Sunday, June 5, 2011

HIV/AIDS: A Reflection on 30 Years

It has been 30 years since the CDC issued its first report about a new disease that was initially thought to be a rare form of pneumonia. Many doctors thought these rapidly fatal symptoms in homosexual men to be a rare form of cancer. From pneumonia to GRID (gay-related immune disease) to HIV/AIDS, the medical field has attempted to understand the disease we have come to know as HIV/AIDS in ways that have stigmatized people living with the virus.

In response to a lack of support by the government for medical treatment and non-discrimination, many folks came together in the early 1990s through an organization called ACT Up to demand direct action to end the AIDS crisis. The work of ACT Up through rallies, kiss ins, and courageous activism moved the nation to think of people with HIV/AIDS as individuals demanding respect and equal rights.

While progress has been made as Obama recently promised increased support for HIV/AIDS research and prevention, HIV/AIDS continues to be understood by many people as a "gay" disease. How many gay men have heard from family members on multiple occasions that they need to be safe because HIV/AIDS is a "gay" disease? I know I have, and yet my family does not understand when I explain to them how HIV/AIDS can affect ANYONE and it has. 60 million+ people around the globe are infected with HIV/AIDS and 30 million+ have died from AIDS-related illnesses. Even though some institutional support has been given to help prevent the spread of HIV, there is still a 30 year build up of ideas, stigmas, stereotypes, and beliefs about HIV/AIDS that need to be deconstructed and educated about. I think it is important that this prevention work also include education work. Education for people living with the virus, for family of people living with HIV/AIDS and for the other people who could be at risk for the contact with the virus. Many grassroots organizations and NGOs around the globe treat their patients medically and emotionally by offering counseling to patients and their families/friends about living with HIV/AIDS and being supportive.

OK...thirty years later, what are the next steps? As feminists and activists, what are your thoughts?

For those of you who are interested in doing further exploration, start with this article in the NYT from 1981 and work your way to today! Hopefully, you can come up with some thoughts about next steps.

http://www.nytimes.com/1981/07/03/us/rare-cancer-seen-in-41-homosexuals.html

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