Media Items Related to HIV and AIDS - Article Example

? Media items related to HIV/AIDS number Media items related to HIV/AIDS The media had a large role to play in the alleviation of the misery that is faced by people who suffer from HIV/AIDS. Its work can also go a long way in eradicating the disease through the education and awareness that it can provide to people regarding the deadliness of the disease. Apart from the effectiveness of the medium, the place that it describes and the place where it is circulated is also very important. This determines the effect that the content and the form of the medium would have on its target audience. As a result of this, a study of the media items that relate to AIDS and its causes and means of transmission have a great role to play in the eventual eradication of the disease. It needs to be of great help in any plan that may be formed in the fight against HIV and AIDS. “HIV AIDS in Kenya” is a video on YouTube that talks of the lives of two women, Caroline and Alice. It talks of the stigma that they had to face once their condition of being HIV positive was revealed. The stigma along with the isolation that it brought was something that added to the misery that was brought by the strictly biological problems that were caused by the virus. Both the women say that the stigma was as much of a problem that they had to face as was the physical and biological discomforts brought about by the virus. The loss of emotional support in terms of friends and family who had ostracized them was also a blow. This video is one among many that are being created that talk of the lives of HIV victims. These biographical accounts go to show that the fault lies not only with the virus but also with the attitudes that are found in the society that go to isolate such people. Such a stigma can also cause difficulties in the dispensing of medical facilities to these people. The medium comes in for special analysis as it remains to be seen as to how much of an effect it may produce on a continent where many countries have a very low number of people with access to the internet. This is the case with many third world countries and is a potent reason ad to why the aims of many programs cannot be fulfilled. Many organizations from developed countries that work in Africa may face the problem of not having the same tools to reach out to the masses as they may have had in their homelands. However, such forms of the media may have another effect. They may help in drawing funds from people from developed countries and the elite sections of third world countries. This may help cash-strapped organizations within underdeveloped nations to fight against HIV and AIDS and also provide better medical facilities to the people who have been diagnosed to be positive. Books like Sande's HIV/AIDS Medicine: Medical Management of AIDS is another form of media which talks of the disease that has come to create havoc in the lives of millions of people worldwide. There are many books that talk of the disease at a very basic level. This book talks not only of the nature of the disease but also of the origin and the mistakes that have been committed over a long period of time in the fight that has taken place against the epidemic. This book also includes concepts that may not be familiar to the layman as it includes essays and discussions by eminent people associated with the researches that have been taking place on AIDS. Making the common man aware of such details may not be the best solution to conquering the disease. However, it is of the utmost importance to have books that also encourage research into the field so that a cure may be found if possible. It also allows researchers a look at the history of the disease so that they may not commit the same mistakes that have been committed in the past by other researchers. Another form of media that is common is the one that is found in medical websites and journals that give comprehensive account of the condition and the ways of its transmission and the possibilities of life that exist for a victim. One such page is that of emedicinehealth. This page talks about the various aspects of the condition that affects the life of people. It also, in certain cases, provides specific pieces of information that are specialized and inaccessible to the layman. The problems of such a website notwithstanding, it also gives people the ability to look at information that is not easily available and gain a better understanding of the nature of the disease and its various effects on society and the individual. Like the book that has been described in the previous paragraph, it encourages further research on the disease and also provides the layman with the basic information that he or she needs on the disease to escape from the virus. The accessibility of internet may again be used as an argument against such media but any form of awareness that is created about the disease is an achievement in the fight against HIV and AIDS. Such pages that are created on the web can help in educating people who have access to the internet. Contrary to popular perception, even such people may not be aware of the different effects of the disease and the different ways in which they can fight the disease. Another kind of medium is the AOL page which provides quick information regarding AIDS. This is in a form that encapsulates the different aspects of the condition and often tries to bust certain myths that are held regarding the condition of patients and the means of transmission. This is very important as the greatest problem with the whole issue is the lack of awareness that deepens the stigma. A page that talks of these myths and the medical truths that can be used for this is managed by the site CoolAge. It looks at the myths and truths that are a part of the public perceptions regarding HIV. This seeks to create more awareness regarding the condition among the masses. Such articles that are written by doctors attract more visits and also encourage other doctors to do the same. In this case, the person who has written the article is from a third world country and this increases the significance of it in as much as it would create more awareness amongst the medical community of this country. Since networking of medical professionals is common at this point of time, it may also lead to a ripple effect where doctors from other third world countries also take to spreading awareness in as many ways as they can. Looking at these forms of the media was a very educative experience and helped an understanding of the ways and means in which the media can be used as a constructive force in the society. The importance of spreading awareness regarding HIV and AIDS does not need to be emphasized. There are many forms of the media that the modern world has at its disposal. All of these need to be looked into and used for the eradication of HIV and AIDS. A disease that has affected people from all parts of the world and created divisions within many communities, it ought to be tackled with the utmost of vigor. Enabling this is one of the greatest responsibilities that the media has in today’s world. References “HIV/AIDS”. (2012). From emedicinehealth online. Retrieved 9th September, 2012, from http://www.emedicinehealth.com/hivaids/article_em.htm#hivaids_overview Sande's HIV/AIDS Medicine: Medical Management of AIDS. Eds. Paul A. Volberding, M.D., Warner C. Greene, Joep M. A. Lange, Joel E. Gallant, Nelson Sewankambo. New York: Elsevier, 2012. Gupta, Esha. (2012). “Does your knowledge about HIV/AIDS hold up? Part - 1”. From CoolAge online. Retrieved 9th September, 2012, from http://www.coolage.in/2012/09/07/does-your-knowledge-about-hiv-aids-hold-up-part-1/ Standardgroupkenya. (2012). “HIV AIDS in Nyeri”. Retrieved 9th September, 2012, from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mmry0Bdj9Vg Read More