Sunday, January 18, 2009
Those HIV rumours
Sometimes, life in small island societies can have immense drawbacks. Tongues wag and rumours quickly take root, spread like wild fire and at times cause irreparable damage. None moreso than the whisperings about persons with HIV and the subsequent ostracism that takes place. Lately, a trend has been developing where persons have go to the newspapers with their negative HIV tests to dispel rumours circulating around them.
I find this annoying on so many levels. I want to think that by now people would realise that the face of HIV is the one they see in the mirror. I want to think that by now the education process would have ensured that persons with HIV would not be refused entrance on public transport. I still don't get the hounding of persons with HIV,not in this year of our lord 2009. I hate to hear people adopt this holier than thou attitude with respect to HIV as if only "bad" people contract it and then it is deserved. Who died and made us king?
I so wish those persons were strong enough not to give a damn about the rumours. I know I would not give the gossipers the satisfaction of divulging my personal business. Instead,the onus would be on them to prove their case. Neverthelss, it is about time some folks grow up and stop making persons lives miserable because of a disease that so many of us are exposed to. Sooner or later, I believe every family will be touched by HIV and folks would be forced to confront their fears.
I find this annoying on so many levels. I want to think that by now people would realise that the face of HIV is the one they see in the mirror. I want to think that by now the education process would have ensured that persons with HIV would not be refused entrance on public transport. I still don't get the hounding of persons with HIV,not in this year of our lord 2009. I hate to hear people adopt this holier than thou attitude with respect to HIV as if only "bad" people contract it and then it is deserved. Who died and made us king?
I so wish those persons were strong enough not to give a damn about the rumours. I know I would not give the gossipers the satisfaction of divulging my personal business. Instead,the onus would be on them to prove their case. Neverthelss, it is about time some folks grow up and stop making persons lives miserable because of a disease that so many of us are exposed to. Sooner or later, I believe every family will be touched by HIV and folks would be forced to confront their fears.
# posted by Abeni @ 6:48 PM 
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I did my master's dissertation on the impact of hiv/aids on the labour market in St Vincent.
You'll be shock to find out that a good percentage of employers will be prepared to fire an employee base on the rumour that he is hiv positive.
http://www.thecommonwealth.org/Shared_ASP_Files/UploadedFiles/D06D864C-C758-4EAD-81D0-F873C44CBD9F_Andrenas_dissertation.pdf
You'll be shock to find out that a good percentage of employers will be prepared to fire an employee base on the rumour that he is hiv positive.
http://www.thecommonwealth.org/Shared_ASP_Files/UploadedFiles/D06D864C-C758-4EAD-81D0-F873C44CBD9F_Andrenas_dissertation.pdf
abeni i agree with you totally here...
our society can be very discriminatory and hateful sometimes... we always make the excuse that it's because we're from a small society where rumour spreads like wildfire - but i think that's a cop out... no matter how small the society, there's still something called basic human decency... lately i find svg sorely lacking in this department...
forgive me if i sound particularly cynical tonight, but i am not pleased with our society this weekend... i see so much hatred around... and i see so many people justifying their hatred through christianity or the bible that i just feel sick...
hiv/aids awareness in this country is just words - there's no real action behind it...
our society can be very discriminatory and hateful sometimes... we always make the excuse that it's because we're from a small society where rumour spreads like wildfire - but i think that's a cop out... no matter how small the society, there's still something called basic human decency... lately i find svg sorely lacking in this department...
forgive me if i sound particularly cynical tonight, but i am not pleased with our society this weekend... i see so much hatred around... and i see so many people justifying their hatred through christianity or the bible that i just feel sick...
hiv/aids awareness in this country is just words - there's no real action behind it...
scary!
but then i remember what it was like with cancer back in the days. it was almost like it was seen as you had done something wrong and it was some sort of punishment from GOd and you were contagious.
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but then i remember what it was like with cancer back in the days. it was almost like it was seen as you had done something wrong and it was some sort of punishment from GOd and you were contagious.
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