STIGMATIZATION AND

DISCRIMINATION AGAINST
PEOPLE LIVING WITH
HIV/AIDS -what Christian leaders
should know.

Dr Philip Adebayo
Dept. of Medicine,OOUTH,Sagamu
 INTRODUCTION

 HIV/AIDS FACTS

 DEFINING STIGMA/DISCRIMINATION

 HIV/AIDS STIGMA/DISCRIMINATION

 THE CHURCH AND HIV/AIDS STIGMA

 CONCLUSION
 AIDS was first recognized in the U.S in
1981 when the CDC reported the
unexplained occurrence of pneumocystis
carinii pneumonia in 5 previously healthy
homosexual men in Los Angeles and of
kaposi’s sarcoma in 26 previously healthy
homosexual men in New York and Los
Angeles
 In 1984 HIV was demonstrated clearly to
be the causative agent of AIDS
 A diagnosis of HIV/AIDS is a life changing
event, where persons must deal with a life
threatening, debilitating disease and its
associated stigma and isolation
 The stigmatization and discrimination
associated with HIV/AIDS prevents a great
many of the 42 million people living with
HIV/AIDS around the world from seeking
treatment for and information about the
disease
 HIV/AIDS continues to grow exponentially,
especially in Africa, Asia and Eastern
Europe, killing 3 million people around the
world every year.
 These are among the main causes for the
limited success achieved during the 25 years
of struggle against the disease
 HIV –related stigma is increasingly
noted as the single greatest challenge to
slowing the spread of the disease(Rao
Gupta 2001)
 Strickingly,HIV/AIDS has become a
spotlight revealing the conditions in our
community life, revealing our
inhumanity to one another and unjust
structure.
 The challenge to the church is to be
better involved, more active and more
faithful to the gospel of reconciliation in
her own lives and in the community.
 “The church is uniquely placed to combat
HIV/AIDS at all levels from the individual
to the global and to protect the
marginalized and most vulnerable in the
society. We are compelled by the
life,example,death,and resurrection of our
Lord and saviour Jesus Christ to love,
think and act.”(kampala declaration of All
Africa Council of Churches 2001)
HIV/AIDS FACTS
 AIDS-Acquired Immune Deficiency
Syndrome
 HIV-Human Immunodeficiency
Virus.Responsible for AIDS
 First case identified in Nigeria in 1986
 HIV prevalence rose from 1.8% in 1988 to
5.8 in 2001
 IN 2005 it was estimated there were
220,000 deaths from AIDS and 930,000
AIDS orphan living in Nigeria.
 Global HIV/AIDS estimates, end of 2006
Estimates Range
PLWHA in 2006 39.5 million 34.1- 47.1 million
Adults living HIV/AIDS 37.2 million 32.1- 44.5 million
Women with HIV/AIDS 17.7 million 15.1- 20.9 million
Children with HIV/AIDS 2.3 million 1.7- 3.5 million
People newly infected 4.3 million 3.6- 6.6 million
Adults newly infected 3.8 million 3.2- 5.7 million
Children newly infected 0.53 million 0.41- 0.66 million
AIDS deaths 2.9 million 2.5- 3.5 million
Adults AIDS deaths 2.6 million 2.2-3.0 million
Child AIDS deaths 0.38 million 0.29-0.50 million
How HIV is transmitted
 1. Heterosexual sex- 80%
 2. Transfusion of blood and blood
products-10%
 3.Mother –to-child transmission
 4.Injecting drug use
 5.homosexual sex.
 Global trends

Global trends

                                                                                                                                                                                         
Factors contributing to spread of
HIV in Nigeria
 1.Lack of sexual health information and
education
 2. Stigma and discrimination
 3. Poor healthcare services
 4. Prostitution
 5. Some cultural practises– teenage
marriage, female circumcision/female
genital mutilation.
DEFINING STIGMA AND
DISCRIMINATION
 There are multiple insight into the
concept of stigma
 The central ideas on the subjects ---
 1 a stigma is a negative mark which is
attributed to a person.
 2 stigma leads to a negative value
judgement.
 3The process of stigmatization has
negative influence on the stigmatized
 Stigma is an attribute that is deeply
discrediting that reduces the bearer from
a whole and usual person to a
tainted,discounted one(Goffman 1963)
 Discrimination refers to any form of
distinction, exclusion or restriction
affecting a person by virtue of a personal
characteristic(gilmore & simeville 1994)
 Discrimination is often a result of
stigmatization
 Stigma has been documented with other
infectious diseases likeTB,syphillis and
leprosy
 Stigma is most frequently associated with
diseases that have
severe,disfiguring,incurable and
progressive outcomes.
 It is especially common with those whose
modes of transmission are perceived to be
under control of individual behaviour.
 It is also common with diseases that are
perceived to result from the transgression
of social norms e.g socially unsanctioned
activities.
HIV/AIDS STIGMA AND
DISCRIMINATION
 AIDS related stigma has been defined as
“all stigma directed at persons perceived to
be infected with HIV ,regardless of whether
they are actually infected and whether they
manifest symptoms of AIDS or AIDS-
related complex (HEREK & GLUNT,1988.
 Factors contributing to the HIV/AIDS
associated stigma.
 1.It is a life threatening disease
 2.People are scared of contracting HIV
 3.It is associated with behaviours that are
already stigmatized in many societies
 4.People living with HIV/AIDS are often
thought of as being responsible for
becoming infected
 5.Religious or moral beliefs lead some
people to believe that having HIV/AIDS
is the result of moral fault that deserves
to be punished
THE CHURCH AND HIV/AIDS
STIGMA
 The silence and the passive attitude of
the church has allowed not only the
spread of HIV/AIDS but it’s associated
stigmatization.
 REASONS
 1.Some Christian leaders have
“misconceptions” about the disease and
how it is contracted
 2.Associations with PLWHA might
“desecrate the Lord’s temple”
 3.The Christian leader does not want to
be seen as indirectly approving of
immorality by discussing sex in church
settings.
 4.Outside the church he is equally
unwilling to advocate the use of condoms
to prevent the spread of AIDS
 5.indecision about wanting to talk about it
or not.
Pertinent questions for the Christian
leaders to think upon
 1.Are we sure our members are 100%
faithful and 100% abstinent?
 2.Do the celibate practice celibacy?
 3.How do we know for sure that a newly
diagnosed has “brought this on
themselves”?
 4.Even if they did bring HIV/AIDS on
themselves ,do they deserve our anger &
loathing or our compassion and care?
What Christian leaders can do
 1.Educate members on HIV/AIDS
 2.Provide workers to help educate
and challenge the church.
 3.We should let the secular
community know that Christians do
care.
 4.Formulate set of guidelines that
will guide the church in developing
her own interventional strategies.
Cont’d
 5.Reach to those infected with the disease
through the Love of Jesus by developing
care and support at individual, family and
community levels
 6.Help Government to expedite it’s
response to HIV/AIDS human right
issues, implement policies and enact
legislation.
 7.Constant empowerment and re-
empowerment from the Holy Ghost-
zech.4;6
CONCLUSION
 The burden of HIV is so enormous that it
will be suicidal for the church, her vision
and mission if she decides to be silent.
 “Religions,denominations,and churches
cannot conquer AIDS alone but it will not
happen without us.”-Bishop Felton Edwin
May.
 People living with HIV/ADS are people
like every one else. they are neither to be
discriminated nor condemned.
 Even with HIV ,HE Intends Victory.