Within three years from the first reported cases of HIV/AIDS in 1981, the cause of this ’mysterious’ disease was identified. Once the potential scale and dangerous spread of the disease was realized, campaigns were initiated to address the immediate physical and social concerns in an effort to contain the disease. Government policies were framed, humanitarian grants for poor/under-developed countries were disbursed, health care services equipped themselves with the latest detection facilities, and governments pledged millions of dollars into research and an ultimate cure for HIV/AIDS. Socially, nationwide AIDS awareness campaigns were rolled out and private support groups helped patients cope with the disease. While these efforts focused on the obvious physical and social dimensions of the disease, the psychological reasons that contributed to this overwhelming crisis were ignored. Individuals continued to indulge in risky behaviour and became vulnerable targets. Even those aware of the deadly repercussions failed to take precautions, detection tests, or reveal their illness out of fear of being abandoned or ostracized. This, hobbled with cultural taboos and illiteracy fuelled the crisis and continues to do so.
From the first patient, termed ’patient zero’, to recent cases, HIV/AIDS has become a humanitarian crisis of global proportions in just over two decades. Social abuse, public avoidance, and discrimination is faced by patients, their families and care takers even after 25 years of knowing the cause and prevention of the disease. Knowledge of the damage done to others through one’s careless actions is vital to control HIV. Sexual experimentation while growing up is another significant dimension of the problem that needs immediate attention. These individual psychological issues need to be resolved in order to eliminate the social dimensions and for effective implementation of policies and health services at the physical level. |
