Essay Sample on HIV Discrimination in Medical Care: A Growing Issue

Introduction

There is increased cases of discrimination in the medical field for the individuals infected and or living with HIV. According to Batey et all.,(2016) the Joint United Nations Program on HIV and AIDS defines related discrimination as the process of devaluation of people either associated with or living with HIV/AIDS. Some of the most substantial discrimination comes from healthcare practitioners. It has created barriers for HIV positive people to receive the medical care they require. Various factors have led to the increased cases of discrimination and stigmatization of people living with HIV. It is, therefore, essential we look at an example of the perception of an HIV positive patient, assess the case to determine whether it is a case of discrimination.

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AIDS has been identified as one of the most significant tests humans are facing in the fight for a healthy society. The disease is mainly transmitted through sexual intercourse though it can be transmitted through other means such as blood transfusion. Majority of the people infected with HIV are considered outcasts in the society as well as being not socially accepted (Batey et al., 2016). They are discriminated and stigmatized and pushed out of the community. Discrimination occurs in terms of devaluation, rejection, isolation, or blame.

Provision of medical care is a necessity to all people regardless of their HIV status. There have been cases of surgeons, dentists, nurses, and other medical practitioners refusing to treat patients with HIV or whom they suspect to be HIV positive. Some tend to adopt infection control methods that are not necessary. Others provide discriminatory standards that are not required. In the United States, there was a case where a GP sent a letter to his patient. He asked him not to come for his usual check-up as the hospital was reducing its patient list. He informed the patient that he needed to find another GP. All this happened after the patient had disclosed to the doctor that he was HIV positive. The doctor also sends the same letter to all his family members, including his mother, wife, and children. There is also another case where a dentist refused to treat a patient after she disclosed that she was HIV positive. The dentist claimed that he was not authorized to operate people with HIV at his practice. He then proposed to the patient that she should go for treatment in the hospital.

The case above is of discrimination as the doctor sends the patient away after he realizes that he is HIV positive. He finds an excuse to push the patient away by telling him that the hospital was reducing the number of patients it attends to. It is a lame excuse as the whole purpose of a hospital is to take care of those who are ill. Also, the dentist discriminated against the patient when he refused to treat her after she disclosed her HIV status. HIV is regarded to be different from other diseases. When one finds out that they are HIV positive, it gets hard for them as the condition creates a complex emotional, social, physical, and legal concerns. These concerns are not there when one is diagnosed with other diseases. It has become harder for people in American society to accept those with HIV. It is, however, more disappointing to find that discrimination is evident even in the medical field where the infected people visit to get help.

A study carried out in the year 2016 showed that the cases of discrimination in the medical field have increased (Feyissa, Lockwood, Woldie & Munn, 2019). Discrimination related to HIV is nothing unusual in the medical field. It is attributed to the negative attitude of doctors to the patients. Government policies and hospital management systems have also played a role in the ever rising levels of HIV related discrimination towards the patients. It has led to the need for providing HIV related education to medical practitioners to change their attitude. There is also a need for changes in government policies to protect doctors.

Discrimination against patients having HIV is awful. It prevents them from seeking HIV counseling. It can then lead to increased cases of transmission through mother to child transmission or even sexual intercourse. It also prevents people from going for HIV tests as they are afraid of being discriminated and stigmatized. Discrimination can also have other negative impacts on patients, such as the feeling of guilt, depression, anxiety, and other mental health problems (Batey et al., 2016). It is therefore, essential that the government employs specific regulations to ensure that HIV positive patients get the medication they require without fear of discrimination.

Discrimination against HIV positive patients must be stopped in the medical field to ensure that all people get the treatment they need. The effects of discrimination are adverse as it may lead to people refusing to treatment or hide their status. It also leads to other conditions such as depression and shame as the patients are afraid of stigmatization. The American government needs to educate its citizens on how HIV is transmitted. There is still a significant number of people who do not know how it is transmitted. People believe that sharing a glass or touching a person with the disease can make them infected, which are misconceptions. These misconceptions have led to increased levels of discrimination against people with HIV. Also, the high levels of ignorance among healthcare providers have led to the stigmatization of HIV patients. Despite being illegal, HIV related discrimination towards patients by the medical practitioners, it is disappointing to see that many doctors are not willing to treat patients with the disease.

References

Batey, D. S., Whitfield, S., Mulla, M., Stringer, K. L., Durojaiye, M., McCormick, L., ... & Turan, J. M. (2016). Adaptation and implementation of an intervention to reduce HIV-related stigma among healthcare workers in the United States: piloting of the FRESH workshop. AIDS patient care and STDs, 30(11), 519-527.

Feyissa, G. T., Lockwood, C., Woldie, M., & Munn, Z. (2019). Reducing HIV-related stigma and discrimination in healthcare settings: A systematic review of quantitative evidence. PloS one, 14(1), e0211298. Retrieved from https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0211298