We All Must Talk Openly About HIV/AIDS; Failure to talk about HIV/AIDS in public is stigma on its own. Attacking someone who openly speaks about HIV/AIDS is tantamount to stigmatising HIV/AIDS and causing HIV/AIDS sufferers to go into hiding and it is the main reason why too many people are afraid to see a doctor to determine whether they have the disease, or to seek treatment if so. Fear of contagion coupled with negative, value-based assumptions about people who are infected leads to high levels of stigma surrounding HIV and AIDS. Stigma remains the single most important barrier to public action. It is a main reason why too many people are afraid to see a doctor to determine whether they have the disease, or to seek treatment if so. It helps make AIDS the silent killer, because people fear the social disgrace of speaking about it, or taking easily available precautions. Stigma is a chief reason why the AIDS epidemic continues to devastate societies around the world. Stigma not only makes it more difficult for people trying to come to terms with HIV and manage their illness on a personal level, but it also interferes with attempts to fight the HIV and AIDS epidemic as a whole. On a national level, the stigma associated with HIV can deter governments from taking fast, effective action against the epidemic, whilst on a personal level it can make individuals reluctant to access HIV testing, treatment and care.
Posted on: Tue, 29 Jul 2014 07:57:37 +0000
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