Aids 1 AIDS Related Stigma Since the appearance of AIDS

Aids 1

AIDS Related Stigma Since the appearance of AIDS in the late seventies and early eighties, the disease has had attached to it a significant social stigma. This stigma has manifested itself in the form of discrimination, avoidance and fear of people living with AIDS (PLWAs). As a result, the social implications of the disease have been extended from those of other life threatening conditions to the point at which PLWAs are not only faced with a terminal illness but also social isolation and constant discrimination throughout society. Various explanations have been suggested as to the underlying causes of this stigmatization. Many studies point to the relationship the disease has with deviant behavior. Others suggest that fear of contagion is the actual culprit. Examining the existing literature and putting it into societal context leads one to believe that there is no one cause. Instead, there would appear to be a collection of associated factors that influence society’s attitudes towards AIDS and PLWAs. As the number of people infected with HIV increases, social workers are and will be increasingly called upon to deal with and serve PLWAs. Although not all social workers chose to work with PLWAs, the

This is of particular pertinence to the field of social work due to our growing involvement with the HIV positive population. At approximately the same time as U. As mentioned, PLWAs suffer from discrimination in a variety of settings. Ottowa/Quebec: Bibliotheque Nationale du Quebec & Bibliotheque Nationale du Canada. You can not shake your fist in God"tms face and get away with it" (Giblin, 1995). Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 27 (1). They suffer discrimination from the general public in a variety of settings, including work, school and within the health care environment. It should be noted, that according to the Social Work Code of Ethics, all social workers are obliged to serve all clients regardless their situation and have no right to refuse to serve a PLWA (CASW, 1990).