Buttoned the Unbuttoned: Brief Insights from People Living with HIV/AIDS and their Caregivers
The number of people infected with HIV continues to increase globally, despite recent advances in treatment and prevention. Statistics show that an estimated 36.9 million people around the world were living with HIV in 2014, with 2 million people became infected with the illness (UNAIDS, 2014). T...
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| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Human Resource Management Academic Research Society
2018
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://ir.unimas.my/id/eprint/27139/3/zamri.pdf http://ir.unimas.my/id/eprint/27139/ http://hrmars.com/index.php/pages/detail/IJARBSS? |
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| Institution: | Universiti Malaysia Sarawak |
| Language: | English |
| Summary: | The number of people infected with HIV continues to increase globally, despite recent advances in
treatment and prevention. Statistics show that an estimated 36.9 million people around the world
were living with HIV in 2014, with 2 million people became infected with the illness (UNAIDS, 2014).
To aggravate matters, people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHAs) continue to face many forms of
stigmatization throughout their lives, despite the various measures or initiatives taken by themselves
and others to minimize them. However, little has been done on examining the creation of newly
invented identities as an equally important measure/initiative taken by PLWHA and caregivers, to
lessen stigmatization and to gain the support that they direly needed. Moreover, little is known about
the awareness of human rights among PLWHA and their caregivers. Using ethnographic methods to
collect data in the form of face-to-face interviews and participant observations, the proposed study
explores the newly invented identities created by PLWHAs and their caregivers, how they develop
and express them, and the ways in which they integrate human rights awareness into the creation of
these identities. Approximately 13 (N13) PLWHAs and caregivers mainly from the Kuching area were
purposively selected. Findings revealed that, participants developed certain initiatives to reduce
stigma; and they also portrayed low level of knowledge related to their rights. The outcomes were
then translated into stigma reduction initiatives in which these initiatives can be deployed to
minimize stigmatization and gain social support that are direly needed. This indirectly, tightened their
rights for better living. The study also suggests some modifications in existing policies and programs
both at local and national level so that to improve their quality of life in general. |
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