Psychological And Social Consequences Of Hiv / Aids

The AIDS epidemic began in the early to mid-1980’s and since it’s recognition in America it has become a very heated and debated topic among health professionals, the gay community, and most of all for the ones that are carrying the virus. The real debate is not over the virus itself but, rather about the infected individuals and whether or not they should be made morally obligated to tell their sexual partners if they are in fact infected. Both sides of the argument make very valid points. From one standpoint you have the gay community that believe in “safer sex ethic”, which keeps their partners in the dark about their overall health status and feel they are not morally obligated to tell their

HIV/ AIDS affect African Americans at a higher rate than any other race (White, Asian, and Hispanic). With African Americans making up approximately 13 percent of the U.S. population, in 2014, they made up almost half of all new HIV/AIDS cases; 44 percent. African American men accounted for 73 percent of new HIV/AIDS cases, and of that 43 percent of African American men were heterosexual (CDC 2014). Since heterosexual African American men don’t equate to the larger population of HIV cases as compared to African American men who have sex with men, these heterosexual men are virtually invisible in the theoretical and empirical psychological HIV/AIDS literature (Bowleg, 2004, p.166).

HIV/AIDS, was a disease with social stigma due to its association with the gay community. However, after the rise of sexual liberation starting in the 1960s, the fear of homosexuals became more concrete, as sexuality was discussed more openly[footnoteRef:35]. Historically a disease was viewed in both social and cultural terms, and the ill can be viewed as being caused by perversions from societal norms[footnoteRef:36]. This happened with the HIV/AIDS epidemic. For conservatives, HIV/AIDS was a justified specter, one that could be vindicated as “God’s Judgement” and as a crackdown on the “heinous lifestyle”[footnoteRef:37]. Because HIV/AIDS was so concentrated in particularly deviant groups, the logical linkage of the disease to the gay lifestyle was easy. “Gays (IDUs) chose to be gay (and drug injectors) of their own will. A Supreme Court decision in June 1986 reinforced the moral

In Ireland there was a campaign after the outbreak which used the slogan “Don’t bring home AIDS”, it was very much believed to be a foreign disease. A character in Tóibín’s The Blackwater Lightship (1999) points out, the problem AIDS ‘did not exist’ because “we don’t talk about sex” (1999: 146). In the novel Helen feels that her brother has excluded his family from his life, Helen and her brother might once have been close but she came to feel he “had replaced his family with his friends”, meaning his gay friends (Tóibín

In society, one’s identity is crucial to one 's existence. It can determine a large part of one’s life. Depending on one’s society, one can either live comfortably or live in a state of fear. Ultimately, people construct social norms which often lead to certain social behaviors. If one breaks or goes against the social norm, they are seen as an outcast. In Susan Sontag’s literally piece, Illness as Metaphor, and Mark Doty’s “Atlantis”, common pariahs were cancer and AIDS patients. It was socially unacceptable to have this disease because it went against the social norm. Overtime, only cancer’s reputation has improved tremendously because of our medical and technological advances. On the other hand, AIDS still carries the same stigma cancer once had during Sontag’s time mainly because one cannot just randomly contract it. Unlike cancer, contracting AIDS is one’s conscious choice. Typically, to contract AIDS, one engages in activities that go against the social norm. One way to contract AIDS is the use of dirty needles, or, through (homo) sexual activity.

HIV/AIDS affects people both directly and indirectly. It is an extremely painful for the person with the virus, and it is emotional for them and their loved ones. Many people have preconceived ideas about what “types” of people get HIV/AIDS and can be stubborn and unaccepting. Terrace McNally elicits empathy from the audience by using literary devices including; the unique characteristics of Andre’s Mother, and the balloons symbolizing Andre’s soul. I am very compassionate about the topic because my sister is HIV positive. I know that she has been through a lot, and people have treated her differently because of it. However, she is still the same person.

An important aspect of the interpersonal factor is the acknowledgment of friendships and family in health. For example, if a person in this population has peers that view syphilis as non-threatening, they may believe this as well. Research conducted by the CDC showed that MSM men living in the Los Angeles area, consider “syphilis a ‘dirty’ disease, signifying patronage of male prostitutes, many of whom are from lower SES”. It also seems that men who have sex with men, but do not identify as “gay”, are more likely to engage in unprotected sex due to a disengagement from the gay community or gay friendships. (“Syphilis Elimination Effort”, 2002)

It was not until Jose had a really bad gum infection that he decided to disclose his HIV status to one of his close friends. “ Decisions to disclose depends on how long the person has been HIV positive, access to social and emotional resources and the nature of the relationship” (Kalichman, S. C., Klein, S. J., Kalichman, M. O., O'Connell, D.,A., Freedman, J. A., Eaton, L., & Cain, D.

Monette recalls his thoughts after reading the first serious report about AIDS and not finding any signs of the disease in himself at the time. He felt “relieved” and “safe” and thought that he and his friend were not in immediate danger even though they were in one of the high-risk social groups. For several years after that report, he subconsciously denied the possibility of becoming sick, reasoning that AIDS killed “them,” gays from different social classes or leading promiscuous sexual life. Monette thought he and his friend were different.

People who are not infected with the AIDS disease may view AIDS as a gay man’s disease or blame gay men for the AIDS epidemic due to medical representations of AIDS. For example, in Sturken’s article, she quotes “in the eyes of straight people, gay still means AIDS” (Sturken 165). She continues to talk about how the media identifies people who have AIDS as “victims” of

When you take a look at me, I look exactly like any healthy person. My name is Mayra Smith and I am HIV positive. HIV was discovered in 1983 and was linked to AIDS in 1984 (Blattner et. al. 1988). HIV is a human immunodeficiency virus that destroys the immune system. HIV can also invade the central nervous system causing severe neurological problems (Long 1998). HIV does not prefer just one person or one race. That means that anyone can get the disease including gay men, lesbians, heterosexuals and bisexuals (Long 1998). As for myself, I am living a pretty normal life, however, this disease can affect how people treat me, how I live through every day, and how I enjoy certain things in life. (Question 1)

HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) and AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome) are the most widely and ongoing pandemics affecting the United States and many other parts of the world. There is still much more to be researched about HIV, as it has no known cure. Aside from finding a cure to HIV, it is equally important to look at the social and psychological impact that the HIV might have on the person infected and how these impacts differ according to gender. Studying gender can be substantial in making connections to how STDs affect individuals on the social and psychological levels. These connections that are made through examining mental illness can help in developing appropriate support groups for the groups that face the most crucial

Before I started my paper, I wanted to explain what HIV/Aids is and how it affects us. For my research, I was able to use the sources of a movie, two documentaries, and two websites. I will first begin with Tyler Perry’s movie “Confessions of a Marriage Counselor” which features the story of a young married marriage counselor who grows bored in her 6 year marriage and falls for one of her clients. What she does not know is her client is possessive, abusive, and has HIV. In the movie the main character is conflicted between the life that she wants (the abuser) and the life that she has (caring husband). Although she states all the signs of an abuser to the abuser during his session, she did not see it coming. She described them as being easily

Benoite is a victim of HIV/AIDS disease who experienced first hand, with her partner, the devastating effects of HIV/AIDS. She grew deathly sick, worrying about her own health and the health of her babies that she might have infected. Benoite realized that by her impulsive actions, she put the lives of her children and husband in danger, because she didn’t know just how common HIV was. Most people are aware of the disease known as Human Immunodeficiency Virus and Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome, also known as HIV and AIDS. It is caused by a very deadly parasite that can destroy someone’s life and the lives of their families, so everyone needs to be cautious and be aware of the causes in order to protect themselves. HIV/ AIDS is a very

This report includes a brief introduction on the HIV virus and then resources that are available to the individuals that have been affected by HIV. It also includes measures that can enhance the quality of life of those affected and the effects this can have on the affected individual’s beloved ones.