AIDS Related Stigma
E-mail: rhumph@po-box.mcgill.ca
Introduction Since the appearance of AIDS in the late seventies and early eighties, the disease has had attached to it a significant social stigma. This stigma has manifested itself in the form of discrimination, avoidance and fear of people living with AIDS (PLWAs). As a result, the social implications of the disease has been extended from those of other life threatening conditions to the point at which PLWAs are not only faced with a terminal illness but also social isolation and constant discrimination throughout society. Various explanations have been suggested as to the underlying causes of this stigmatization. Many studies point to the ...
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not all social workers chose to work with PLWAs, the escalating incidence of HIV infection is creating a situation in which seropositive people are and will be showing up more often in almost all areas of social work practice. This paper aims to examine and the stigmatization process, hopefully providing insights into countering the effects of stigma and perhaps the possibility of destigmatization. This is of particular pertinence to the field of social work due to our growing involvement with the HIV positive population. Association to Deviant/Marginal Behavior One of the most clearly and often identified causes of is its association to deviant behaviour. The disease has had and still does have a strong association for many to homosexuality, IV drug use, sexual promiscuity and other liberations of sexual practice (O’Hare, et al., 1996; Canadian Associacion of Social Workers, 1990; Quam, 1990 & Beauger, 1989). An especially strong association exists between homosexuality and AIDS. ...
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what society deems to be normal behaviour. Already Stigmatized Groups Many of the groups to which AIDS is associated have long histories of stigmatization before the appearance of AIDS. Homosexuals, in western culture, have almost always suffered the effects of being a stigmatized population. The same is true of prostitutes, IV drug users, and people of color (O’Hare, et al., 1996; Giblin, 1995 & CASW, 1990). It is significant to mention colored populations, as the parts of the world that are most severely effected by AIDS, such as countries in Sub-Saharan Africa, South East Asia, and Haiti, are mostly populated by races other than Caucasian. As a result, a strong association has been ...
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AIDS Related Stigma. (2007, January 25). Retrieved December 23, 2024, from http://www.essayworld.com/essays/AIDS-Related-Stigma/59262
"AIDS Related Stigma." Essayworld.com. Essayworld.com, 25 Jan. 2007. Web. 23 Dec. 2024. <http://www.essayworld.com/essays/AIDS-Related-Stigma/59262>
"AIDS Related Stigma." Essayworld.com. January 25, 2007. Accessed December 23, 2024. http://www.essayworld.com/essays/AIDS-Related-Stigma/59262.
"AIDS Related Stigma." Essayworld.com. January 25, 2007. Accessed December 23, 2024. http://www.essayworld.com/essays/AIDS-Related-Stigma/59262.
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