The Stigma
The ASGS is consistently initiating anti-stigma activities in all of its actions. We believe that stigma is created by fear. Fear creates feelings of danger. How to respond to danger? We feel the best way is to understand what danger we are dealing with.
If we understand that a virus is the cause of HIV/AIDS, and we understand exactly how this virus is spread from person to person, then, we can actively do something to prevent this from happening. We teach all forms of prevention. No need to fear something that you know how to prevent. Right?
One primary way of prevention is test taking. If we know that we are infected then we know what action to take. Scary, perhaps, but it takes someone brave to take action. The people who have taken the simple quick testing and did find that they had this virus were able to take action and medication to maintain their health and that of their families and friends. We are able to provide support, assistance and counseling to all People living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) and their families whenever needed.
Being fearful is to do nothing and hide behind negative thoughts and feelings. That’s Stigma!!
In Saba you don’t have to hide. You can learn all about being healthy. Call us, e-mail us, come in to our office for a cup of tea. We have books, papers, pictures and people who care. And since you’re on the web site, look up anything that you need to know.
Stigma is just not knowing and being afraid of what you don’t know about.
In many societies people living with HIV and AIDS are often seen as shameful. In some societies the infection is associated with minority groups or behaviours, for example, homosexuality, In some cases HIV/AIDS may be linked to 'perversion' and those infected will be punished. Also, in some societies HIV/AIDS is seen as the result of personal irresponsibility. Sometimes, HIV and AIDS are believed to bring shame upon the family or community. And whilst negative responses to HIV/AIDS unfortunately widely exist, they often feed upon and reinforce dominant ideas of good and bad with respect to sex and illness, and proper and improper behaviours.
Factors which contribute to HIV/AIDS-related stigma:
The ASGS is consistently initiating anti-stigma activities in all of its actions. We believe that stigma is created by fear. Fear creates feelings of danger. How to respond to danger? We feel the best way is to understand what danger we are dealing with.
If we understand that a virus is the cause of HIV/AIDS, and we understand exactly how this virus is spread from person to person, then, we can actively do something to prevent this from happening. We teach all forms of prevention. No need to fear something that you know how to prevent. Right?
One primary way of prevention is test taking. If we know that we are infected then we know what action to take. Scary, perhaps, but it takes someone brave to take action. The people who have taken the simple quick testing and did find that they had this virus were able to take action and medication to maintain their health and that of their families and friends. We are able to provide support, assistance and counseling to all People living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) and their families whenever needed.
Being fearful is to do nothing and hide behind negative thoughts and feelings. That’s Stigma!!
In Saba you don’t have to hide. You can learn all about being healthy. Call us, e-mail us, come in to our office for a cup of tea. We have books, papers, pictures and people who care. And since you’re on the web site, look up anything that you need to know.
Stigma is just not knowing and being afraid of what you don’t know about.
In many societies people living with HIV and AIDS are often seen as shameful. In some societies the infection is associated with minority groups or behaviours, for example, homosexuality, In some cases HIV/AIDS may be linked to 'perversion' and those infected will be punished. Also, in some societies HIV/AIDS is seen as the result of personal irresponsibility. Sometimes, HIV and AIDS are believed to bring shame upon the family or community. And whilst negative responses to HIV/AIDS unfortunately widely exist, they often feed upon and reinforce dominant ideas of good and bad with respect to sex and illness, and proper and improper behaviours.
Factors which contribute to HIV/AIDS-related stigma:
- HIV/AIDS is a life-threatening disease
- People are scared of contracting HIV
- The disease's is associated with behaviours (such as sex between men and injecting drug-use) that are already stigmatised in many societies
- People living with HIV/AIDS are often thought of as being responsible for becoming infected
- Religious or moral beliefs lead some people to believe that having HIV/AIDS is the result of moral fault (such as promiscuity or 'deviant sex') that deserves to be punished.
Debbie speaking to the National AIDS Trust, UK, 2002
“ My foster son, Michael, aged 8, was born HIV-positive and diagnosed with AIDS at the age of 8 months. I took him into our family home, in a small village in the south-west of England. At first relations with the local school were wonderful and Michael thrived there. Only the head teacher and Michael's personal class assistant knew of his illness.“
“Then someone broke the confidentiality and told a parent that Michael had AIDS. That parent, of course, told all the others. This caused such panic and hostility that we were forced to move out of the area. The risk is to Michael and us, his family. Mob rule is dangerous. Ignorance about HIV means that people are frightened. And frightened people do not behave rationally. We could well be driven out of our home yet again.”
“ My foster son, Michael, aged 8, was born HIV-positive and diagnosed with AIDS at the age of 8 months. I took him into our family home, in a small village in the south-west of England. At first relations with the local school were wonderful and Michael thrived there. Only the head teacher and Michael's personal class assistant knew of his illness.“
“Then someone broke the confidentiality and told a parent that Michael had AIDS. That parent, of course, told all the others. This caused such panic and hostility that we were forced to move out of the area. The risk is to Michael and us, his family. Mob rule is dangerous. Ignorance about HIV means that people are frightened. And frightened people do not behave rationally. We could well be driven out of our home yet again.”
Sexually transmitted diseases are well known for triggering strong responses and reactions. In the past, in some epidemics, for example TB, the real or supposed contagiousness of the disease has resulted in the isolation and exclusion of infected people. From early in the AIDS epidemic a series of powerful images were used that reinforced and legitimised stigmatisation.
- HIV/AIDS as punishment (e.g. for immoral behaviour)
- HIV/AIDS as a crime (e.g. in relation to innocent and guilty victims)
- HIV/AIDS as war (e.g. in relation to a virus which need to be fought)
- HIV/AIDS as horror (e.g. in which infected people are demonised and feared)
- HIV/AIDS as otherness (in which the disease is an affliction of those set apart)
HIV/AIDS and the media
Since the first indetifiable cases of AIDS surfaced in the early eighties the media has struggled to adopt a suitable approach to reporting and making the public aware of the virus, millions of dollars were poured into slick advertising campaigns, it was grim very grim ...
Since the first indetifiable cases of AIDS surfaced in the early eighties the media has struggled to adopt a suitable approach to reporting and making the public aware of the virus, millions of dollars were poured into slick advertising campaigns, it was grim very grim ...
A very strange advert from a French NGO AIDES.
Campaigns like this and others painted a dark picture "Game Over" if you like... but with the event of quick effective diagnosis and many forms of treatment you'd have thought things would have changed... Being HIV+ today is not what it was a quarter of a century ago!
The advert below is much more recent and it is intended to promote safe sex, yes we all get the message, it's a very snazzy visual, must have cost a lot of money and had an entire advertising department forming a ring to pat each other on the back!
The advert below is much more recent and it is intended to promote safe sex, yes we all get the message, it's a very snazzy visual, must have cost a lot of money and had an entire advertising department forming a ring to pat each other on the back!
But to be realistic it's promoting the same old stigma, suggesting the HIV+ female (depicted as a scorpion) is evil and threatening, don't worry they weren't being sexist here's another from the campaign...
Together with the widespread belief that HIV/AIDS is shameful, these images represent 'ready-made' but inaccurate explanations that provide a powerful basis for both stigma and discrimination. These stereotypes also enable some people to deny that they personally are likely to be infected or affected.
HIV-related stigma and discrimination remains an enormous barrier to effectively fighting the HIV and AIDS epidemic. Fear of discrimination often prevents people from seeking treatment for AIDS or from admitting their HIV status publicly. People with (or suspected of having) HIV may be turned away from healthcare services, employment, refused entry to foreign country. In some cases, they may be evicted from home by their families and rejected by their friends and colleagues. The stigma attached to HIV/AIDS can extend into the next generation, placing an emotional burden on those left behind.
Together with the widespread belief that HIV/AIDS is shameful, these images represent 'ready-made' but inaccurate explanations that provide a powerful basis for both stigma and discrimination. These stereotypes also enable some people to deny that they personally are likely to be infected or affected.
HIV-related stigma and discrimination remains an enormous barrier to effectively fighting the HIV and AIDS epidemic. Fear of discrimination often prevents people from seeking treatment for AIDS or from admitting their HIV status publicly. People with (or suspected of having) HIV may be turned away from healthcare services, employment, refused entry to foreign country. In some cases, they may be evicted from home by their families and rejected by their friends and colleagues. The stigma attached to HIV/AIDS can extend into the next generation, placing an emotional burden on those left behind.
Denial goes hand in hand with discrimination
With many people continuing to deny that HIV exists in their communities, today, HIV/AIDS threatens the welfare and well being of people throughout the world. At the end of 2005, 40.3 million people were living with HIV or AIDS and during the year 3.1 million died from AIDS-related illness. Combating the stigma and discrimination against people who are affected by HIV/AIDS is as important as developing the medical cures in the process of preventing and controlling the global epidemic.
So how can progress be made in overcoming this stigma and discrimination? How can we change people attitudes to AIDS? A certain amount can be achieved through the legal process. In some countries people who are living with HIV or AIDS lack knowledge of their rights in society. They need to be educated, so they are able to challenge the discrimination, stigma and denial that they meet in society. Institutional and other monitoring mechanisms can enforce the rights of people living with HIV or AIDS and provide powerful means of mitigating the worst effects of discrimination and stigma.
However, no policy or law can alone combat HIV/AIDS related discrimination. The fear and prejudice that lies at the core of the HIV/AIDS discrimination needs to be tackled at the community and national levels. A more enabling environment needs to be created to increase the visibility of people with HIV/AIDS as a 'normal' part of any society. In the future, the task is to confront the fear based messages and biased social attitudes, in order to reduce the discrimination and stigma of people who are living with HIV or AIDS.
With many people continuing to deny that HIV exists in their communities, today, HIV/AIDS threatens the welfare and well being of people throughout the world. At the end of 2005, 40.3 million people were living with HIV or AIDS and during the year 3.1 million died from AIDS-related illness. Combating the stigma and discrimination against people who are affected by HIV/AIDS is as important as developing the medical cures in the process of preventing and controlling the global epidemic.
So how can progress be made in overcoming this stigma and discrimination? How can we change people attitudes to AIDS? A certain amount can be achieved through the legal process. In some countries people who are living with HIV or AIDS lack knowledge of their rights in society. They need to be educated, so they are able to challenge the discrimination, stigma and denial that they meet in society. Institutional and other monitoring mechanisms can enforce the rights of people living with HIV or AIDS and provide powerful means of mitigating the worst effects of discrimination and stigma.
However, no policy or law can alone combat HIV/AIDS related discrimination. The fear and prejudice that lies at the core of the HIV/AIDS discrimination needs to be tackled at the community and national levels. A more enabling environment needs to be created to increase the visibility of people with HIV/AIDS as a 'normal' part of any society. In the future, the task is to confront the fear based messages and biased social attitudes, in order to reduce the discrimination and stigma of people who are living with HIV or AIDS.