AIDS: Attitude Towards The Victims

In my last post I have discussed about the symptoms, prevention and some other stuff about AIDS. In this post I will try to talk about the behavior/attitude of other’s, towards the HIV/AIDS victims.

In many countries, especially in developing countries people seem to ignore and sometimes insult the HIV victims. And as far as I can understand the reason behind this is how HIV spreads. As you all know HIV/AIDS spreads through body fluids like infected blood, semen, vaginal fluid and breast milk (not saliva). And two of the main means of transferring these fluids are through unsafe sex and drugs. That’s why in many countries like Bangladesh and India people consider AIDS victims as the rotten section of a society.

Bangladesh still has a minimal number of HIV/AIDS infected people. At present there are about 1,495 people who are carrying this virus. The majority of these people are drug addicts, sex workers and non-resident Bangladeshis. In our country (and I know in India also) people who are HIV+ are often socially segregated. Not only the society but also their own family starts to hate that dying person. They become socially unwanted and left alone to rot. IMO because of this kind of attitude they die long before their deaths.

In Bangladesh premarital sex is unexpected (!). Having multiple partners is strictly prohibited by the society. And I think drug is unwanted all over the world. So when a person falls a victim to AIDS he also becomes unwanted in the societies of this subcontinent (mainly because of ‘social values’). There’s also another reason behind this kind of attitude towards them, which is misconception. People of these developing countries usually don’t have a clear knowledge about HIV/AIDS. They often think that AIDS spreads through wind, food or water or by touching the HIV+ person. So they don’t eat, live, drink with the HIV+ person. They don’t even feel comfortable going near that person. They have to count their last days being trapped in their own room, which is very heart breaking. (HIV AIDS *does not* spread like this)

Dear readers and fellow country-men, I’ll not comment on whether this kind of behavior is right or wrong. That’s up to you to decide. But think, doesn’t that dying person need a little support from his family and friends? Is it so hard to forgive someone?


6 comments:

  1. I agree with you, Irtiza. I think lack of knowledge about HIV+/AIDS somehow also put ourselves away from the 'victim' because we always afraid of what we didn't know.
    By posting about this AIDS article, I hope many will learn more about it and we all can give support to them who somehow got the HIV+/AIDS.

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  2. Totally agree dude! It's soo happening in India as well! People just get arrested cos they are HIV +ve and all cos of the ignorance:(

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  3. Wrongly social stigma / paradigm against AIDS is enough for impede the prevention.

    Greetings from Indonesia.

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  4. Aldhis, Shrav, Tinko, thanks for your opinions.

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  5. I dont know when people in this world will stop treating people who have AIDS as animals..

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  6. The availability and accessibility of antiretroviral treatment is crucial; it enables people living with HIV to enjoy longer, healthier lives, and as such acts as an incentive for HIV testing. Continued contact with health care workers also provides further opportunities for prevention messages and interventions. Studies suggest that HIV-positive people may be less likely to engage in risky behaviour if they are enrolled in treatment programmes.

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