People Living with HIV/AIDS are Nothing to be Afraid of: A Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) of HIV/AIDS Stigmas and Mythologies in One Selected IsiXhosa Short Story

Abstract

ABSTRACT HIV/AIDS stigmas and mythologies continue to sabotage and delay the South African government’s attempts to manage and mitigate this epidemic. As a result of this, many people are reluctant to test, seek help, and speak about their HIV/AIDS statuses because of the very same stigmas and mythologies. In view of this reality, this article uses one selected isiXhosa short story to examine how HIV/AIDS stigmas and mythologies are depicted, and how such depictions could be benchmarked against social realities. Over and above this, the aim of this article is to underscore that stigmas and mythologies concerning this epidemic are profoundly rooted in many South African communities and elsewhere in the global village. The selected isiXhosa short story is titled Ndinetyala kusini na? (Am I guilty?) and English translations of the used pieces of textual evidence are provided. By the same token, critical analysis is used as a qualitative research technique, while Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) is applied as a theoretical approach. The findings and discussions indicate that these notable stigmas and mythologies are perpetuated by different factors that include society’s negative comments and attitudes towards people living with HIV/AIDS, public political discourse, media coverage, and family dynamics. The closing remarks of this article underscore some of the potential solutions that may be considered to address challenges that are associated with HIV/AIDS stigmas and mythologies.