Stigma Against People Living with HIV and AIDS (PLWHA)

Stigma Against People Living with HIV and AIDS (PLWHA) People living with system HIV andis AIDS (PLWHA) are people who are infected withApart the HIV virus so that their immune reduced and makes them susceptible to disease. from illness, they oftenareface stigmaforand society. makesincludes, PLWHA namely: not dare to reveal that they positive thediscrimination HIV virus. Thefrom HIV and AIDSThis epidemic a.have Thestarted first epidemic was the spread of the HIV virus, this epidemic took place silently and may in the 1950s. b.sufferers The second epidemic is the AIDS outbreak which has attacked more than half a million throughout the world. c.arises Theinthird epidemic is social, namely the stigmatization of prejudice and discrimination that society. UNAIDS is the stigma main supporting for namely: global action against the HIV and AIDS epidemic, distinguishing into severalprogram categories, a. AIDS instrumental stigma Fear of things related toand deadly and infectious diseases. What this means is that stigma arises as aPLWHA result of the causes consequences of HIV and AIDS, for example society stigmatizes as people who will die. b. AIDS symbolic stigma The use of HIV andrelated AIDS toto the express attitudes towards certain social groups or lifestyles that are considered to be disease, such as someone becoming a PLWHA because of past relationships that involve changing partners. c. AIDS civility stigma Social for people who arefrom related HIV andwith AIDSdisrespect. issues or people who are HIV positive,punishment such as PLWHA, are expelled the toworkplace Factors thatincause stigma in about societyHIVtowards PLWHA are thetolow level of socialization education and knowledge the community and AIDS, in addition the lack of or counseling about HIV and AIDS, especially how to transmit and prevent it, so that the public has the wrongsuch response about and PLWHA. ThisPLWHA has an inimpact on increasing discrimination against PLWHA, as expelling isolating the community, firing PLWHA who work, divorcing partners who are HIV positive, and other discriminatory behavior. This is in line with the results of research in 2000 related to PLWHA which explained several factors that caused the emergence of stigma and discrimination, namely:a. Lack of knowledge about HIV and AIDS. b. Wrong responses about how HIV is transmitted. c. Errors in seeking action and treatment. d.cured. There are false pioneers of the epidemic and the assumption that HIV and AIDS cannot be e. There is excessive prejudice and fear regarding sensitive social issues. Stigma against PLWHA Stigma occurs inagainst almost allPLWHA levels ofoccurs society,atnamely family, peers,from and school or work environments. various levels, families, communities, institutions toinfected the national level.andForAIDS. example, the family level doesother not things, accept family members who are with HIV The community, among rejects thea neighborhood existence of PLWHA, so they are not allowedin toinfluencing live in the his community. For example, there is head (RT) who is persistent residents to reject the presence of PLWHA around him. At the institutional level, PLWHA are dismissed from the workplace disrespectfully without clear reasons or there is a requirement to be HIV-free when applying forinstitutions a job, and onthere are also schools thatwillopenly refuse to allowor PLWHA toaround enter educational the grounds that they infect other pupils students them.The follows: phenomena that occur in Indonesian society related to stigma towards PLWHA are as a. Fear of stigma and discrimination are the main obstacles to handling HIV and AIDS. b. The stigma of HIV and AIDS still revolves around sexual issues. c.narcotics The new paradigm of HIV and AIDS transmission patterns is dominated by intravenous users. Apart societal stigma, These from psychosocial reactionsPLWHA include:also have psychosocial pressures or reactions on themselves. a.anxious Anxiety: feeling uncertain about thefeeling diseaseanxious suffered,about its development and treatment, feeling about various new symptoms, the threat of death. b.wanting Depression: feeling sad,withdrawal, helpless, feeling low,sleeping, feeling and guilty, worthless, hopeless, to commit suicide, difficulty lossfeeling of appetite. c. Feeling isolated and lack of social support: feeling rejected by family and society. d.cooperate Feeling with angrytheatcare yourself giver.and others: showing hostility towards the care giver, refusing to e. Feeling afraid if someone finds out about the disease you are suffering from. f.ofFeeling embarrassed by the stigma of being infected with HIV, denial of sexual habits and use illegal drugs