7 of 24

Write now Article Tools

HIV/AIDS is a terminal illness, yet why is there such a tendency to blame its victims? Perhaps it is the question of how did you get it?' that is the issue. The full extent of the global HIV/AIDS epidemic has yet to be realised, and is unlikely to whilst its sufferers are treated as pariahs, making it more difficult to be open about the disease and therefore to tackle its prevalence. In Jamaica an estimated 25,000 people are infected with HIV/AIDS, yet 15,000 of these are unaware that they are carrying the disease. Indeed, denial plays a significant part in helping to perpetuate the AIDS crisis, as people refuse to alter their behaviour, particularly when it comes to sex, thus endangering others. Perhaps the AIDS crisis is so difficult to tackle because it requires societies to look inwards on themselves and to reflect upon issues such as sex and relationships which form their basis. This is particularly true of Jamaican society where men are expected to be men', which often translates as having multiple sexual partners of the opposite sex. Homosexuality is regarded as unacceptable and provides an added difficulty in tackling the prevalence of AIDS, particularly in the transmission of HIV through sexual contact. The stigma associated with having the disease seems to be cultivated by perceptions of who is believed to be more predisposed towards the disease than the disease itself.

Jamaican authorities have realised this and through public campaigns such as that of Getting on with Life' they have tried to encourage openness about the disease, aiming to de-stigmatise HIV/AIDS so that people can seek medical treatment without fear of reproach. The prevalence of HIV/AIDS in the Caribbean is second only to sub-Saharan Africa, with the disease spreading primarily through heterosexual sex, although it is difficult to obtain reliable figures on the number of infections transmitted through homosexual sex. Whilst the Jamaican government hopes to de-stigmatise HIV/AIDS by getting people to acknowledge that prostitutes and homosexuals are not the only people at risk of catching the disease, they are simultaneously promoting the benefits of family values and abstinence. This may be in part because of the reliance upon American funds for AIDS campaigning and treatment. The preferred American model of HIV/AIDS prevention is that of ABC' (Abstain, Be faithful, or use Condoms), with more emphasis on A and B than C. This completely ignores the fact that people with HIV/AIDS

• 1
• 2
• next page >>

Add your voice

Know something about How does stigma and discrimination, as witnessed in Jamaica, perpetuate the global HIV/AIDS epidemic??
We want to hear your view. Write now!