Complex sentence: Because of AIDS, many gay men found that their formerly young handsome lovers had become frail, weak, and helpless; in effect, many gay men found that they were now in relationships with men who'd grown old long before their time.
Split into simpler sentences: Because of AIDS, many gay men found that their formerly young handsome lovers had become frail, weak, and helpless. In effect, many gay men found that they were now in relationships with men who'd grown old long before their time.