LETS STOP HIV STIGMATIZATION!!!!!!!!!!

Introduction

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HIV Stigmatization refer to the negative attitudes, feelings, been shown/exhihited to people living with HIV.

Lots of people living with HIV have been victims of stigmatization and discrimination and they no longer live comfortable in the society today, even the families of those living with HIV are being stigmatized as they can no longer walk or talk freely in public without people associating them as families of those living with HIV.

Lots of these HIV carriers have lost their jobs, spouse and even families simply because they tested postive to HIV, many people especially at their place of work are being denied promotions because they are postive. HIV stgimatization is not only common only in Nigeria but all over the world.

When someone is tested postive to HIV, the first thing that comes to his mind is not whether the disease is going to kill him, but the fear of STIGMATIZATION. The fear of what people are going to say about him, fear of him loosing his job, his dreams and even his family. Alot of Employers, immediately after seeing potential employee medical report will immediately deny them employment. Why? Stigmatization.

People living with HIV are treated as outcast, denied their rights and even prevented from taking part in social activities in the society. Some are prevented from going to school.

Many people are of the belief that once someone is tested positive to HIV, he or she should be sent out from the city or even the country like in the days of moses when those infected with leprosy were thrown outside the camp.

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REASON WHY PEOPLE STIGMATIZE THOSE WITH HIV

Being postive to HIV brings pain to the infected ones, now making this people feel like an outcast, unloved and this causes more unbearable pain to them.

Reason why people stigmatize those with HIV is due to the myth surrounding HIV, people feel HIV is a death sentence and as such they dont want to be associated with those that has the virus lest they also contract the HIV, people also feel those that have HIV are the prosmicious ones and as such they dont want to have any thing to do with them or want to make them feel bad for being promiscious.

Despite the fact that people are aware of how this virus is being contracted, people are still of the belief that mere touching an HIV infected person will make them contract the virus. Some people especially staffs in this case feel those infected with HIV are incompetent and are such wont be able to perform task assigned to them dutifully. Other people also belief that those with HIV usually dies at a very young age and as such prevent their daughters or sons from getting married to those infected people.

All those mentioned above are reasons why people act negatively to those living with HIV.

VARIOUS FORM OF STIGMATIZING THOSE WITH HIV

You might be acting weird to those with HIV without even knowing it. There was a story of a young woman with HIV who decide to attend a wedding ceremony, immediately she arrived the occassion and sat down, people probably through one way or the other already knew she has HIV, started to standing up and even those at her back stood up and moved to another place like the virus can jump from one body to another. The young woman tearfully left the occasion.

You might have a friend who is postive to HIV, How do you treat him or her?. There are other ways people with HIV stigmatised. They include:

1. Refusing to hug the person

2. Refusing to eat with the person

3. Gossiping about the person to friends

4. Refusing to grant the person employment even when qualified for the job

5. Violent acts towards them

6. Making the person feel uncomfortable when they are around you

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HOW HIV CARRIERS FEELS WHEN PUSHED AWAY

Stigmatization kills faster than even the HIV virus itself. Please lets stop stigmatization, these people are fellow human like us. its so unfortunate that they are postive, there are lot and lot of people that ends up commiting suicide because they are isolated. There was a story of a lady that jumped into the well because men refused to settle down with her and the only man that even wanted to settle with her, his mother refused, she was so frustrated that she ended her life. Many people have been depressed, some even has gone mad due to depression. When you stigmatized those living with HIV they feel:

1. Depressed
2. Sad
3. Begin to think of sucide
4. They begin to have low self esteem
5. Some even wish they were not born
6. They feel rejected/dejected
7. Sometimes financially handicapped

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ALL THEY NEED IS LOVE

There is nothing as great as being loved. A poor man feel rich when being shown love, an orphan feels safe when being shown love, love conquer all. All they need is love, stop stigmatization of those with the virus. Being HIV positive is not the end of the world. Some people that are postive are even more succesful than some that are HIV negative. Lets show them love. We are one, lets stop acting as if they are not part of this planet. HIV cannot be contracted by eating with them, bathing with them, sharing spoon, plates, cups, even sleeping with them on the same bed. So now what is the big deal? Let show them love not love alone but love from the whole of our heart.

There is nothing to be scared of, HIV just dont jump from one body to another, lets treat them like normal people. Why not employ them if they possess the qualifications, there is no books where its written that those with HIV cant work, they are not less human, they are capable, they are people like us. Lets give them a chance.

SELF-STIGMA

Self stigma is a situation where you start feeling bad or cririsizing yourself. It's when you feel you are not worth anything, when you begin to develop low self esteem. Who told you that because you are postive you cant get married? Who told you that you cant live long? Who told you that you cant get a job? Stop feeling sorry for yourself, there is nothing wrong with you, you are perfectly ok. If any body denies you of something simply because you are postive, leave there, that is their own loss not yours. Move forward, move ahead.

Some people living with HIV, even if no one is treating them like an outcast, they treat themselves like one. You are not an outcast, you are beautifully made, so pick up the mantle and move forward.

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Reference
http://www.aidsmap.com/stigma

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