The recent suicide of a young doctor who was allegedly living with HIV is a tragic reminder, once again, of the destructiveness of stigma and discrimination.
The fact that a young person chose to end his life, giving up hope and a promising future, is particularly jarring to our sense as a community. It begs the question: by allowing stigma and discrimination to prevail, are we as a society failing to fulfil our core values?
Despite years of efforts, stigma sticks around stubbornly. In our 'Baseline Survey on Public Attitudes towards Persons with a Disability', conducted in 2010, the Equal Opportunities Commission found that one-third of the respondents showed 'avoidance and repellence' towards people living with HIV/Aids, making them one of the most stigmatised and marginalised groups of people with disabilities.
This is to the detriment of all. Indeed, the negative consequences of stigma and discrimination against people with HIV/Aids are well-documented. It breeds fear and causes some to ignore medical realities, such as the fact that universal precaution is already an effective and sufficient measure to prevent infection in medical settings, including surgical procedures.
It lowers the quality of life for people living with HIV/Aids, including loss of employment and social support networks. It can drive people to psychological despair, which may have played a part in why the young doctor took his own life. And it is the biggest barrier to timely HIV/Aids testing and treatment, which defeats the overall effort in preventing the disease.
In trying to combat HIV/Aids-related stigma, the media has an important role to play, as it can wield significant influence in shaping public attitudes and in supplying knowledge.
Yet, as this recent suicide case has demonstrated, some of the media coverage on this issue has been disappointing. Indeed, not only was the victim's privacy violated, the way that the tragic incident was reported may have served to deepen the stigma attached to people with HIV/Aids.
