Cooking up an Epidemic Pisani: the Wisdom of Whores - Essay Example

The Wisdom of Whores by Elizabeth Pisani The Wisdom of Whores by Elizabeth Pisani Cooking up an Epidemic In the first chapter referred to as cooking up an epidemic, Pisani (2008) discusses how the World Health Organization (WHO) and other organizations among them the World Bank and UNICEF played a role in facilitating for the spread of HIV AIDS. “Launching a career in drug and sex, like in all other careers, is in the right place at the right time” (Pisani, 2008). According to the author, a career in drugs as well as sex requires the involved parties to actively engage in the right activities while at the same time ensuring that every action is taken before it is too late. Despite WHO identifying the challenges related with the spread of HIV and establishing a global program on AIDS, it made an error of associating HIV with consequences on both social and economic development of human beings. According to the author, the issue development led to drawing interest in the matter from the World Bank while UNICEF, UNESCO and others felt that the concern equally touched on their dockets. From that wide approach and push to address the same issue, the challenge at hand was never solved as there occurred change of direction where rather than solving the challenge at hand, counter accusations and defense was traded. Through presenting the counter accusations that delayed the process of addressing AIDS challenge, the Chapter captures the general idea of the book that argues against the myths attributed to HIV/ AIDS. Stine (2014) presents a twenty two year chronological of AIDS pandemic where he attributes the responsible parties in addressing the challenge to facilitate rather as opposed to fighting the challenge. The author believes that failure of fight against HIV/AIDS resulted from failure to address the issue at the right time and assigning the role to a particular body. These assertions from the Pisani are true considering that delay in fighting the challenge even led to introduction of other mechanisms of beating up the issue. However, with limitations to access of some necessities, achievement of the goal became unrealizable. Landscapes of Desire In the second chapter, Pisani discusses her mission in Indonesia where she was engaged in a new role carrying out a study that will help the government understand how and the reasons behind the spread of HIV in Indonesia. Through developing an effective national surveillance system, the government intended to learn the trend of HIV spread on a yearly basis. Like in her arguments about failing to do the right thing at the right time, “there lacks a point of getting information of HIV spread and infection unless there was a need of improving HIV programs (Pisani, 2008).” From the author’s point of view, improving the HIV program would call on the government to treat drug injectors, gay men as well as sex workers nicely through funding such things. The message the author sends to the audience is an indication that rather than solely focusing on the landscapes of how HIV is rising, there is an equal need to focus on how to change these practices. Despite earlier studies where individuals were classified into HIV boxes resulting in the manner of infection, the study realized different HIV high risk contraction individuals who fail to fit in any of the boxes and thus handled in a different perspective than the others. According to Stine (2014), such a perspective falls under the social framework of societies and requires addressing from the same approach. The chapter successfully captures the goal of the author in the whole book that aims at presenting a new perspective against the stereotypes held against HIV/AIDS. The author intends to pass a message that learning the trends and causes of HIV is far less important without facilitating the necessary measures of reducing the spread of the disease. In my opinion, as the author advocates, providing medicines and things like condoms is essential since it is practically impossible to change the behavior of a society as a result of an epidemic. The Honesty Box In the chapter, the author discusses the experience in the research about HIV/AIDS and compliance from the respondents while conducting the research. It is important to note that despite the high level of compliance evidenced during the HIV surveillance, there is a room of errors. The errors result from the idea that despite facilitating the study with the right response to traces and sources of HIV transmission, participants were against being tested for HIV and that leads to an error as the study fails to garner supportive evidence. The honest box is used t record these errors indicating that there is need for a clear focus on the right respondents to avoid filing the honesty box with a lot of irrelevancies. It is important to note that a clear target audience is essential and unlike the commonly held concept that getting in touch with individuals at the risk of HIV infection is hard, the study proved otherwise. The chapter works in supporting the aim of the book that disapproves the notion of challenges in getting high risk victims of HIV. Apart from the drug injectors, the other respondents were easy to get, interact with and willing to communicate, respond and share with the researchers about the issue. According to Pisani (2008), “most of the individuals with the exception of drug injectors that were interested while planning HIV prevention programs are reachable.” That serves as an indication that with the right target population at risk of infection, governments and institution need to actively engage with these populations to enhance in protecting them. Through focusing on a scientific perspective on HIV transmission, policy makers and government will successfully achieve the goal of protecting the citizens (Stine, 2014). The sentiments from the author are true as individuals will as the process will benefit those at risk of contracting HIV through protection before the condition worsens. The Naked Truth In the chapter, Pisani (2008) focuses on the necessity to talk the truth regarding the issue of HIV/ AIDS first presenting the statistics of individuals infected with HIV globally. It is evident that Africa is the most affected country by HIV with two-thirds of the whole population infected with HIV globally hailing from Africa. According to Pisani (2008), “the situation resulted from the politicians across Africa finding it easy to watch hundred thousands of youths perish than saying the secret thinking among all individuals that HIV spread results from sex.” From the author’s perspective, failure to speak out about the challenge and cause of HIV is the main reason behind the continuous spread and increased deaths resulting from HIV related infections. Like the whole book states, the chapter presents an argument that it is important to focus on the real cause behind HIV transmission and address the issue from that perspective. Pisani (2008) argues that had political leaders made public awareness of the reasons behind the spread of AIDS in Africa, it was possible to minimize the spread of the disease. Again rather than relying on myths in explaining the causes and spread of HIV/AIDS, it is essential to accord the right causation to the problem. Stine (2014) echoes the same sentiments as Pisani, arguing that handling the challenge of HIV/ AIDS continues to fail over the past two decades as a result of failure to address the fact of the matter and the real cause of HIV. The myth attributing AIDS spread to poverty is ill-advised and misplaced. In that perspective I, concur with the author, considering that South Africa is the wealthiest country in African continent with civilized women, yet it leads in terms of HIV infection. Consequently, the idea behind speak up is essential in creating awareness and equally ensuring that the population seeks protection measures during sexual affairs. Sacred Cows Through presenting a comparison between the perception of AIDS and other diseases affecting the human race like syphilis or even cancer, the author portrays how various groups have taken the challenge to gain public interest. These individuals that the author refers t as sacred cows refers themselves as AIDS activists with the culture eventually being exported across different regions in the world. The concept of activism in dealing with the challenge of AIDS has by far led to profound effects on the manner the virus is addressed in different regions across the globe. The chapter questions the same concept the whole book presents in relation to failure to address the challenge head on and at the right time. The concepts withheld by these activists affect the society’s approach I the manner of dealing with the virus, yet no one questions whether the concepts from these sacred cows are essential in dealing with the problem at hand. According to Pisani (2008), “HIV testing exposes individuals to stigma indicating that routine testing is dubious, where compulsory testing is evil.” From the concepts spread by the AIDS activists, societies have been left on the verge of collision with the right means of addressing the challenge through focusing on means that state otherwise than what the activists say is wrong. Stine (2014) presents a historical perspective of time and date relating to how the fight against AIDS keeps taking new dimensions. Stine concurs with Pisani in presenting an argument that the fight for the challenge of HIV is taken from a different perspective than other diseases. I echo the same sentiments as the author thinking that had societies not been faced with such concepts hindering HIV tests among others, awareness on the virus possesses a capability of increasing. Therefore, the notion behind AIDS activists is wrong as activists serve a different purpose that finding solutions to diseases. Articles of Faith In the chapter, the author presents the reality between individual connection with AIDS and the facts behind the spread of AIDS borrowing from the realities of life. It is a fact that individuals who work in AIDS prevention and care as a result of being affected, their close friends being affected or from a missionary drive zeal, their commitment is rarely questionable. Again, the chapter aims to capture the main theme of the book on the need to address the challenge basing on realities as opposed to myths. These individuals work hard to achieve their goals with focus on teaching the public on the challenges, consequences, prevention measures and anything else coming from their heart. There is need to develop such strength and comfort missionary zeal across societies through religions taking positions on the right stand in relation to the stand on HIV and AIDS, understanding the facts about possibility of infection is essential. According to Pisani (2008), “despite the changes in the social structure of societies, the hormonal balance of individuals within the society is the same as in the traditional setup.” Stine (2014) and Pisani (2008) make the audience recall of sex scandals in the past that resulted to earlier marriages and pregnancy among other issues. While those traditional consequences are wiped away by the new structures, new challenges are evidenced since the behaviors still holds. It is thus important to elaborate every truthful aspect related to AIDS as the author indicates, to enhance in curbing the challenge. HIV Shoots Up In the chapter, the author explores the reasons behind the increased rate of transmission of HIV despite the policy makers and societies fully aware of the challenges. The chapter carries the theme of the book through advocating on focusing on the truth of the matter and dismisses unreliable stereotypes of reasons behind HIV spread. To help in presenting a good understanding, the author focuses on the needs of the society attributed as the major causation of spreading the virus. In respect to sex workers, approaching them and providing them with protective measures is not an easier task as they are perceived as victims of the challenge but is easier to address than the drug injectors. While the two are considered evils, drug injectors fail to hold ground of achieving support to avoid the risk of HIV infection. It is attributed to the fact that the issue of drug trafficking is illegal and governments remain focused in ensuring effective measures to curb the illegal practice. According to Pisani (2008), “there are two sides in ever battle with the one for drugs having drug traffickers on one side and the reductionists on the other side.” These two sides try to muscle each other out with reductionists perceiving any efforts to aid drug injectors with needles as a means of promoting drug trafficking that they are fighting. Stine (2014) presents an argument based on a biological perspective and the political factors attributing to the continuous rise of HIV. The two authors concur with the view that there is need to change the political set up if the challenge of HIV transmission is at the heart of governments. That has in return led to other means aimed at eliminating drug usage that is ineffective. If the goal of fighting HIV infection is at heart, providing protective measures to drug users is essential. Ants in the Sugar Bowl In the topic, the author presents a concept that portrays how ideology holds the capability of sabotaging any actions aimed at preventing HIV prevention .According to Pisani (2008), “ideology influences how money is spent and how it cannot be spent.” From that perspective, the ideology presented by different individuals resulting from political, religious or activists’ perspective influences the resources at the disposal of a nation leading to limitation towards HIV prevention. Whether the money is directed towards provision of condoms, drug purchase or provision of safe needles for injection to drug injectors, ideologies of different players within a state sabotage these prevention measures. The religious font is for instance a major opposer of the use of money in enhancing provision of required facilities for users citing the state as engaging in means that promote crime and immorality. These ideologies serve as hindrances towards preventing HIV infection and as a result increased infections are recorded. According to Stine (2014), the social and political setup of the society plays significant roles in limiting means of curbing the spread of HIV and that presents the reason for failure of arriving at the best measures to address the challenge. Like in the first topic, the topic carries the theme of the book where conflicts lead to failure of the process of fighting HIV. It is important to balance the ideologies and the benefits resulting from each angle of either opposing or promoting an action. Any ideology opposing spending of resources on means of HIV prevention is better off when overlooked and the process of prevention is put in practice to ensure continuity of life for the population. Full Circle In the last chapter of her work, Pisani (2008) provides a reflection of the society’s achievements or achievable progress since learning about the causes of HIV spread and possible measures of prevention. Like the theme of the book points, despite possessing adequate knowledge relating to HIV transmission, the right measures are never taken. Through the use of an epidemiologist perspective Pisani (2008) and her team, “realized it is sensible to help junkies in avoiding HIV infection through providing them with harm reduction programs and it is doable.” The studies have presented effective and tested concepts relating to the whole HIV issue that stems from the cause, spread and continuous infection. However, the situation is different within the society in relation to how the issue of HIV spread and infection is treated. Societal structure also plays a significant role in hindering achievement of the goal of prevention considering that they oppose the idea presented from the studies. Through presenting a historical update on HIV with dates and places, Stine (2014) argues that the fight against HIV transmission is far from achievable. Various myths act as hindrance to the real challenge of HIV cause and ideologies oppose prevention measures. From that angle, it is therefore right to say that despite studies coming up with effective measures of preventing the spread of HIV, little is implemented within nations with the challenge of HIV still evidenced across different nations with developing nations serving as the major victims. It is therefore essential for government and policy makers to implement the best practices that will ensure prevention of HIV spread irrespective of other concerns. References Stine, G. J. (2014). AIDS update 2014: An annual overview of acquired immune deficiency syndrome. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill. Pisani, E. (2008). The wisdom of whores: Bureaucrats, brothels and the business of AIDS. London: Granta. Read More