the quality of life of people living with HIV/AIDS

the quality of life of people living
with HIV/AIDS
eople living with HIV/AIDS can live vigorous, healthy and productive lives when they have access to information, treatment, care and
support.
• Information includes knowing what your rights are in terms of employment, welfare, education, family life, etc., and having clear
information about treatment and how to get treatment.
•Support means many things : acceptance, respect, affection and help from friends and family and from the community. It also means
supportive laws to protect against discrimination and stigma.
•Care includes moral support, counselling and access to the necessary medical treatment, to a good diet, to clean water, to
accommodation (cf. For more information on access to treatment refer to the special section on this issue in the “Advocacy“ brochure).
Although key human rights such as the right to information, the right to life and the right to health create entitlement to care and support, most
young people living with HIV/AIDS do not have the necessary access to these services. Even where laws protect the human rights of people
living with HIV/AIDS, many young people are being left alone when family, friends and their community learn about their HIV-positive status.
Others choose to isolate themselves from the outside community.
The realisation of human rights in the context of HIV/AIDS, in particular the rights of people living with HIV/AIDS is not only a matter of state action
to develop laws and policies that protect against discrimination and stigma. Advocacy for public policies and legal action is very important,
too.(cf. “Advocacy“ brochure). However this is not sufficient to make human rights become a reality at the grass roots, when it comes to improving
the daily life of people living with HIV/AIDS. Don’t forget that to make human rights a reality at the grass roots, family, friends and the community
have a very important role to play.
Assuming the responsibility to provide information, care and support to their peers living with HIV/AIDS is a task in which youth groups
can make a very big difference. Offering their friendship, providing young people living with HIV/AIDS access to information on how to take
care of themselves, setting up home visiting programmes for those who are sick, and organizing support services, are some of the possible
actions to be undertaken.
If your group thinks about offering support in this way, the most direct and efficient way to begin would be to consult a group/organization that is
already providing services to people living with HIV/AIDS. Almost certainly, they will have ideas about how your group can help. Below, we
provide some examples of the kinds of activities in which youth groups show that they can make the difference…
TAKING GOOD CARE OF YOUR FRIENDS
A good place to start showing your care and solidarity may be within your group, your family, with acquaintances or colleagues.
When someone you know has HIV/AIDS, you may feel helpless. You may be afraid of intruding on your friend's privacy or simply not know what to
say or do. Here are some tips on how you can help.
If you know that someone in your group has HIV or AIDS, it is important to make sure that friends who are already aware of his or her condition
know that it is safe to touch, hug, share food and be together socially. At the same time, confidentiality should be respected. It is important to show
that your regard for this person has not changed, and that you can continue to share friendship or joint activities in the same way as before .
If the person is sick, he or she will certainly need other forms of support, such as help with cooking, shopping, taking medicines, going out,
cleaning or simply talking about his or her feelings.
HIV/AIDS related discrimination and stigmatisation also often occurs at the workplace. If you know a colleague who has HIV or AID, you may be
able to help by making him or her as well as other colleagues aware of the rights of people living with HIV/AIDS at work. One concrete way to
address such discrimination and stigma at the workplace is to advocate for behaviours and conducts which are consistent with international
human rights standards. Here the “ILO Code of Practice on HIV/AIDS and the world of work” (available from www.ilo.org) may be a very
useful tool.