The heart is where HIV really hurts
Andrew Chidgey says despite effective treatment, patients continue to face stigma and rejection
How would you react if your son told you he had just been diagnosed with HIV? What about if it was your husband? Or your best friend? Would you be sympathetic and supportive? Should you be?
The common reaction for families is often one of panic in the face of an unknown and heavily stigmatised medical condition. Questions that flash through people's minds are: How did this happen? Is he gay? Has he cheated on me? Am I infected? Is the whole family at risk and should we get tested? Is he going to die?
You aren’t going to catch HIV by giving someone a kiss, or sharing a swimming pool with them
Many of these reactions are understandable. For many people, knowledge about HIV is limited to the news stories and images they heard in the 1980s and 1990s when people were dying from Aids.
Your reaction when someone tells you they are HIV positive usually depends on the nature of your relationship with that person. If it is your husband, it's possible that he is also admitting infidelity and clearly this is going to be an issue. If it's your son, it may be that he is gay and hasn't told you that yet either.
There's no question that to be infected with HIV brings health problems and other challenges. However, this year, nearly 20 years after the first case of HIV in Hong Kong, the surprising truth is that with good treatment, which is available here, people with HIV are able to have a long and fulfilled life.
Despite the good treatment, the reality faced by people living with HIV in Hong Kong is that families and employers sometimes react badly. Aids Concern supports many people diagnosed with HIV, to consider how to get the information and support they need. This includes thinking through how and whether to disclose your HIV status to people you know. We find that people with HIV usually want to tell people so family and friends understand things like the regular medical appointments and the cocktail of drugs. But they don't want to become "that person with HIV" or face rejection.
The world is littered with examples of discrimination against people with HIV. Earlier this year, officials in Guangdong proposed that people with HIV should be banned from applying for jobs as teachers. This was not based on any evidence of a risk to children. One can only assume it was based on myths and prejudice. Further afield, many countries still impose travel restrictions or bans on people with HIV entering their territory.