Name : Dian Widi Hasta
Age : 20th
Country : Indonesia
Alkili Essay Competition
HIV/AIDS-related
Stigma and Discrimination among Adolescents in the World : We’re Not An Alien
When We’re Possitive HIV/AIDS, Hear Our Story and Feel Our Voice
Abstract
One
of the hottest issues in our world in almost every years is HIV/AIDS especially
for adolescent. On January 13th 2014, UNICEF on Join the Global Fight Against
AIDS says “AIDS-related deaths among adolescents increased by 50% between 2005
and 2012” its mean that adolescent is the “most important” aspect that must be
focused. This problem is also related with stigmatization and discrimination
among adolescents towards people living with HIV/AIDS in the world. HIV/AIDS-related
stigma and descrimination appeared because that was a result from fear,
ignorance, and denial in societies. Consequently, there are many cases of
discrimination that occurred in the various countries of the people who affected
by HIV/AIDS. Although the majority of the adolescents are stigmatise and
descriminate against people living with HIV/AIDS but some of them willing care
of their family who affected by HIV/AIDS.
Introduction
Nowadays, societies life
are very complex. Each individual is requaired to resolved any problem.
Remember that humans are social beings in their life, they doesn’t escape from
the interaction between each other. Humans also have a basic needs, such as
biological needs and also to eat and drink in order to realize their welfare. Beside
that, the sex ratio between men and women who are relatively different affected
to the reproductive system in fulfill their biological needs (such as sex)
especially in adolecents and adults. Thus, it encourages the emergence of HIV /
AIDS in a cases caused by many things. HIV stands for human immunodeficiency
virus and it is a retrovirus that infects the human immune system. The virus
infects the key components of the immune system, which are Thelper cells and
macrophages, and destroys or impairs their functions (UNAIDS, 2010). When a
person has been affected by one or more infection or illness and the level of
T-helper cells has fallen below 200 cells per cubic millimetre of blood a
person is said to have AIDS, which stands for acquired immunodeficiency
syndrome (amFAR, 2012). Adolescents and adults are the main target of the HIV/AIDS
negative impact. These negative impact include be stigmatized, expelled,
exiled, discriminated, even isolated from the societies. HIV/AIDS can be caused
by many things, such as free sex, use of unsterile needles, and from women who
infected HIV/AIDS and breast-feeding her child. HIV/AIDS has increased from
year to year, especially in adolescents and adults. This cases not only happen
in Indonesia but also in the world.
According
to the progression report of HIV/AIDS first quarter (January-March 2011) in
Indonesia, says : 1) The ratio of AIDS cases among men and women is 3 : 2. 2)
Mode of transmission of new AIDS cases reported through heterosexsual (66.95%),
(IDUs 23.08%), perinatal (5.70%) and MSM (3.42%). 3). The highest proportion of
AIDS cases reported in the age group 30-39 years (33.62%), followed by age
group 20-29 years (33.05%) and the 40-49 year age group (17.09%). 4) The total
number of new cases of HIV positive at VCT services in Q1 2011 was 4,552 cases.
Meanwhile
the global number of people of all ages living
with HIV in 2012 is estimated to 35.3 milion and the global number of people
all ages with HIV in 2010 is estimated to 33.3 milion. Estimated percentage of
adults (aged 15– 49) living with HIV as of 2012 is estimated to 0.8% (UNICEF,
2014).
Stigma
and Discrimination
Stigma generaly refers to
a negatively perceived defining characteristic, either tangible or intangible
(Busza, 1999). According to Goffman (1963), stigma is an attribute that is
(trying to) discredit or weaken the authority of a person or a particular part
significantly. Goffman also suggested the term stigma refers to a state of
social group that make the identity of
the person or group based on the nature physical, behavioral, social or
perceived to deviate from the norms in the community. At the same time Busza
(1999) said, “discrimination is the act or treatment by stigma and addressed to
the stigmatized”. Stigmatisation often leads to discrimination, which refers to
any form of distinction, exclusion, or restriction affecting a person by virtue
of a personal characteristic. Moreover ignorance and fear are said to underlie
HIV-related stigma. Inadequate understanding of the modes of HIV transmission
leads to fear of transmission from casual contact (International Center for
Research On Women, 2002).
The
Factors Influencing Stigma and Discrimination to HIV/AIDS among Adolescents
The
stigma and discrimination against people living with HIV / AIDS among adolescents
affected by several things , among ;
1)
Knowledge of HIV / AIDS
Herek
(2002) said that stigma and discrimination against people living with HIV
appears to be related to the ignorance of the mechanisms of HIV transmission ,
the estimated excess risk of contracting through regular contact and negative
attitudes toward social groups that are disproportionately affected by HIV /
AIDS.
2) The
perception of people living with HIV
Perceptions
of people with HIV or AIDS will greatly affect how that person will behave and
act towards people living with HIV. Stigma and discrimination against people
living with HIV associated with the perception of shame and
blame
associated with the disease AIDS (Cock et
al., 2002) .
3) Compliance
with religion
The
role of religion in all aspects of human life has existed since centuries ago.
Adherence to religious values on people, especially adolescents and adults
have a role in the prevention and reduction of HIV transmission . Results of
research conducted by Diaz et al. (2013) suggested a role of
religion in shaping the concept of healthy and sick as well as the stigma
associated with HIV / AIDS.
4) Age
Suganda
(1997) said person's age affects the formation process so that the motivational
factor age is expected to affect the performance and behavior. So, age
naturally have an influence on a person's physical performance and behavior.
Conclusion
According
to Mawar et al. (2005) people living
with HIV/AIDS all over the world are rejected by strangers and family, discriminated
at work and in health care, evicted from their homes and subjects for physical violence.
These forms of discrimination have deterred individuals from being tested for
HIV and from disclosing their HIV-status for sexual partners, family and
friends. So, we must be “The Candle of Their Life” it means that we must be
their light, belief, love, and hope. The communities reasons, especially
adolescents and adults should be “a candle” in their life. Assumed that the
candle means a light, belief, love, and hope in someone’s life. Shouldn’t wait be
a fire to give light to many people, just a candle, however small but it is
there and feels. So, we must be useful for people living with HIV/AIDS, not be
stigmatize even those who discriminate them. Because in essence they are the
same as we are social creatures that required interaction with other
individuals. Being HIV/AIDS isn’t their desires, but when the reality of life
as people have to made their status as HIV/AIDS is preciesly the role of the
community (especially adolescents and adults who regarded to have higher
education) to provide a possitive impact on people with HIV/AIDS so that they
no longer feel exiled again as “aliens” and have the passion and motivation to
be a good person who live to be much better.
References
amFAR . 2012. Basic
Facts About HIV/AIDS. Retrived, 9th April, 2014 from
Busza,
J. 1999. Literature Review: Challenging HIV-Related Stigma and Discrimination in Southeast Asia: Past
Successes and Future Priorities. Population
Council Horizons.
Diaz
et al. 2013. Religion and HIV/AIDS Stigma in Puerto Rico: A Cultural Challenge for Training Future Physician. J Int
Assoc Provid AIDS Care.
Cock
KMD, Mbori-Ngaca, D., & Marum, E., . Shadow on the continent : Public
Health and HIV/AIDS in Africa in the 21
The Lacent 2002;360:685 - 91.
Goffman
E. 1963. Stigma : Notes on the management
of spoiled identity. Englewood Cliffs,
NJ.: Prentice Hall.
Herek,
D. 2002. HIV Related Stigma and Knowledge in the United States : Prevalence and trends, 1991-1999. American Journal
of Public Health. 2002;92 (3).Horizon.
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Indonesian
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International
Center for Research on Women. 2002. Addressing HIV-Related Stigma
and Resulting Discrimination in
Africa: A Three-Country Study in Ethiopia, Tanzania,
and Zambia. Information Bulletin, March.
Mawar,
N., Sahay, S., Pandit, A. & Mahajan, U. 2005. The third phase of HIV pandemic
: Social consequences of HIV/AIDS stigma and discrimination & future
needs. Indian Journal of Medical
Research, 122(6), 471-484.
Suganda,
S. 1997. Factors associated with the
performance of village midwives in the District
Tasikmalaya in 1997.
UNAIDS.
2010. Non-discrimination in HIV
responses. Retrived, 9th April, 2014, from
http://www.unaids.org/en/media/unaids/contentassets/documents/
priorities/20100526_non_discrimination_in_hiv_en.pdf
UNICEF.
2014. The State of the World’s Children
2014 In Numbers : Every Child Counts
Revealing disparties, advancing children’s rights. Retrived, 9th April 2014, from
http://www.unicef.org/sowc2014/numbers/
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