Abstract
The purpose of this study was to examine the presentation of AIDS-related stigma and knowledge within the political context of the South African government's response to the AIDS epidemic. It was during the 2000 – 2004 period that key government officials publicly challenged the orthodox views of HIV/AIDS, with the South African president, Thabo Mbeki, actively positing the primary role of poverty and other socio-economic stressors in the progression of the AIDS epidemic. This discursive position had real-time effects for AIDS policy-making and ultimately delayed the implementation of a national antiretroviral (ARV) rollout programme. Consequently this position was criticised by commentators in the media and elsewhere for contributing to an already widespread climate of AIDS stigmatisation and misinformation. To shed more light on these claims we conducted a survey in 2005 in Atteridgeville, a South African township, and compared results with those of a similar survey conducted shortly after ARV medications became available in 2004. Results indicated a reduction in AIDS stigma levels across the 1-year period, and that those participants who endorsed contentious political views (such as those expressed by key government officials) were more likely to have a higher level of AIDS-related stigma than those who disagreed. Nevertheless, this study cautions against drawing a causal relationship between the South African government's position and AIDS-stigmatising attitudes, and suggests that further political and social factors be accounted for in an attempt to gain a fuller understanding of this seemingly complex relationship.
Highlights
Over the last two decades the subject of AIDS-related stigma has received a substantial amount of attention in the academic literature, largely because the harmful effects of stigmatisation are often cited as major obstacles in the global fight against HIV/AIDS (Aggleton, Wood & Malcolm, 2005; Bond, Chase & Aggleton, 2002; Holzemer & Uys, 2004)
President Mbeki has said that poverty rather than HIV is the primary cause of AIDS in South Africa
An attempt was made to examine the relationship between political factors, AIDS-related stigma and knowledge in the context of a South African township community
Summary
Over the last two decades the subject of AIDS-related stigma has received a substantial amount of attention in the academic literature, largely because the harmful effects of stigmatisation are often cited as major obstacles in the global fight against HIV/AIDS (Aggleton, Wood & Malcolm, 2005; Bond, Chase & Aggleton, 2002; Holzemer & Uys, 2004). The rate of HIV infection in South Africa is amongst the highest in the world: by the close of 2005 some 5.5 million people were estimated to be living with the disease; over 1 million had already died from AIDS-related causes, and another 6 million are forecast to die by the year 2010 (UNAIDS, 2006). There are a number of social and cultural factors that imbue AIDS-related stigma with its specific character These factors are often related to the degree or type(s) of knowledge individuals or communities possess about AIDS. In rural and urban African communities for example, social constructions of HIV are commonly guided by cultural, traditional and religious beliefs or myths about disease and illness (Aggleton, 2000; Aggleton & Chase, 2001; ICRW, 2002; Kalichman & Simbayi, 2004). In southern Africa, high rates of illiteracy and significant levels of misinformation about HIV/ AIDS are known to further reinforce these types of beliefs or myths (Stadler, 2003; van der Vliet, 2004)
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
