THE IMPACT ON PEOPLE LIVING WITH HIV/AIDS

HIV can be treated. But there is still a lot of ignorance and prejudice about HIV and AIDS and it is often seen as a “death sentence”. Most people are scared when they are first diagnosed. Some respond by feeling that their lives are over and become very depressed. Many people cannot accept the diagnosis and deny that they are positive to their families and to themselves. Others react with anger and refuse to be responsible and practice safe sex. Many people feel ashamed of their HIV status and think that their partners and family will reject them, or that their communities will isolate them if they are open about being HIV-positive.

It takes courage to face this disease and a lot of support is needed to fight it. People with HIV/AIDS can live long and productive lives if they get emotional support, strengthen their immune systems, get proper medical treatment and take good care of their health.

Many HIV-positive people do not know it, although people are becoming more aware of the importance of voluntary counselling and testing (VCT). Many people only realise they are HIV-positive when they develop AIDS and get seriously ill.

THE IMPACT ON FAMILIES AND CHILDREN

The burden of care falls mostly on the families and children of those who are ill. Often they have already lost a breadwinner and the few resources they have left are not enough to provide care for the ill person and food for the family. Families also suffer the daily stress of looking after someone who is ill and, in some cases, facing death. Many children, especially older female children, have to leave school to look after ill parents.

Children who are orphaned are often deprived of parental care and financial support. Many orphans are living in child-headed families where no one is earning an income. Many of them leave school and have no hope of ever getting a decent education or job. These children who grow up without any support or guidance from adults may become our biggest problem in the future. They are more likely to become street children or turn to sex work or crime as a way of surviving.

Older female relatives, mostly grandmothers, are the most likely to take in orphans. Many of them survive on pensions and already live in dire poverty. When their children die and they become responsible for grandchildren, they get a huge extra financial burden, and at the same time they lose the financial support they may have received from their children. Although there are certain grants available for caregivers who are taking care of orphans, they may not be sufficient. (See Social grants)

POVERTY, THE ECONOMY AND HIV/AIDS

People who carry the heaviest burden as a result of HIV and AIDS are the poor. AIDS increases poverty and families are the first to feel the economic effects of having members of the family who have HIV and/or AIDS. Families lose income if the breadwinner falls sick and is unable to continue working. Often another family member stays at home to look after the sick person and further income is lost. Families also face increased costs, as they have to spend money on caring for the sick or on funeral expenses when the person dies.

Government spending is affected since more and more of the taxes are spent on health care and welfare. Our social welfare system may not be able to cope with the number of orphans who need grants.

In addition, very poor people usually cannot afford the basic requirements for a healthy lifestyle – such as healthy food, a clean environment and clean water. They also cannot afford the costs of accessing basic health care services such as transport to clinics or hospitals. It is difficult for poor people to cope with the effects of HIV and to take their medicine regularly.

Most of the people who are dying from Aids-related illnesses are between the ages of 25 and 44 – an age when most people are workers and parents. This has serious consequences for our economy and the development of the country.

BREAKING THE SILENCE AROUND HIV/AIDS

Although HIV/AIDS has become very common, it is still surrounded by silence. People are ashamed to speak about being infected and many see it as a scandal when it happens in their families. People living with HIV or AIDS are exposed to daily prejudice born out of ignorance and fear. Fear leads to discrimination and victimisation against those living with HIV or AIDS. Some people still believe that only a certain group of people will be infected with HIV, such as gay men, sex workers, people who engage in risky sexual behaviour, and injecting drug users. This causes stigmatisation and discrimination against HIV-positive people. People become reluctant to test or disclose their status out of fear.

There are myths around HIV/AIDS that lead to people seeing it as something that should be kept secret. Many people see those with HIV/AIDS as people who are somehow to blame because they are promiscuous or homosexual. HIV is seen by some people as a plague that you can catch just from being in the same space with someone who is HIV-positive. In some communities people with HIV or AIDS have been ostracised. This underlines the importance of widespread community education efforts because the ignorance and prejudice around HIV/AIDS can be almost as destructive as the disease itself. In some countries AIDS activists have adopted the slogan “Fight AIDS, not people with AIDS.” (See Running an HIV/AIDS and TB awareness campaign)

There is a need to educate people to make responsible decisions that will prevent them from getting HIV. People should be encouraged to test and seek treatment if they test positive. It is important to create awareness of HIV/AIDS in communities and encourage non-discriminatory practices for a more conducive environment that allows HIV-positive people to live more freely and openly.