of Health’s Advisory Committee on the HIV epidemic.

Middelthon also conducted important research on men who have sex with men and sexual health, including a two-year longitudinal study following a group of young men.

During this period, a series of informal gatherings known as the “Drøbak meetings” were held. In the interview excerpt below, Middelthon explains how and why these meetings played such a crucial role.

The full interview is available in the reading room at the Queer Archives (Skeivt arkiv).
We met Anne-Lise Middelthon in Oslo, April 2018.