The Effects of HIV Related Stigma

Ever since the first cases of what eventually came to be known as AIDS were diagnosed in the early 1980s, people with HIV/AIDS have been stigmatized. Over time, there have been many misconceptions about this disease. Even though there have been many discoveries, and treatments for HIV have improved over time, there are still many people who understand very little about this disease. This lack of understanding, along with fear, misinformation about how the disease is transmitted, and “moral” judgments made about the types of people who contract HIV, all have led to stigmatization of, and discrimination against, people who are living with HIV/AIDS. Understanding the stigmatization of people with HIV/AIDS is an important social justice issue because that stigmatization can result in people with HIV being insulted, rejected, gossiped about, excluded from family and social activities, fired, and even jailed. People with HIV are no different from people suffering from other chronic diseases. Instead of being alienated, they have a right to be treated with fairness, respect, and dignity.

Legislation in New Zealand such as The Human Rights Act 1993, section 21 and the Employment Rights Act 1997 are in place to prohibit the discrimination on the grounds of mental illness in areas such as housing, training, education and employment. The incidence of stigma and discrimination in these areas is however still continuing to be an issue for those with a mental illness. It has become apparent through large amounts of research that most incidences of stigma and discrimination are usually reported through research studies and surveys (Peterson & Barnes & Duncan 2008; Newell & Gournay, 2000). El-Badri & Mellsop (2007) suggest that most research on stigma tends to center on attitudes and beliefs of the public and how they view those with a mental illness. Much less emphasis on research has involved the personal experience, self-stigma and quality of life of the person with the illness and how they fit within the community. Badri & Mellsop's (2007) study Stigma and quality of life as experienced by

It is well evidenced that people who have both; history of drug use and disease which can be sexually transmitted such is HCV, are likely to experience stigma and discrimination in their life (Gilman 1999).Stigma and discrimination are socioeconomic factors which have a damaging health, social and financial consequences (Nursing Standard 2008). It is believed that those who are stigmatised and discriminated are more likely to have a lower income and due to this cannot afford to purchase better quality food, better housing, live in safer environments and have worse access to healthcare and education. Cinderella’s low socioeconomic status and negative social attitudes evidently put her physical and mental wellbeing at risk. Stigma and discrimination may relate to Social Symbolic Interaction Theory and in particular to the idea of labelling and its negative impact on people behaviour and self- concept (Miller J, Gibb S 2007). This would also fit with Carl Rodgers Person- Centred Theory and his idea of self- concept. Self –concept in other words is how we perceive and value our

Stigma is shown throughout many subjects; obesity, mental illness and the most powerful and worse stigma; the stigma of AIDS. The stigma of AIDS is clearly shown through a powerful story set in the middle of the African HIV and AIDS pandemic. The novel Chanda’s secrets accurately demonstrates the stigma of AIDS by portraying characters blinded by fear, being ashamed, feeling sinful, and living in denial. The stigma is shown through a maturing young girl’s point of view, seeing others and as well as herself confronting the different ‘symptoms’ of the stigma and what steps both she and the other characters took to overcome them.

During the 1980s and 1990s the new HIV disease began to emerge in society and with it came harsh stereotypes and discrimination against those who contracted it. Simultaneously, one of the most talented and influential point guards in basketball was dominating the sport: Earvin “Magic” Johnson. Throughout his career Johnson gained three Most Valuable Player (MVP) awards and was admitted into the Basketball Hall of Fame (“Magic Johnson”). However, on November 7, 1991, Johnson announced his diagnosis of HIV and his retirement from the National Basketball Association (NBA). Following this abrupt and unexpected event, Johnson became one of the leading figures in the fight against AIDS. The Magic Johnson Foundation was founded and is still dedicated to educating communities about AIDS. The charitable and influential work Johnson contributed to the research of AIDS revealed him as not just an extraordinary basketball player but also as an extraordinary human being (“Magic Johnson”). A few years after Johnson’s diagnosis, he released his autobiography, My Life. My Life describes the childhood and competitive basketball years of Johnson as well as his announcement of contracting HIV. In the article, “New and Noteworthy Paperbacks”, by Laurel Graeber, reviewer Harvey Araton describes Magic Johnson’s autobiography, My Life, as “best when he shares his insights about his coaches and fellow players” (Graeber). The article has positive things to say about Johnson’s autobiography such

Stigma surrounds mental illness even in contemporary society. Research has aimed to reduce this. World Health Organisation (WHO; 2012) have stated that such stigma is a “hidden human rights emergency”.

Labelling and stigma has now more than ever become an increasing problem with cultural and social views being extrapolated onto domestic violence victims and mental health patients. Stigma is a concept that consists of three parts: self-stigma, structural stigma and public stigma. Public stigma is a culturally constructed view by society based on a strong disapproval of what is perceived to be different from the ‘norm’, thus making them a marginalised group (Corrigan & O’Shaughnessy, 2007, pp. 90-91). This type of stigma links in with structural stigma that has policies in place which exclude these types of people from further life opportunities and labels them as ‘different’. These two types of stigma intertwine with self-stigma that often

For the people of Baton Rouge, please observe this appalling epidemic that has been happening in Baton Rouge for decades. Baton Rouge has been on the top of the list for having one of the highest prevalence of HIV and AIDS in a metropolitan area for the past decade, and we need to get to the bottom of this issue (Reif et al. 4). Some of the possible solutions to this issue include: implementing mandatory comprehensive sex education across Louisiana, reducing HIV stigma, and assisting areas of Baton Rouge that are in concentrated poverty. The presence of HIV has been growing exponentially in the city of Baton Rouge, and this is how to solve the problem.

Since the 1980’s, the HIV epidemic continues to affect individuals all over the world; the HIV virus can affect any individual regardless of their socioeconomic status. HIV is a human immunodeficiency virus that is believed to have originated in Africa during the 1920’s, however, it did not spread to other continents until the 1980’s. According to the center for disease control and prevention, HIV is most prevalent in African-American communities. Unfortunately, it appears that the HIV virus is increasingly affecting African American women with a low SES status. One’s SES status is determined by one’s social and economic standing; SES is often measured by one’s level of education and income. One’s socioeconomic status may determine how an individual

Certain structures both primary and secondary reproduce forms of oppression that marginalize different groups of people into society. These include people of color, children, women, older adults, the poor and immigrants. In this paper we will explore the important topic of why stigma ties into social welfare. Not everyone is our society is accepting of those who require social welfare or are prepared to accept social welfare when they do need it. This is mostly due to due to stigma, ethics and neoliberal ideology and therefore not all those who require social welfare are able to experience the appropriate quality of life.

Something that will never be forgotten and still haunts gay men to this day is the gay stigma behind the HIV and AIDS epidemic. Yes, it is fact that majority of gay men are HIV-infected but, it was said that to have AIDS was only a “gay thing” back in the 1980’s, which it is not. To this day, it influences many of our elders or parents that lived during the 1980’s that witnessed the huge outbreak. If we look at the show called Empire created by Lee Daniels and Danny Strong in the episode called “The Creative Dilemma” we will find it to be a stigma referring back to the 1980’s HIV and AIDS epidemic. In this episode, Lucious Lyon, portrayed by Terrence Howard, is arguing with his gay son Jamal Lyon, portrayed by Jussie Smollett. In this intense argument, Lucious tells Jamal, “The day you die from AIDS is the day I’m gonna’ celebrate.” The fact that they had this in his dialogue, it is putting this out there since it is a public television show, it is recycling the information from the past. Recycling information that people feed back into from what they once knew. They made it seem that the way a gay man is supposed to die is from AIDS. From the chapter, “‘Whose Pussy Is This?’: A Feminist Comment” from the book Talking Back: Thinking Feminist, Thinking Black she states her perspective of the film, She’s Gotta Have It, stating that films like this “exposed grave ignorance about feminist political movement, revealing the extent to which shallows notions of feminist struggle

In the book, Stigma: Notes on the management of Spoiled Identity, Erving Goffman defined stigma as an “attribute that is deeply discrediting” and that reduces the bearer “from normal being to a person that is tainted” (Goffman 1963, p. 3). It is considered a form of stereotype or labeling of a person or group based on their illness and handicap. The topic that I will be discussing in this paper is Alcoholism, how people who are alcohol dependence are stigmatized and ways to help reduce the stigma and discrimination associated with it.

There are many stigmas, or misconceptions and misperceptions in our society which need to be shattered. I believe that one of the worse possible effects of stigma is that it causes those affected by psychological disorders, or mental illness, to crawl more deeply into themselves because it provokes a sense of shame. Stigma thrusts those suffering with mental illness into a sense of isolation, social exclusion, and discrimination. “Stigma can lead to discrimination … It may be obvious or direct … Or it may be unintentional or subtle…” (Staff). Stigma is often as big as the illness itself and I confess to having been a perpetuator of this dreaded thing, although not consciously aware and without the intent of furthering the harm of someone.

Individuals with serious mental illness are doubly affected by their disease; not only do they experience the often debilitating symptoms of their condition, but they must also endure mundane mental health stigmas and prejudices. Stigmatized attitudes are perceived to be one of the greatest impediments to living a complete and fulfilling life. Stigma has been defined as a combination of three related problems: ignorance, prejudice and discrimination (Rose, Thornicroft, Pinfold, & Kassam, 2007). Ignorance implies a lack of knowledge, prejudice entails negative attitudes, and discrimination involves exclusionary actions against people deemed to be different. Two forms of stigma are commonly distinguished in literature. Public stigma describes the attitudes of society towards people with mental illness, while self-stigma results from the internalization of prejudice by people who suffer from mental health conditions (Corrigan, Powell, & Rüsch, 2012). The World Health Organization announced that stigma was the most crucial obstacle to overcome for a community to functioning effectively and efficiently (Ontario Hospital Association, 2013).

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