AIDS as a Global Problem - Case Study Example

ACQUIRED IMMUNODEFICIENCY SYNDROME Section AIDS Definition: AIDS is defined as a pathological condition which standsfor Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome. It is a disease condition which results due to infection with the human immunodeficiency virus and it is termed as a syndrome owing to the fact that it affects the major systems of the human body and it is accompanied with different pathological states including cancers of different parts of the human body (Davidson et al 2009). Introduction: AIDS is a disease which results due to the action of the human immunodeficiency virus. This disease and the virus was properly explained and identified in the year 1981. The number of patients suffering from Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome has been increasing and the disease may be referred to as an epidemic. This disease has been marked as the second most frequent pathological condition across the globe which has highlighted the fact that this condition is not restricted to a particular region but follows a global pattern. It has been labeled as the first most common cause of death in Africa where it has been reported to lead to more than 20 percent of the deaths in this particular region. Following the identification of the disease, it has been known to result in greater than 20 million deaths across the world. International health organizations have noted the severity of the issue and the World Health Organization put forward the fact that 39.4 million people had AIDS or they had a present infection with human immunodeficiency virus in the year 2004 (Davidson et al 2009). The region of Africa has the highest number of people with this disease and 70 percent of the total AIDS patients belong to this region. The United States of America also has a large number of people suffering from the disease and in the year 2002, it was analyzed that 900,000 residents of the country had the disease. The disease serves as a grave problem in the country as it has been analyzed to be the second life taking reason amongst the males of the age group of 25 to 44 years in the country. Young children are also not spared and in the year 2002, it was found out that 800,000 more children were affected with this pathology which may result due to passing of the virus from the mother to the child during birth or via breast feeding from infected mothers (Robbins et al 2005). Thus it can be seen that a very large number of people are affected with this condition but many people avoid presenting their problems owing to the stigma associated with this condition. Thesis: AIDS is a global problem which affects a large number of people and these people should be helped and societies should be created to assist these individuals. The stigma associated with this condition is unjustified as the patients suffering from AIDS are like other patients who require help and assistance to overcome their condition. Support: Jonathon Mann who was the director of the Global AIDS Program of the World Health Organization for this syndrome in the year 1987 already created insight into the stigmatizing aspect of AIDS. He explained that overcoming the social response associated with AIDS was extremely important in tackling the issue of AIDS across the world. This problem associated with the condition of AIDS was again highlighted in the year 2000 by Peter Piot who was the executive director of UNAIDS. The stigma and the way the patients are treated negatively further increases the suffering of the people who have AIDS. These patients avoid coming forward owing to the fact that they might be labeled in a negative manner (Parker 2002). It has been analyzed that the morals of the people who suffer from AIDS are questioned. An incident of a gynecologist who was suffering from AIDS is a very good example of this stigma. The doctor was widely publicized in the media and was criticized for risking the health of the patients who might be affected with the disease. A major stigma associated with the disease is that the sufferers of AIDS are actually risking the health of other individuals and hence contact with these people should be minimized (Thompson 2003). These stigmas are unjustified owing to the fact that clear reasons for the spread of the disease have been identified. The disease tends to spread if contact with the body fluids of the infected patient occurs. Sexual contact has been classified as the most common reason for the spread of this disease. In the United States the disease occurs mainly in men due to sex between males and is reported highly amongst homosexuals. The link between homosexuality and AIDS has been reported to be very high and it has been indicated that half of the cases of the disease in the United States are present mainly amongst homosexuals. Proper screening of blood has also reduced the transmission of the virus via blood transfusions. An important aspect that has been highlighted in many researches is that regular daily contact with the AIDS patients is not related to the transmission of the virus (Davidson et al 2006, Robbins et al 2005). This highlights an important aspect that AIDS is a disease that can be prevented from being spread if proper measures are taken. Thus it is not justified to stigmatize these people as normal contact with these individuals does not increase the risk of contracting the disease. The World Health Organization issued a very important statement in this regard in the year 2003 which read: “As HIV/AIDS becomes a disease that can be both prevented and treated, attitudes will change, and denial, stigma and discrimination will rapidly be reduced.” (Avert) Opposition: There are many reasons that people suffering from AIDS are stigmatized. Many governments across the world lay down the reason that the HIV positive individuals actually pose a risk for the other healthy people residing in the countries and hence proper precautionary measures should be taken in the case of these patients. Many doctors do not assess these patients considering the fact that they might contract the disease from these patients. It is argued by opponents that AIDS is a condition for which the sufferer is himself responsible owing to engagement of these people in immoral acts and unsafe sexual techniques and hence these people should be kept away from the normal population for the safety of the other individuals. In the United Kingdom, an HIV positive individual can be taken to the courts if he led to the transfer of the virus to another individual despite of the fact that he was not aware of his disease. This is because the AIDS individual hampers the quality of life and living of the other individual and puts him at the risk of developing serious illnesses (Avert). Conclusion: AIDS is a condition which can be prevented by taking proper measures. Awareness with regard to AIDS should be spread to reduce the number of cases and the stigma associated with the disease should be reduced so that patients come forward with their complaints and so that they can be treated for their condition. It is a disease that child may also contract during delivery and it unethical and unjustified to blame an innocent child for his condition. Thus proper measures should be taken to overcome this problem. Works Cited Avert. HIV & AIDS stigma and discrimination. Web 3 May 2011. Davidson, Stanley, and J A. Innes. Davidsons Essentials of Medicine. Edinburgh: Elsevier/Churchill Livingstone, 2009. Print. Top of Form Parker, Richard G, and Peter Aggleton. Hiv/aids-related Stigma and Discrimination: A Conceptual Framework and an Agenda for Action. Washington, DC: Horizons Program, Population Council, 2002. Print. Bottom of Form Robbins,Stanley L., Abul K. Abbas, Nelson Fausto, Vinay Kumar, and Ramzi S. Cotran. Robbins and Cotran Pathologic Basis of Disease. Philadelphia: Elsevier Saunders, 2005. Print. Top of Form Thompson, Teresa L. Handbook of Health Communication. Mahwah, N.J: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, 2003. Print. Bottom of Form Read More