Peter Jepson-Young

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Dr. Peter Jepson-Young, better known as simply Dr. Peter, was a medical doctor in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada who promoted AIDS and HIV awareness and education in the early 1990s through his regular segment on CBC Television news broadcasts called “The Dr. Peter Diaries”. In this series, Dr. Peter documented his own experiences as a person with AIDS.

1 Background
2 The Dr. Peter Diaries
3 Foundation and Dr. Peter Centre
4 External links

[edit] Background

Dr. Peter was born in New Westminster, British Columbia in 1957 and raised in Nanaimo. He attended medical school at the University of British Columbia in the 1980s and did his residency in Ottawa, Ontario. In 1985, he was diagnosed with AIDS, soon after completing his medical training.

[edit] The Dr. Peter Diaries

By 1989 Jepson-Young was unable to continue his medical practice due to his failing health. Turning his attention to AIDS education, in 1990 Jepson-Young began the “Dr. Peter Diaries” with five episodes airing on the CBC Early Evening News . Through these short segments, in which he was only referred to as “Dr. Peter”, he shared his experiences with the general public. Most viewers were not aware of his surname until after his death. The Diaries did much to educate the general public about AIDS and HIV and put a human face on the disease. Dr. Peter continued the series through 111 episodes, up to his death in November 1992.

[edit] Foundation and Dr. Peter Centre

Shortly before his death, Jepson-Young established the Dr. Peter AIDS Foundation. The Foundation established the Dr. Peter Centre, an assisted-living residence and health centre dedicated to helping those with HIV and AIDS.