It is estimated that more than 38 million people worldwide are living with HIV and AIDS
Source :Joint United Nations Program on HIV/AIDS
Source :Joint United Nations Program on HIV/AIDS
Social stigma is a very real component of
having HIV and AIDS. It is my number one goal
with this website to help educate people to just
what that means. Take a few moments of your
time to read about the affects the social stigma
has on HIV prevention, treatment, a cure, and
discrimination. As a person living with AIDS
and having my own experiences in dealing with
the social consequences of being infected with
HIV, even I have learned that social stigma
plays a greater role than I believed in the
perpetuation of HIV.
........Scott
having HIV and AIDS. It is my number one goal
with this website to help educate people to just
what that means. Take a few moments of your
time to read about the affects the social stigma
has on HIV prevention, treatment, a cure, and
discrimination. As a person living with AIDS
and having my own experiences in dealing with
the social consequences of being infected with
HIV, even I have learned that social stigma
plays a greater role than I believed in the
perpetuation of HIV.
........Scott
Because of its association with
behaviours that may be considered
socially unacceptable by many people,
HIV infection is widely stigmatised.
People living with the virus are
frequently subject to discrimination and
human rights abuses: many have been
thrown out of jobs and homes, rejected
by family and friends, and some have
even been killed.
Together, stigma and discrimination
constitute one of the greatest barriers
to dealing effectively with the epidemic.
They discourage governments from
acknowledging or taking timely action
against AIDS. They deter individuals
from finding out about their HIV status.
And they inhibit those who know they
are infected from sharing their
diagnosis and taking action to protect
others and from seeking treatment and
care for themselves.
Experience teaches that a strong
movement of people living with HIV that
affords mutual support and a voice at
local and national levels is particularly
effective in tackling stigma.
Moreover, the presence of treatment
makes this task easier too: where
there is hope, people are less afraid of
AIDS; they are more willing to be
tested for HIV, to disclose their status,
and to seek care if necessary.
...unaids.org
behaviours that may be considered
socially unacceptable by many people,
HIV infection is widely stigmatised.
People living with the virus are
frequently subject to discrimination and
human rights abuses: many have been
thrown out of jobs and homes, rejected
by family and friends, and some have
even been killed.
Together, stigma and discrimination
constitute one of the greatest barriers
to dealing effectively with the epidemic.
They discourage governments from
acknowledging or taking timely action
against AIDS. They deter individuals
from finding out about their HIV status.
And they inhibit those who know they
are infected from sharing their
diagnosis and taking action to protect
others and from seeking treatment and
care for themselves.
Experience teaches that a strong
movement of people living with HIV that
affords mutual support and a voice at
local and national levels is particularly
effective in tackling stigma.
Moreover, the presence of treatment
makes this task easier too: where
there is hope, people are less afraid of
AIDS; they are more willing to be
tested for HIV, to disclose their status,
and to seek care if necessary.
...unaids.org
Much of the public continues to
label people with AIDS as either
"blameworthy" or "innocent";
among those who contracted AIDS
through sexual activity, gay men
are viewed more negatively than
heterosexuals.
"Given the magnitude of this
pandemic one could hardly claim
that the area of stigma reduction is
well studied."
...Source, TheBody.com
Scott's thoughts.....
As a straight man I have been asked numerous
times if I am gay, sometimes quite nicely, and
sometimes with a wink and a nod that it's ok, your
secret is safe with me. With some of the awful
treatment I have received I cannot imagine how
much more difficult it must be for a person that is
openly gay. My heart goes out to those have had to
deal with this most unjust type of attitude. If, as a
society, we cannot openly talk about HIV and AIDS
and care about those of us living with it then we
will never win the fight against this disease. I
know of not one person that I have met that is
living with HIV or AIDS that asked for this disease.
We do not label other disease that people are
afflicted with as "Blameworthy". What's up with
these kind of labels? .....
label people with AIDS as either
"blameworthy" or "innocent";
among those who contracted AIDS
through sexual activity, gay men
are viewed more negatively than
heterosexuals.
"Given the magnitude of this
pandemic one could hardly claim
that the area of stigma reduction is
well studied."
...Source, TheBody.com
Scott's thoughts.....
As a straight man I have been asked numerous
times if I am gay, sometimes quite nicely, and
sometimes with a wink and a nod that it's ok, your
secret is safe with me. With some of the awful
treatment I have received I cannot imagine how
much more difficult it must be for a person that is
openly gay. My heart goes out to those have had to
deal with this most unjust type of attitude. If, as a
society, we cannot openly talk about HIV and AIDS
and care about those of us living with it then we
will never win the fight against this disease. I
know of not one person that I have met that is
living with HIV or AIDS that asked for this disease.
We do not label other disease that people are
afflicted with as "Blameworthy". What's up with
these kind of labels? .....
1 out of 4 people infected with
HIV in the United States are not
aware that they are infected
in addition to this unbelievable statistic...
A 2000 Kaiser Health Poll found that
one-third of survey respondents said
that if they were tested for HIV, they
would be "very" or "somewhat"
concerned that people would think less
of them if they discovered they had been
tested
Scott's thoughts ....
Does stigma play a role? Is it important to overcome
social stigma? Makes you stop and think .....
HIV in the United States are not
aware that they are infected
in addition to this unbelievable statistic...
A 2000 Kaiser Health Poll found that
one-third of survey respondents said
that if they were tested for HIV, they
would be "very" or "somewhat"
concerned that people would think less
of them if they discovered they had been
tested
Scott's thoughts ....
Does stigma play a role? Is it important to overcome
social stigma? Makes you stop and think .....
Consequences of Stigma
Deterioration of interpersonal relations Negative emotions Emotional or physical violence
Rejection of the HIV antibody test Anxiety Loss of support
Stress related to the hiding of the condition Depression Guilt & Isolation
Deterioration of relations with health care providers Difficulties with family dynamics
Source: HRSA and George Washington University. Consultation meeting on Stigma. May 22-23, 2003.
Provision of antiretroviral therapy in the
US has resulted in an 80% decline in
AIDS related death rates between 1990
and 2003. At least 3 million years of
life have been saved as a direct result
of effective treatment and care for
people living with HIV in the US.
Scott's thought ...
Something that brings hope to me and cheer to me,
how bout you? ...
US has resulted in an 80% decline in
AIDS related death rates between 1990
and 2003. At least 3 million years of
life have been saved as a direct result
of effective treatment and care for
people living with HIV in the US.
Scott's thought ...
Something that brings hope to me and cheer to me,
how bout you? ...
The United States still places restrictions on people
with HIV and AIDS from entering, travelling, visiting,
and staying in this country. Recently China has led
the way to removing its own restrictions from
travellers and visitors with HIV and AIDS.
"China has decided to change its immigration laws, scrapping
travel restrictions," Michel Kazatchkine, executive director of the
Global Fund told a Beijing news conference that was also attended
by China’s Vice Minister of Health, Huang Jiefu. "The new law,
which hopefully will be passed in the coming months, will be in line
with the global conventions, which recognise that travel restrictions
for HIV-positive people do not have any public health value," said
Kazatchkine.
If there is no public health value to restrict travel
and visiting a country for those living with HIV and
AIDS, then the only reasonable conclusion is that
social stigma of HIV and AIDS reaches to the
highest levels of authority and leadership in the
United States of America. Something that only
talking about HIV, raising awareness of the stigma
that comes with HIV can ever change. It is about an
attitude, not a medical problem. Scott
with HIV and AIDS from entering, travelling, visiting,
and staying in this country. Recently China has led
the way to removing its own restrictions from
travellers and visitors with HIV and AIDS.
"China has decided to change its immigration laws, scrapping
travel restrictions," Michel Kazatchkine, executive director of the
Global Fund told a Beijing news conference that was also attended
by China’s Vice Minister of Health, Huang Jiefu. "The new law,
which hopefully will be passed in the coming months, will be in line
with the global conventions, which recognise that travel restrictions
for HIV-positive people do not have any public health value," said
Kazatchkine.
If there is no public health value to restrict travel
and visiting a country for those living with HIV and
AIDS, then the only reasonable conclusion is that
social stigma of HIV and AIDS reaches to the
highest levels of authority and leadership in the
United States of America. Something that only
talking about HIV, raising awareness of the stigma
that comes with HIV can ever change. It is about an
attitude, not a medical problem. Scott