Introduction
Medical studies have fascinated me for the longest time, and I have always wanted to make a meaningful change in society. That is why a major in healthcare and a career in healthcare were my obvious choices, as they will allow me to pursue my objectives and interests. I intend to grow as a person and professional throughout my education and valuable courses on various healthcare topics.
Ultimately, I would say that professional growth is my primary career goal. I want to succeed in medicine and be a role model for aspiring nurses and clinicians. However, to achieve this goal, improving my professional and interpersonal competencies is critical.
Among various medical topics, HIV and AIDS are some of the most fascinating subjects due to their relatively short history and a scarce understanding of the conditions by the academic community. Both disorders are also associated with socioeconomic variables and discrimination, making them a critical social issue. I believe that preventing HIV/AIDS and inventing new methods of potential treatment are currently the core objectives of the healthcare industry. The high relevance of this topic is why I am taking this course and want to learn more about HIV/AIDS. Ultimately, if possible, I would like to change this issue positively.
Role of Activism
Since the identification of HIV/AIDS in the 1980s, activism has played a critical role in the prevention of the disease and in raising public awareness about the dangers of the two conditions. Even after more than forty years of utmost effort by medical professionals, there is still no effective cure. In this sense, early identification and prevention remain the most practical methods to combat the disease, and social activism is, perhaps, the best way to achieve this goal.
Additionally, many people have a distorted understanding of HIV/AIDS, resulting in discrimination and government neglect. The movie United in Anger: A History of ACT UP transparently demonstrates that social activism and civil disobedience can be highly effective in raising public awareness. This movement resulted in more thorough attention to the problem from the perspective of governments, particularly in the US, and relevant media sources, which play a critical role in distributing information.
How to Survive a Plague is another movie that sheds light on the actions of ACT UP and TAG. This film further emphasizes the negative impact of homophobia on how people perceive patients with HIV/AIDS. It also highlights the utmost significance of activism in how individuals with HIV/AIDS evaluate their own lives.
Namely, in the earlier years of the AIDS pandemic, people who learned about their conditions were virtually doomed due to a lack of support and understanding from society. However, activism and civil disobedience, besides their impact on the government and public perception, also provide a safe space for people with HIV/AIDS. Affected individuals can find support and a new meaning in life through these actions, which is another critical advantage of activism in the fight against HIV and AIDS.
Moreover, activism can take a more radical and practical form when affected people establish communities and organizations to halt the disease. Rampant: How a City Stopped a Plague explains how individuals with various backgrounds can unite against the common threat and create a safe space for patients with HIV/AIDS. The movie also shows the practical collaboration with politicians; however, the proposal stemmed from the activism of the local communities.
The discussed examples clearly show the notable positive impact of activism on local and global levels. Since 1980, the perception of affected people has changed due to a lesser degree of homophobia and a more thorough understanding of the disease. These accomplishments could have been impossible without activism and civil disobedience, presented by such movements as ACT UP and local community actions. In summary, activism remains a critical instrument in preventing HIV/AIDS and raising public awareness about the conditions.
Action and Inaction of Leaders
Due to the nature of HIV/AIDS, including the spread via unprotected sex and the prevalence of the disease in the LGBTQ+ community, political and religious leaders were particularly hesitant to address the issue in the 20th century. Their inactions and irresponsible policies resulted in millions of deaths and significantly reduced the quality of life among affected patients. Besides activism, How to Survive a Plague shows the tragic reality of societal neglect that people with HIV/AIDS experience from the government and especially religious institutions. Activist organizations have encountered significant resistance from Christian leaders, many of whom thought that the pandemic was a rightful punishment. This perspective has become less relevant in the 21st century, but the stigma persists on the individual and societal levels.
HIV: The Neglected Pandemic and The Age of Aids explain the history of AIDS and depict the current state of affairs regarding the disease, public perception, and actions of governments. According to the interviewees’ stories, affected individuals have no trust in the government, which seems to hinder the fight against HIV/AIDS continually. Although the situation has improved in the last forty years, there are multiple misconceptions about the disease’s causes, spread, and impact, and the most critical issue is that people are reluctant to learn. The movie shows how government officials undermine the significance of acceptance, the HIV/AIDS communities, and supportive policies. In most cases, the problem is a mere lack of understanding; however, some people in power deliberately sabotage the efforts in the fight against HIV/AIDS.
Another example of this issue is reflected in Fire in the Blood, which demonstrates the harmful impact of patent laws and greedy pharmaceutical companies. Business leaders determined their actions based exclusively on profitability, leading to millions of deaths in Africa, the most affected region by the AIDS pandemic. Moreover, this approach was widely supported by Western governments, particularly the United States.
While it would be unfair to state that all politicians do not care about the AIDS pandemic, religious and political leaders typically aggravate the problem. They choose profits over people’s lives and have notable prejudice against affected individuals due to the negative stigma of AIDS, such as spread via unprotected sex and its higher rates among homosexuals and drug addicts. While these stereotypes are predominantly false, politicians use them as excuses to make profits, prevent supporting AIDS policies, and portray people with AIDS as enemies of society.
HIV in the United States and Other Countries
Lastly, the quality of living for affected individuals differs significantly depending on where they live. Multiple documentaries show that various governments tend to ignore the problems regarding HIV/AIDS, and there is a negative stigma globally. While the issue is still highly relevant, the United States demonstrates a more reasonable attitude toward supporting affected individuals than other countries.
It is particularly true for urban centers, such as New York, where civil movements, including ACT UP and TAG, have changed public perception of the disease. For instance, HIV the Neglected Pandemic shows that large cities are generally friendlier to people with HIV/AIDS because of the high diversity and exposure to social and cultural differences. On the other hand, the HIV Crisis on the Texas-Mexico Border demonstrates how regions with a negative stigma against homosexuality and poor sex education have particularly acute problems regarding public awareness of HIV/AIDS. Therefore, even within one country, people with HIV/AIDS in New York and the rural areas in the South have drastically different experiences living with the disease.
Nevertheless, affected individuals in the United States have better chances of coping with HIV/AIDS due to wealth and knowledge privilege compared to people in developing countries. Africa has been the center of the AIDS pandemic even before the official recognition of the disease in the 1980s. Movies like Rise of the Killer Virus, The Lazarus Effect, and Darling! The Pieter-Dirk Uys Story transparently demonstrates the gravity of the problem in the region.
Thousands of people die daily due to AIDS because they have no money to afford medications, many of which come from Western countries. The differences in financial stability between African nations and medicine exporters are drastic, and even low-cost drugs are unavailable to most people in Africa. Besides, the region demonstrates a high degree of stigma and virtually no sex education, which are critical problems. As a result, a typical person with HIV/AIDS in Africa does not have sufficient money or knowledge to cope with the disease. While it is critical not to undermine the gravity of the problem in the United States, this example shows that the issue could be much more severe than in the present America.
Conclusion
Watching the movies about HIV/AIDS and completing the current assignment has been a revelation for me regarding how many people do not understand the disease and have a negative stigma. My knowledge is based on medical facts and information from people around me who are generally supportive of individuals with HIV/AIDS. However, seeing that even in the 2010s, many people perceive HIV patients with disgust, intolerance, and a lack of compassion is a surprise.
Hence, I believe that the first action we should take locally and globally is to change the perception of the disease. People need to learn more about the causes and spread of HIV/AIDS to decriminalize individuals suffering from this condition. It is a critical issue that can only be resolved through the united efforts of communities, activist organizations, and government institutions.
The gravity of the HIV/AIDS problem globally is another crucial issue. In Africa, thousands of people die daily from the disease, and yet the stigma and a lack of sex education remain. The movies demonstrate that it is a complex area that depends significantly on the communication between African and Western nations. However, despite the differences, I do believe that it is possible to collaborate, and this partnership should help mitigate the HIV/AIDS pandemic in the region.
It is pivotal in global disease prevention because Africa is the most affected area. I think that this approach would also help in raising public awareness about HIV/AIDS on local and national levels. When other governments notice the impact of the supporting campaigns, they will realize the utmost significance of policies that help people with the disease. In summary, I believe that raising public awareness is the most critical factor in the battle against AIDS.