by Wei-wei Chan With the help of health education, there’s a growing awareness of AIDS, and most people now know that without any contact of blood or mucous membranes from an infected person, the HIV virus will find no way to bother you. Despite this, misunderstanding still exists, and people are actually afraid to breathe the same air with HIV-positive people. The values of equality and freedom have been assured in the constitutions of many nations and they have become nearly universal rules. Everyone, except prisoners, is entitled to choose where and how to live his or her own life. However, HIV-positive people are constantly dogged by prejudice and social stigma. Neighbors unite like never before, asking you to leave, even filing a lawsuit against you. Perhaps these reactions seem understandable, but they all stem from illogical fear. This is only discrimination and not an excuse. The Taiwan-based NGO, Harmony Home Association, serves as a shelter for homeless people with HIV/AIDS, and they too were sued for serious misuse of a building where they operated. Their neighbors alleged that Harmony Home would ultimately destroy the peace of the community and put the other residents in jeopardy. It was also claimed that the building was a residential community of high density, and thus operating any sort of business wasn’t allowed, even if Harmony Home’s only business was to receive patients with an epidemic disease. The Taipei District Court ruled against Harmony Home during its first trial, stating that “the presence of the shelter… could pose a public health concern, affect environmental sanitation, and threaten the psychological health of nearby residents.” Harmony Home filed an appeal, however, and the new court ruled that the apartment building had no legitimate right to force Harmony Home to move, because the right to decide one’s place of residence was clearly prescribed in the Constitution. The case was widely publicized through the media, raising public concern and winning support from many organizations and other advocates of human rights. Eventually, a milestone piece of legislation was passed in 2007, designed especially for HIV-positive patients, known as the HIV Infection Control and Patient Rights Protection Act. Article 4 reads that “the dignity and the legal rights of the infected shall be protected and respected; there shall be no discrimination, no denial of education, medical care, employment, nursing home, housing or any other unfair treatment.” After this case, what next? Legal conflicts can be settled in court, but justice has not yet been fulfilled. The ugly truth is that negative labeling and public avoidance continue, leading the infected to conceal their disease or face discrimination and perhaps even violence. These stigmas go far beyond a fear of contracting the disease, and are a complex of biased attitudes toward the groups or lifestyles which are perceived to be connected with the disease. For example, homosexuality and bisexuality are often erroneously attached to the illness, or inversely, people living with AIDS are assumed to be sexually promiscuous or illegal drug users. Even worse, many people assume that certain sexual orientations entail a wild private life, and, thus, AIDS. This is nothing more than an excuse for certain social groups to despise others. To repeat, AIDS is no more dangerous to other people than diabetes or high blood pressure. Saying hello with a polite smile won’t infect you, so what’s wrong living next to a person with AIDS? It may be a cliché but it is true that people with HIV/AIDS need our friendliness and encouragement to return to the community. There’s no reason to quarantine or exclude them and they do not have a lesser right to live than anyone else. a
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The Taida Student Journal has been active since 1995 with an ever-changing roster of student journalists at NTU. Click the above link to read about the authors Archives
May 2024
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