HIV Positive Hide Status To Avoid Discrimination

As many as 74 per cent of HIV/AIDs infected persons in the country do not reveal that they actually are infected with the virus at their work places just to avoid discrimination and humiliation, thus increasing chances of opportunistic infections among their colleagues. This startling figure was revealed in a study on the socio-economic impact of HIV/ AIDS conducted by the National AIDS Control Organisation in association with United Nations Development Programme.

With Andhra Pradesh among the frontrunners in having the maximum number of HIV infected patients, it becomes much more important for the State AIDS control society to collect holistic data on the actual number of infected people to avoid opportunistic infections.

Estimates point out that there are around five to six lakh people in our State who are infected with the disease. However, only about 36,000 infected people have actually come out in the open to discuss their condition and register themselves with People Living With HIV Networks (PLHS).

The recent HIV/ AIDS study also found that those who did disclose their HIV infection invariably end up losing their jobs and becoming outcasts in the workplace. President for Telugu network of People Living with HIV Network, M. Swapna, who is HIV positive herself suggests that large-scale ignorance about the disease makes infected people hesitate to reveal their condition.

“It is a sad fact that a majority of people don’t reveal their HIV status at workplaces. Having said that, we can’t blame them for not disclosing this information because in an organisation where an HIV patient is holding a desk job, it is not easy for his colleagues to get infected though they may be afraid of that.

Moreover, there is no guarantee that the person who has revealed the true nature of the disease will be able to keep the job.” PLHS networks in the State were first started in the year 1996. At that time, the number of registered members was only about 23 in the State.

This figure has risen to 36,000 today. HIV positive PLHS member Mr Rajasekhar says,“Generally we keep everything confidential but I can say that HIV infected people are discriminated against in every sphere of life. Be it health services at the government level or humiliation in a corporate office, everywhere the story is the same for those who have revealed that they are HIV positive.

Moreover, the regulatory body for HIV does not have enough teeth to prosecute the organisations • be it government or private • who discriminate against an infected person. So how can one expect that a person will shout from the rooftops that he or she is infected with HIV?”

The study conducted by UNDP goes on to say that out of the 26 per cent who have revealed their infection, 10 per cent reported discrimination. Besides facing neglect, isolation (42 per cent) and humiliation (29 per cent) from colleagues, many faced other problems.

Researcher on HIV infected sex workers in the State and President for Foundation for Rural and Social Development Dr K. Venugopal Rao points out, “First the laws have to be strengthened so that the infected person will get adequate support from the government. Second is the awareness which has to be increased but it is a very slow process and it takes time. Until there is adequate social support from all quarters, people will definitely not reveal their identity but we can’t blame them because they have to survive.”