New Test Leper

I read somewhere that "Test" in the title is short for "Testament" — that is, the narrator (the dude who went on the talk show) was comparing his experiences to the description of the lepers in the New Testament. Makes sense in light of all the Bible references, but I'd been baffled about that for years! Speaking of which, line 4 should read "have his lambs all gone astray." (Cute mondegreen, though!) I'll try to remember to change that later; I need to get dressed & stuff as soon as I post this.

I read somewhere that this song was based on a true story, about the experiences of a dude who had AIDS (or at least, HIV infection) who went on a talk show. If my recollection is correct [no assumptions here!], does anybody have any idea what show it might have been? The album _New Adventures in Hi-Fi" came out in 1996; if the events described happened not long before that, it would have been a show that was on the air in the early-to-mid '90s. There are also a few clues in the lyrics, although (in the fine tradition of R.E.M. songs) they're mostly pretty vague:

• it's a show that "doesn't flatter"
• the host is described as "index carded, all organised and blank" [another line on the song as posted on this site that needs fixing]
• "the other guests were scared and hardened"

So, any suggestions (or better yet, actual information)?