By Hazel Ravu
December 1st was World AIDS Day and it brought to light on how HIV and AIDS are still not as widely discussed or destigmatised as they could be in 2020. HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) is a virus that attacks the immune system, resulting in vulnerability to other infections and diseases. It is spread by contact with certain bodily fluids, mostly during unprotected sex, or through sharing needle drug equipment. If left untreated, HIV can develop into AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome), a chronic and possibly life-threatening condition. With 38 million people in the world currently living with HIV, it is concerning how the virus is still considered a taboo in most society today.
In 1999 the WHO announced that AIDS was the fourth-largest cause of death worldwide and the number one killer in Africa. Approximately 33 million people overall have died from AIDS since the start of the epidemic. Fortunately, in 2017 it was declared that for the first time since the discovery of the disease, more than half of the worldÔÇÖs population living with HIV were receiving antiretroviral treatment (ART), meaning they could enjoy long and healthy lives without the worry of infecting a loved one. A slogan was developed to help suppress the long-standing stigma formed around the disease. ÔÇ£Undetectable = UntransmittableÔÇØ (U-U), was based upon the confident scientific evidence that showed that people who had completed treatment and achieved an undetectable result could not pass the virus further. As a result of this, new infections have fallen by a third in East and Southern Africa over the last six years. The objective was for 90% of all people living with HIV to be diagnosed, 90% of those diagnosed to receive HIV treatment and 90% of those receiving treatment to achieve viral suppression by 2020. This goal has been achieved.
In Straight Outta Compton, the biographical movie following the lives of the rap group, NWA, Eazy-E is told that he is dying of AIDS. His response is surprise as he exclaims that could not be the case because he is not gay. This is a stigma many people have regarding HIV, and it is a damaging one. HIV can affect people of any sexuality. Another misconception is that those with HIV are mostly black and/or African. This discriminatory stereotype is also false. These perceptions are simply just not true. It is outdated beliefs and the lack of awareness that allows for this disease to remain a taboo. This is because until recently, these two groups were marginalised by society thereby allowing negativity to develop regarding this disease as it was seen to be associated with them. And because some people are of the belief that only particular people can be infected with this disease, it has led to unfair discrimination against people who are living with HIV. The disease is linked to the practice of injection drugs, further aiding in a dangerous alienation of the victims from the rest of the community. In 2019, it was estimated that over 100,000 people in the UK are living with HIV. Half of them white and just over a quarter black African.
Although the number of new diagnoses has been declining over the past decade, the number of affected people is still vast. In 2019, an estimated 1.7 million individuals worldwide acquired HIV. Although 67% of all affected people have access to ART, that still leaves 12.6 million infected people who are still waiting for treatment. These and other details surrounding HIV were never taught to me and my peers. Instead, we have had to piece together the facts from various sources including hearsay information from older people and news articles. This has inevitably led to misconceptions and ignorance about the disease.
This is why it is important that we continue to encourage conversations around HIV, so we know how best to help those who do have it. In contrast the Coronavirus has received spectacular attention across all platforms: the media, the government, and the community. HIV deserves the same attention. Unlike Coronavirus, it cannot be cured, and infection can lead to disastrous consequences for patients. Due to the negative stigma surrounding the illness, HIV positive people need extra support in the early stages to enable them to come to terms with the new reality of their lives.
There needs to be more education in schools about the details surrounding the disease, what causes it, how to prevent it and what happens if you do have it. It is a common belief that having HIV automatically means death, but this is not necessarily the case. The taboo surrounding HIV and AIDS needs to be tackled. Honest and open discussions on public forums as well as education in schools and colleges will lead to AIDS being normalised like any other disease in society. There has clearly been a massive improvement in the past two decades, and the future looks even more hopeful, but the ignorance and stigma around HIV and AIDS are still a disturbing reality in our society.