Written by: Rana Khaled Awwad
Edited by: Muhammad Balbaa, Gilan Choubachy, Mona Timor Shehata
Published by: Amira Haytham
“And when I die, I won’t die from AIDS, I won’t die because of my disease, but yours.” This Quote mentioned in Hend Sabry’s movie “Asmaa” accurately describes the true suffering and the weight that an AIDS patient carries more than the disease in itself, that is not as fatal as society’s condemnation like:“She has AIDS! She definitely fornicated!”, “She brought shame to her family” and “He has AIDS! So he must be a drug abuser and maybe even a homosexual”. These are justifications that are usually heard from judgmental ignorant people piling on the dismay of HIV patients, filled with glee as they think they fully deserved and sealed their fate to be neglected and abused by society for the horrid sin of catching a disease.
A lot of people have to hide their illness and choose suffering in silence, as a better choice, rather than facing society simply because of the countless, innumerable accusations that will be directed at them from their friends and family for the simple act of catching a disease.
AIDS may cause the death of patients by attacking their immune system. But they choose that fate over being attacked day in and day out by the society’s stares and ridicule for simply having the illness. Psychological demolishing and baseless shameful accusations cause the carriers of the disease to cower and isolate themselves in the face of this fatal virus.
A dentistry student in her final year had been applying a tooth extraction operation on a patient, using her own medical equipment including a tool referred to as the “needle”. A tool used in operation, that unfortunately had punctured her hand while using, causing it to bleed.
Since that Hepatitis C is transmitted via blood, she had her suspicions that she might have contracted it from the patient, and decided to run some tests and to make a diagnosis to make sure that she was not infected with Hepatitis C or any other diseases that’s blood transmissible.
In order to save time, prior to taking the everlasting time taken in examinations (tests), she decided to ask the patient himself whether he suffers from any blood transmissible diseases or not. Unfortunately, tracking the patient’s health status revealed that he does not have Hepatitis C; however, he is HIV positive. Due to government hospitals’ bureaucracy when it comes to procedures for AIDS diagnoses, tests and vaccinations, over 72 hours had passed since the incident, consequently, the vaccination would not be effective.
What’s shocking regarding the whole incident is that the first concern that rushed to the doctor and her parents was “How are we going to face society?”, instead of it being as, it should be, with a family member contracting a serious illness, “Will I be able to handle the treatment well?”
Those with serious diseases, specifically AIDS or HIV at the beginning of inoculation of virus- carriers, hate to be treated by society as if they are lesser than healthy individuals, either with extreme consideration and over the top sweetness, condescending treatment of cancer patients comes to mind, or with blatant victim blaming, bitterness and faceless accusations that drives HIV patients to not wish for a cure for AIDS, but for a cure for society’s unjustified prejudice and uncompromising, unrelenting ignorance of the matter.
Scientifically speaking, AIDS has different ways of transmission: yes it is sexually transmitted and widely spread among homosexuals and drug abusers, which is transmitted mainly through drugs. Be that as it may, why not consider the possibility that one may become infected with AIDS simply out of the carelessness of a barber?
Surprisingly enough, shaving using contaminated equipment that was in contact with a carrier is one of the most common methods of transmitting AIDS. Infections at hairdressers for the ladies comes in as a strong second. Contaminated blood transfusions and its equipment are also a leading cause for patients to catch the virus. In government hospitals, cleanliness is not much of a focus due to the place’s budget, which increases AIDS infection incidents.
There is a slight nuance, yet an important distinction between HIV and AIDS. HIV is when the virus infects the body and remains latent and symptom-less for years. Once the symptoms appear, the patient is said to be an AIDS patient.
Society has affected people’s ideologies when it comes to illness, made it something to live in fear of when it comes to fatal diseases. Society keeps setting limits and barriers to diminish our actions, our choices, our appearance and as of late, our health. All of us believe that upon our death, we will be judged based on our own actions and choices; we must remember that society will not justify our actions in our “dunia” and to treat others how we hope others will treat us.
The problem is that society’s role is undeniable and should be vital, but a positive one: instead of directing all this hatred towards a human being suffering from a certain disease eating their bodies, enlighten them more about the disease to have their own precautions. Conduct more awareness campaigns, put hygiene and care measures in place when it comes to handling blood. A lot of people get the disease not because they are immoral, sluts, or even drug abusers; they simply get it because they are unaware.
For whoever is suffering from HIV, your disease can not be treated, but can be cured! You can live a long lasting life carrying this virus and live peacefully without suffering from pain, health obstacles, and nothing is precluded by your disease. However, take your precautions during sexual intercourse in order not to transmit the virus to your partner. Consequently, fertility is almost impossible in order not to harm the partner or the future baby by carrying the virus, as well. In addition to these precautions, marry, live healthily, practice your normal life and your daily routine, as long as you take the required medications to limit the virus and let it be latent preventing it from damaging your blood cells.
In conclusion, fear is the true fatal disease that devours us alive, not AIDS. For one to truly plan to defeat this undef-eatable societal condemnation, one would need to stand up to the world and take away its power of making us cower and doubt ourselves through their petty judgment.