Stigma : the negatives of being HIV positive
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This report addresses the issue of stigma surrounding people living with the human immunodeficiency virus and the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome or HIV/AIDS. It examines the relationship between the disease and a person’s willingness to seek treatment and how an HIV diagnosis affects self-acceptance, family relationships, friendships and well being of people living with HIV/AIDS. In many cases the self-imposed stigma is just as menacing as external stigma. The global pandemic of HIV/AIDS affects every class, color and creed. It is a public health crisis that quietly infects new victims daily. In the thirty years since its discovery there is still no known cure. The passage of the Ryan White act was the federal government’s first official response to the issue. While the disease is manageable for many who can afford expensive anti-retroviral medication, the side effects and psychological turmoil they face is oftentimes unbearable. This report, and the accompanying video, Stigma, which can be found at http://christinaburkephoto.blogspot.com/ examines the social and psychological effects on people living with HIV/AIDS.