Road to 5**：The stigmatisation of AIDS
【明報專訊】The stigmatisation of AIDS refers to the widespread prejudice, misunderstandings and discrimination regarding the disease. The BBC reported that in 2016, as many as 26% of British citizens mistakenly believed that the HIV virus could be transmitted through skin-to-skin contact and saliva. In fact, HIV is mainly transmitted through sexual contact, blood contact, and mother-to-child transmission. Ordinary social contact, such as shaking hands, hugging, and sharing bathrooms, does not result in the transmission of HIV.
◆News summary
The stigmatisation of AIDS has caused problems to people living with HIV. In 2018, AIDS Concern, a local organisation, interviewed 102 HIV-infected people. Nearly 60% of the respondents felt self-discrimination because of their HIV infection. Among them, 46% were disturbed by the fact that they were patients, 64% felt that they were a liability, and 57% considered themselves tainted for the rest of their lives.
As for mental health, 46% of the respondents reported being occasionally or frequently affected by negative emotions. The organisation pointed out that the general decline in mental health is related to the stigmatisation of AIDS. Respondents who either feel that they are in poor mental health or are troubled by negative emotions have higher degrees of self-discrimination.
AIDS Concern believes that the government should allocate more resources for supporting the mental health of HIV patients and strengthening societal education regarding AIDS, by, for example, promoting slogans such as ''not detectable = not contagious.'' The slogan means that if HIV levels in a patient have been suppressed to undetectable levels for at least six months, and if they have been continuously taking antiviral drugs, then it is safe for them even to engage in sexual intercourse with non-patients, as the virus will not be transmitted.
Source: 11 March 2019, Ming Pao
■Mock examination question
Explain the causes of AIDS stigmatisation and its risks to public health.
According to the information provided, the stigmatisation of AIDS stems from misunderstandings regarding the disease, such as the misbelief that HIV, which causes AIDS, can be transmitted though skin-to-skin contact and saliva.
Risk number one: affecting mental health of patients
The stigma causes problems to people infected with HIV. According to a survey, nearly 60% of respondents self-discriminate because of their HIV infection, and among them 46% feel disturbed by their status as patients. It can be seen that stigmatisation results in patients being easily affected by negative emotions, resulting in self-discrimination.
Risk number two: possibility of increasing transmission rates
Prejudice and misunderstandings regarding the disease are widespread, which leads to intensified societal discrimination. This may made people reluctant to get tested thus delaying treatment and even increasing the risks of transmission.
Translated by Odyssey Lang
[通通識 第694期]
