Impact of Discrimination, Stigma, and Labelling on HIV Patients: Essay

This essay explores the multifaceted impacts of discrimination, stigma, and labelling on individuals living with HIV. It defines these terms and delves into their profound effects on the lives of those affected, specifically within health and social care contexts. Discrimination, encompassing unfair treat...Read More

Essay Plan

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
DISCRIMINATION .......................................................................................................................1
LABELLING ..................................................................................................................................2
STIGMA .........................................................................................................................................3
CONCLUSION ...............................................................................................................................3
REFERENCES ...............................................................................................................................5

INTRODUCTION
HIV stands for human immunodeficiency viruses are two species of Lentivirus that
causes HIV infection. It is one of the most serious disease in which the average survival time
after infection is up to 12 years. It is basically a sexual transmitted infection infection as it occur
with the transmitted of blood vaginal fluids. As if the couple transmitted without condom and if
one partner has the symptoms of HIV then there are chances of this disease. And also it can be
effected from the breast feeding and also it cause by the infected mother to her infant during
pregnancy. The essay is about on the topic of the three term such as discrimination, stigma and
labelling on HIV. In these easy it will explain about the three term and also what are the impact.
As this easy is being looked at the group of people who are suffering from the infected disease
called HIV. As it will discuss the impact of discrimination,stigma and labelling and also it
impact on service users in health and social care. As the three term discourage people to the large
extent and reduces their morale and feel that they are corner in the society. Discrimination means
unfair practices of an individual, stigma means the negative stereotype and labelling means to
label the individual by the society that affect the human behaviour.
DISCRIMINATION
Discrimination is a broad term which basically refers to unfair and unequal treatment of
an individual which is based on certain treatment such as age , race, disability, gender, marital
status etc. Discrimination is an public health issue. Discrimination is stressful and also damage
the peace of the individual. It is basically an unfair practice which is not legal and it is
experience by the individual at day to day life. Discrimination can be by many forms such as
being excluded from consideration for a job , individual is paying extra money for the rent of the
house and the most serious people usually discriminated the individual who are suffering from
the infected disease such as HIV as it is very serious disease and no individual can be
discriminated on this basis (Thompson, 2017) The United Kingdom disability laws forbidden
HIV / AIDS discrimination in employment, housing , education and heal and social care
services. And it not illegal in the united Kingdom. Also the HIV positive people are discriminate
because people think that it is the disease which is develop by touching and people are
discriminate the HIV patients as not marrying with them and also HIV is cause by the sexual
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transmitted or exchanging of the blood. If the person not use the condom during the time of
intimation with the HIV positive patient then it might infect the other person. So by all that
people avoid to contact the HIV positive . And by all this they also feel shameful and shy to
share the disease or to talk about them. (Whitley Jr and Kite, 2016).
The impact of discrimination on the group of individual which are suffering from the
infected disease such as HIV / AIDS as it is an infected disease HIV discrimination is an unfair
practices and people are treated unequally on basis of HIV disease. The impact of discrimination
on the group of people living in HIV causes negative impact on effective prevention as by
discrimination it discourage people and put them down and demotivate them for not coming
forward for testing and also the people living in the HIV are disrespected in the society to the
large extent as they don't come forward to seek information as how to protect themselves. And
also the impact is so negative on the people that they are not free enough to talk with someone
about the disease and also they are discriminated from the education, society , workplace and
even from health and social care services. HIV positive people, as there are life are affected by
the fear of discrimination by the society and also the pressure of society puts them down to the
large extent as there life become very challenging as by the discrimination they feel shameful as
people can't even share drink of glass or they even hesitate to used the same toilet seat. All the
things put the morale down of the people who are suffering from the disease and also feel corner.
As it causes negative impact. By supporting people many federal , state and local law exist of
protect the right of the people who are suffering from the infected disease. And also it monitor
that there is no unequal treatment of the individual who are suffering from HIV are also it
ensure that proper medication are provided to the people. There are many symptoms of HIV
such as rapid weight loss, fever , diarrhea, sores of the mouth ,anus and genitals , extream level
of triedness.(Masoudnia, 2015).
LABELLING
The second factor is labelling as it is very easy approach which states that the behaviour
of human being is influence by the people or society label them. In this society has label several
people and from that labelling it influence individual way of thinking and also the behaviour to
the large extent. By the help of labelling it changes the perception of the people. As society has
given label such as the people engage in the activity of criminal are label as criminals. Negative
labelling influence the society and their behaviour and so as the positive labelling. Once the
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person is label in a negative manner then it will become very difficult to remove the label. By
applying label it creates category in the society. It influenced the development of a certain
behaviour of the individual. It affect to the large extent and causes many difficulties for the
people suffering from the disease as it changes the perception of the people (Rubik and Frankl,
2017). As HIV positive people are being label by the society and for hat basis they are being
judged by the society and people treat them in negative manner by not supporting them or
avoiding the function where this people come.
As the impact of labelling on the people who are suffering from the HIV causes negative
impact as society label the people who has suffer from the infected disease as it become very
difficult to remove the label. Labelling influence the society to the large extent as the way the
individual has described and categorized by the society affect the behaviour of the human being.
As people labelling with the infected disease as HIV may suffer a lot as the behaviour of the
human being changes as it reduces their morale and discourage them to make friends. And also
they have to deal with lot of difficulties and uncertainty. This will stress them and demotivate
them. Labelling plays an negative role in the society as according to label the society treat each
and every individual. As lack of knowledge of HIV it might unaware people and causes
difficulties to the people. Labelling causes lack of support from the people and the members of
society (Symon and et.al, 2015) HIV is caused by the virus as through sexual contact or blood.
As sex is consider as the main cause of HIV as many people afraid to marry the HIV positive .
STIGMA
Stigma can lead to discrimination. As stigma has basically viewed as negative way
because as it is an attitude and belief that lead people to reject ,avoid people. It is basically a
Greek word that refers to a mark that was burn and cut into skin. Stigma is an negative
stereotype as it view individual in the negative way. And negative view and treatment can cause
and affect the mental health of the person. Stigma consider to be very harmful as its effects
include as it gives individual a fewer opportunity of work at workplace and also not including in
the social gathering, it also effect on the lack of understand of friends and family also it treat bad
to the person who are suffering from the injected disease such as HIV as there is a negative
stereotype that touching them or using there glass and spoon or sharing the personal stuff can
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also suffer from the same disease. Stigma plays a major role in not treating people with full
respect and dignity which might put individual in depression (Pinker, 2017).
Stigma causes negative impact on the people suffering from HIV as the issue of stigma is
very important battle against HIV. As due to stigma many people have loose their self esteem
and comfort and also they are corner by the society as they have difficulty in making friends.
Stigma is one of the greatest barrier to a satisfying life. From the impact of stigma it discourages
people living with HIV and also they are not comfortable enough to disclose their status. By the
stigma it reduces the ability of an individual and make him or her weak. Stigma may cause
people as unwilling to work and they have fear of what other may think. It also don't feel
comfortable to seek proper knowledge and have proper treatment as they feel corner in health
and social care. Stigma impact the morale of the individual as society treat that individual in ill
manner and also it faces lots of discrimination in society. Hence , stigma impact the HIV patient
in the negative manner and affect the society to the large extent (Brent, 2016).
CONCLUSION
From the above essay is based on discrimination, labelling and stigma. It is based on the
topic on the people who are suffering with the infected disease called HIV. As the three term are
very different from each other. As discrimination means to discriminate someone or treat them in
unfair manner. As it affect the individual in the negative manner as by discrimination people start
loosing their morale and self esteem. And also reduces their morale to come forward and share
their problem with everyone. And also they are not comfortable to share their HIV problem with
anybody. Further the next factor is stigma by which it include the negative stereotype of the
people or the negative perception of the people about some as it causes negative impact to the
society as people who are suffering from the infected disease such as HIV can discourage them
and treat bad as society not include them in social gathering. Negative labelling is very difficult
to remove The third factor is labelling as it is a social factor that states the behaviour of
individual are influence by the way society label them. also impact the people who are suffering
from the disease in the negative manner as it is consider as the biggest barrier in the society
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REFERENCES
Whitley Jr, B. E. and Kite, M. E., 2016. Psychology of prejudice and discrimination. Routledge.
Thompson, N., 2017. Promoting equality: Challenging discrimination and oppression.
Macmillan International Higher Education.
Pinker, R., 2017. Stigma and social welfare. Social policy and welfare pluralism: Selected
writings of Robert Pinker.p.61.
Rubik, F. and Frankl, P., 2017. The future of eco-labelling: making environmental product
information systems effective. Routledge.
Masoudnia, E., 2015. Public perceptions about HIV/AIDS and discriminatory attitudes toward
people living with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome in Iran. SAHARA-J: Journal of Social
Aspects of HIV/AIDS. 12(1).pp.116-122.
Brent, R.J., 2016. The value of reducing HIV stigma. Social Science & Medicine.151. pp.233-
240.
Woodgate, R.L and et.al, 2017. “People try and label me as someone I'm not”: The social
ecology of Indigenous people living with HIV, stigma, and discrimination in Manitoba,
Canada. Social Science & Medicine.194. pp.17-24.
Symon, A and et.al, 2015. Nocebo and the potential harm of ‘high risk’labelling: a scoping
review. Journal of advanced nursing.71(7). pp.1518-1529.
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