Should HIV-positive people be treated differently?
Resources used to support "no"
Being infected with HIV the virus that causes AIDS is a life threatening. In the past, people infected with this disease were highly discriminated against and separated for fear of contracting this incurable virus. Most of these fears were based on pers
onal fears or misconceptions. Our society needs to make HIV infected people more of a part of our society, instead of separating them. This type of social support can help to build their self-esteem and give them a more positive outlook on life.
WWW
- Lauritsen, J. (1993). The AIDS War: propaganda, profiteering and genocide from the medical-industrial complex. Chapter XXVI Part 1 of 2.
This article may be found at the AIDS Authority Home Page. AIDS Authority is an organization which "views disease and medical research into its causes and its cures
as serving a clear political, economic and ideological function. . . . and that the enormously increased of medicine as a social institution is a dangerous trend toward the use of science to infringe upon fundamental individual rights, including the right
to biological sovereignty."
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (1995, June). HIV/AIDS Surveillance Report, 7 (1). Atlanta, GA: CDC National AIDS Clearinghouse.
Describes the number of individuals who have been infected with HIV and
diagnosed with AIDS through June 1995. Demographic data is given.
- National Commission on AIDS. America: Living with AIDS. Washington, DC: National Commission on AIDS.
A report describing the status of HIV/AIDS upon our society. Among the issues
discussed are prevention and education, health care for people with HIV/AIDS,
health care financing, clinical trials and treatment-related research, and
discrimination. Recommendations by the Commission are also discussed.
- National Commission on AIDS. (1992, September). AIDS in Rural America: report
number three. Washington, DC: National Commission on AIDS.
Discusses the impact of HIV in rural communities across the country. It targets themounting hardships experienced by AIDS and HIV-infected people by shortages in
health care personnel, and the lack of basic publicly supported services needed by
them.
JOURNAL ARTICLES
- Douglas, J. (1995). HIV disease and disparate impact under the Americans with Disabilities Act: A federal prohibition of discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation?. Berkeley Journal of Employment and Labor Law, 16 (1), 288.
"The author contends that the ADA's [American with Disabilities Act] prohibition
against employment criteria with disparate impacts on the disabled may serve to
protect gay men from employment discrimination based on sexual orientation. . ."
and the disproportionate effect on HIV-infected individuals.
- Falk-Kesler, J., Barnowski, C., & Salvant, S. (1994). Mandatory HIV testing and
occupational therapists. American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 48, (1), 27-37.
Explores the effect of HIV-positive health care workers on occupational therapy
service. According to the article, "a large minority of respondents would either
refuse to hire or train an HIV-positive therapist or student or would restrict patient
care responsibilities."
- Glantz, L.H., Mariner, W.K., & Annas, G.J. (1992). Risky business: Setting public health policy for HIV-infected health care professionals. Milbank Quarterly, 70, (1), 43-79.
This study focusses on whether augmenting patient safety is approachable without interfering with practitioners rights by discussing HIV transmission by and HIV-infected professional to a patient.
- Hall, B.A. (1992). Overcoming stigmatization: Social and personal implications of the human immunodeficiency virus diagnosis. Archives of Psychiatric Nursing, 6, (3), 189-194
This article suggests that reactions to people with HIV are based on the "fear of
polluting people" and have in common the irrationality of contagion that comes with
sexually transmitted diseases.
- Kass, N.E., Faden, R.R., Fox, R., & Dudley, J. (1992). Homosexual and bisexual men's perceptions of discrimination in health services. American Journal of Public Health, 82, (9), 1277-1279.
Survey inquiring homosexual and bisexual males whether they believed they had
been refused medical or dental treatment due to their sexual orientation of HIV status.
- Ornstein, M. (1992). Aspects of the political and personal sociology of AIDS: Knowledge,
policy, attitudes and risks. Canadian Review of Sociology and Anthropology, 29, (3),243-265.
Survey examining the factors involved in knowledge about AIDS and attitudes
supporting protection of civil rights of the HIV-infected person.
- Peters, L., den Boer, D.J., Kok, G., & Schaalma, H.P. (1994). Public reactions toward people with AIDS: An attributional analysis. Special Issue: Current perspective: AIDS/HIV education and counseling. Patient Education and Counseling, 24
, (3), 323-335
Study examining stigmatization and discrimination toward people with AIDS.
Subjects responded to vignettes describing patients with AIDS, syphilis, lung cancer,
or tuberculosis. People with diseases which were viewed as behaviorally controllable (AIDS, syphilis) were viewed more negatively than others.
- Price, V, & Hsu, M.L. (1992, Spring). Public Opinion About AIDS Policies: The role of
misinformation and attitudes toward homosexuals. Public Opinion Quarterly, 56, (1), 29-52.
A model examining the relationship of HIV, attitudes toward homosexuals, and
support for restrictive public policies aimed at HIV-infected persons [based on survey data.]
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