Stigmatization and discrimination against people living with HIV/AIDS - Essay Example

The issue of stigmatization and discrimination against people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) has become a serious issue in Ghana, particularly in Kumasi among the youth population. It is causing sharp divisions in the society. Those who are being discriminated against and stigmatized are on one side, while those who are responsible for this are on the opposing side. The reason for selecting respondents from these areas is that they represent the people living with the disease who are subject to stigmatization and discrimination.

The researcher wanted to be sure whether people, particularly the youth, do stigmatize and discriminate. Another objective was to find out the mode of transmission of the disease in health care and home settings, and to understand a possible way forward to stop the youth from discriminating and stigmatizing.   From the study, it was found out that the percentage of the disease has relatively decreased in some parts of the city of Kumasi, while in some parts it is still going up irrespective of numerous educational activities which are available.

Through education and campaigns against stigmatization and discrimination, some of the youth have put a stop to that behaviour. It was also found that governments over the years are doing well to educate the society about the epidemic of the disease. Ghana Health Service, together with opinion leaders, sometimes organise programs to educate people on the negative effect of stigmatization and discrimination. From the respondents, it was realized that stigmatization and discrimination is something that is going on in Ghana, especially in Kumasi among the youth population. .    Introduction This study is about stigmatization and discrimination against people living with HIV/AIDS by the youth of Kumasi, Ghana.

It is something that has been ongoing in the city of Kumasi, and it is a negative practise that should not be encouraged in any society.  The HIV/AIDS epidemic is something that nobody can simple run away from, it is a disease that should be tackled by everybody in society in unison. The mode of transmission is serious and people can get it through carelessness and others through the fault or negligence of health workers. The motivation of the study was condemnation that the researcher witnessed during a visit to Kumasi, Ghana, where an infected person was shunned by her sister because she was HIV positive.

That is where the researcher realized that discrimination and stigmatization should not be encouraged in any form in our societies.  Literature Review This chapter will focus on the issue of discrimination and stigmatization against people living with HIV/AIDS by society, with emphasis on the youth in Kumasi, Ghana. The meaning of the words discrimination and stigmatization will be explained here. It will also deal with people’s work and study about the disease. The researcher’s first relevant research will also come into play.

This chapter will also deal with the HIV/AIDS situation in Ghana and in some sub-Saharan African countries. The researcher also conducted a critical review of the literature on similar studies. Work from Goffman was used in addition to the first research completed by this researcher, about the awareness of HIV/AIDS. The researcher used keyword searches on the Internet and also searched libraries for