Stigmatization Lung Cancer

On October 5, 2016, Fowlerville High School freshman, Brendan Kangas, committed suicide. His whole school and community was struck with grief, previously unaware of Brendan’s battle with depression. The next day school was held on schedule, and it was a very unproductive day. According to the faculty, kids were crying in classrooms, and uninstructed teachers did not know how to handle the situation (Brent). Many Fowlerville students have struggled academically, unable to cope with the news of Brendan’s death. Fowlerville was not prepared to handle such a crisis and administrators were unaware of the effect Brendan’s suicide would have on the school. Since then, several other students in Brendan’s community have attempted to take their lives as well (Brent). Suicide has not only a problem in

But before we discuss ways in reducing HIV stigma, we should talk about what it consists of in Baton Rouge. Stigma can become a chronic stressor that leads to poor coping skills, inadequate self-care, and risky sexual behaviors (Johnson et al. 72). According to an HIV Infrastructure Study conducted by the Southern HIV/AIDS Initiative, they discussed what the HIV stigma consisted of in Baton Rouge. After a few interviews with employees in HIV/AIDS clinics and people living with HIV/AIDS, they stated that one of the main reasons why people refuse to go to a clinic to get HIV tested or delay testing is because they are afraid that people they know might see them getting tested and assume the worst from them (Reif et al. 12). People also don’t want to get tested because they fear the repercussions of getting tested positive for HIV and that their family or loved ones might shun them away if they were HIV-positive. People should not care about who is going to see them getting tested because they are being smart about taking steps in knowing their HIV status instead of waiting to show signs of AIDS infection and then it’ll be too late to get any treatment. Moreover, one study evaluating the HIV Stigma Scale had some key observations. Out of one-hundred and ten HIV-positive African-Americans that were picked for this study, some of the appalling statements they agreed with the most

Looking at the specific disease of HIV/AIDS, there is a captivating negative stigma surrounding anyone infected or possibly infected because others are fearful. This stigma is so potent because the disease usually starts from a homosexual and then spreads, attacking

This disease was not just localized to one area of the globe, or to one particular race, gender, or socio-economic class of individual. HIV was quickly spreading to individuals from all walks of life. Yet, why was there a stigma associated with the disease that prevented people from discussing it? Advancements in treating HIV had progressed drastically, there were several celebrities living with the disease and publicly sharing their stories, but for the most part HIV remained, and still remains today, a closely tight-lipped secret that is rarely spoken about in public or private. In the early 1990’s, due to the social stigmatization of the disease, there was a possibility that a person could be fired from their job if it was disclosed that the individual was HIV+. This in turn, could result in a change in one’s socio-economic standing. This loss of employment would also mean a loss in health care benefits, affecting the person’s ability to seek continued medical treatment for the

The effects of this stigma are deadly on HIV-positive individuals. According to Peter Smit in AIDS Care, these individuals faced “rejection and lack of empathy from HIV-negative friends and/or

Lung cancer is one of the most significant and preventable causes of death in the United States and other developed countries today. Some states within the US have higher instances of lung cancer than others, and there are various factors that affect that. For the state of Tennessee, which will be the focus of this paper, the most current year for which lung cancer statistics are available is 2007. According to the CDC, there were 78.4 to 97.7 people per 100,000 who got lung cancer in Tennessee in 2007 (CDC, 2010). Among people in that state who had lung cancer, 56.8 to 74.6 per 100,000 died in that same year (CDC, 2010). The Tennessee Department of Health also released 2007 figures on the 10 leading causes of death in that state, which were:

These negative reactions have shaped the behaviour of infected individuals and have limited the effectiveness of prevention efforts. AIDS also evokes anxiety because of its association with death. People in AIDS group reported lower levels of social support in response to bereavement, as compared to that in cancer group indicating the social stigma attached AIDS and HIV stigma can be better understood when the perspectives are realized from both the outsider’s and the insider’s viewpoints. According to Goffman, stigma in context of HIV/AIDS may be interpreted from the point of view of the outside observer as follows, “Psychological, interpersonal, sociological, economic or political effects on persons who possess certain characteristics. Alternatively, the focus of attention may shift to those who identify themselves as not possessing the specified traits” or “Stigma may be understood from an interaction’s perspective based on the language of relationships, stigma viewed as a product of, and inherent in a relationship between ‘normal’ and the ‘other’.” This approach attributes state of mind or describes socio-economic effects of the possessor, the accuser, or the relationship of one or the other. Thus, the approach uses the viewpoints of persons who are themselves stigmatized and those who actually

Generally speaking, HRS ascribed to controllable factors (including tobacco and drug abuse) result in much more negative reactions than uncontrollable genetic factors. (Lebel and Devins, 2008 ; Weiner et al., 1988). Hence, over the past decade, the stigmatization of smokers has also been reinforced by the assumptions that smokers choose for their own health condition, are less educated and that second hand smoke might harm children. Consequently, this particular relationship between the public and smoking has led to far reaching consequences at the public and personal level. As mentioned previously, lung cancer patients do not receive as much support, resources, care and public empathy as other forms of cancers. In fact, the stigma has contributed to the disease’s important funding gap as it has adversely affected the efforts put into the diagnosis, access to care and research of lung cancer given that people do not want to support the disease as much as other forms of cancers. In fact, unlike breast cancer, lung cancer, also known as the “Invisible Cancer” has received very low exposure and hasn’t been able to market its own pink ribbon. As a result, the effects of the stigma also impact the patient himself. According to a recent survey, 95% of lung cancer patients reported stigma while 48% of them even felt stigmatized by their own medical providers due to the fact their disease is so strongly attached to smoking. In fact, lung cancer patients tend to internalise these negative stereotypes

“Lung cancer continues to be the leading cause of death in both men and women in the US, with over 158,900 deaths in 1999. Worldwide, lung cancer kills over 1 million people a year. Extensive prospective epidemiologic data clearly establish cigarette smoking as the major cause of lung cancer. It is estimated that about 90% of male lung cancer deaths and 75–80% of lung cancer deaths in the US are caused by smoking each year” (Hecht, 1999). Clearly, lung cancer is an important and widespread disease that constitutes a major public health problem. This was not always so. Some 150 years ago, it was an extremely rare disease. In 1878, malignant lung tumors represented only 1% of all cancers seen at autopsy in the Institute of Pathology of the

With the recent passing of World AIDS day on December 1st, 2015, which followed Charlie Sheen’s recent disclosure of him being HIV-positive, revealed sad realties about society’s relations to HIV and AIDS. So it seems opportune that this paper shed some light on the issue of stigma in relation to HIV and AIDS. This paper supports the notions that although stigma around HIV status has come a long way since its inception as an infectious disease in the 1980s, HIV stigma has not yet come to an end. As Sheen outlines “It’s a hard three letters to absorb” (aidslaws.ca) which is mainly due to the misunderstanding of the disease which takes the form of stigma. Essentially, this paper argues that although not as overt as in the 20th century, HIV stigma has drastic ramifications for individuals infected and largely the stigma tends to impact the individual affected in an undesirable manner.

Lung cancer, like other cancers is a disease attributed by excessive growth of cells and tissues in the lungs unlike other cancers which occur in different parts. This disorder is typically capable of spreading to other parts of the body and affecting them viciously. Cancers of the lungs are also known as carcinomas. A carcinoma is a strain of cancer that grows from epithelial cells primarily developing from tissues in the inside or outside surfaces of the body. The spread of the uncontrolled growing cells and tissue to the other parts of the body is known as metastasis (Reck et al., 2014). Symptoms of having lung cancer include coughing up blood, panting (short repeated breaths), weight loss, and feeling pain in

I 've become more reserved with people and I walk about convinced that I have a stamp on my head: 'HIV '.” “I felt dirty and unclean and I thought I would never be able to kiss my wean.” “I know a lot of moral society would be against me sleeping with anybody so I have guilt from that feeling.” “Nobody at work knows. Our company is a kind of hire and fire company and would sack us on the spot.” “The average person is ignorant about HIV like going back to leprosy and people being unclean and people seeing it with panic. (Green, 1995)” The statements above are all from people living with HIV and their perspective of attitudes toward them. These people live in fear, and are often scared to tell people around them, which makes them feel lonely & depressed, in addition to the physical suffering they endure. One does not usually consider the social or emotional effects of being diagnosed with HIV/AIDS but several people suffer from not only the disease but depression guilt, loneliness, etc.

Oscar Wilde was quoted as saying, “A cigarette is the perfect type of a perfect pleasure. It is exquisite, and it leaves one unsatisfied. What more can one want?” Unfortunately, Oscar Wilde had no idea that smoking caused lung cancer. Lung cancer is one of the most preventable diseases that exist, yet people continue to voluntarily put themselves at risk, and it still has tragic effects on the person and their family even though there are ways to treat it. The disease itself is categorized into two types, but both are eventually fatal. The cancer has several causes, but is mainly due to smoking. It has many numerous effects, both physical and emotional. However, there are still treatments and options that can prolong a cancer

There are HIV-related stigmas and discriminations that refer to the prejudice, abuse and negativity that is shown towards people living HIV and aids.in many countries with available data, over 50%of people have been said to have shown discriminatory attitude toward people living with HIV and AIDS. These stigmas have made people living with this

HIV/AIDS is widely perceived to be an outcome of sexual excess and low moral character. At the time when those infected really need social support the most, people living with HIV/AIDS who reveal their status are often subjugated to victimization and discrimination (Rankin et al., 2005). This happens everywhere starting from their own homes, within the communities they live in, as well as at work. Consequently, there is a strong culture of silence by people living with HIV/AIDS because of fear of rejection and isolation from both close relatives and the community at large.