Discrimination of HIV Patients

Human Immunodeficiency Virus, popularly known as HIV is a kind of disease that attacks the immune system of the infected person lessening his/her ability to fight foreign bacterias that enter the bodies. It is commonly known that HIV is passed on through sexual intercourse alone but little did other know it can also be passed through contact between broken skin as well as wounds wherein the blood from the HIV-positive person gets into the bloodstream of the HIV-negative. Unfortunately, there is still no cure for this disease but there are number of prescriptions that an infected person can take to lessen the effect of the symptoms.

HIV is obviously still not a socially acceptable norm as people infected with this are being discriminated and labelled as disgraceful and dirty. In some country, women living with HIV are being accused of adultery with no relevant evidence. This makes HIV as one of the challenging disease as people infected with this have to be strong physically and emotionally.

Some patients, due to the fear of being criticised refuse to have treatment to hide their disease from the public. The fear from it causes denial, secrecy, depression and shame. Nobody deserve to feel and treated that way because each one of us is equally important as the other.

The famous Freddie Mercury, the man behind the hit song “Bohemian Rhapsody” is one of a perfect example. He denied that he is HIV positive for his entire life just not to ruin his career. He only confirmed it days before his death in 1991, tragic right? They chose to be consumed by the disease in fear that they will be criticised and judged by the society instead of getting a treatment.

To conclude, the possibilities are endless. You can be somehow an HIV negative or positive. But that doesn’t make you different from any other human being. Anyone from different parts of the globe can do anything and be anything. We, as fellow human beings should give respect and support to the HIV patients, not criticism and discrimination. Life is fair, it’s the people’s wrong-doings makes it unfair. Let’s not become the reason why someone is being ashamed of their flaws and imperfections. Let’s become the reason why they should embrace it. HIV is a disease, not a sin.