Sociological
and Psychological Impact of HIV/AIDS Disability
Student Name
Institution
Introduction
According to Wendy Taormina, people with
disabilities need sociological and psychological intervention to help them
progress through their different stages well (Psychological and Social Aspects
of Disability, 2016). Individuals experiencing any form of disability for the
first time undergo a stress phase of how to go on with life, the value of life
changes and they start feeling different from the rest. Sociologically, people that
experience disability for the first time deal with the
responsibility of family, cultural beliefs issues and adjusting their regular
duties. The various stages which people with disabilities undergo include
shock, denial, anger or depression and adjustment or acceptance. People go
through these stages at different paces, but when an individual becomes stuck
in a certain stage, it becomes a problem.
Persons with HIV/AIDS are also at a risk
of facing psychological and sociological problems in one way or another. First
of all, people go through an emotional change when they realize they have
HIV/AIDS. These emotions may include shock, disbelief, panic, fear, guilt,
anger, hopelessness and numbness. The person should get counseling to help him
or her deal with the emotion. The impact of the psychological change is
worsened by the rapid changes in its treatment and the developmental outlook.
Additionally, the stigma associated with HIV may make the individual’s
conditions deteriorate. Sociologically, when the family and the community
around the person do not accept his/her status, the individual will feel
segregated which worsens the condition (Psychological and Social Aspects of
Disability. 2016). This paper discusses the psychological and sociological
impacts of a person leaving with HIV/AIDS.
HIV
Disability
HIV does discriminate. Anybody is at risk
of contracting the virus. However, research has indicated that people at the
ages from 13 to 29 are at a higher risk of getting infected than any other
person. Moreover, women are a double risk of contracting HIV virus through
vaginal sex than men. Some of the symptoms of HIV are fever, chills, rash,
night sweats, muscle aches, sore throat, mouth ulcers, fatigue and swollen
lymph nodes. These symptoms may last between a few days to several weeks after
infection (Amfar.org. 2016).
The HIV is a viral disease. There are two
types of HIV that are known: HIV 1 and HIV 2. The two viruses are different
with HIV 1 being the most predominant. The centers for Disease Control and
prevention indicate that surveillance is going on to collect data regarding
HIV. In 1980s the time taken by HIV to progress to AIDS was predicted however
the prediction diminished in 1996. In April 2008 CDCs started tracking the data
although it is becoming difficult due to varying factors. CDS have therefore
proposed methods to mange HIV. Some of the methods
include: taking ARVs, attending counseling sessions and maintaining a healthy
lifestyle (Cdc.gov 2016).
Description
of the Person
Julie, a 30-years old primary school
teacher in Philadelphia, tested positive for HIV/AIDS when she was in college.
She was infected when she was 20 years old. Julie was in a relationship with
one boyfriend in high school and had sex regularly. Every time she tested for
HIV when in college and campus, it was always negative. One day she visited the
hospital because she was feeling a bit weak and she
was vomiting. The doctor advised her to have an HIV test, she agreed. What
shocked her is that she tested positive for the first time and to make matters
worse, she was pregnant. Luckily, she was able to convince her boyfriend to
undergo the same test. Her boyfriend also tested positive. When she got her
child, the child tested negative, but she was still positive when the test was
done after giving birth. She realized that her boyfriend was in a relationship
with another girl. He then infected Julie with the virus.
Psychological
Implication
Just like any other disability that
appears for the first time, Julie was shocked to realize that she was infected.
She was shocked because she had taken precautions her entire life by having one
sexual partner. She wondered how she was infected yet the several times she was
tested the test results were negative.
She was also shocked and worried what she could tell her “harsh”
parents. It was like adding salt to the injury when the doctor told her that
she was pregnant. She realized that she was to deal with more than one problem;
confront her boyfriend, breaking the news to her parents and dealing with her
HIV status and her child in the womb. Effective psychological interventions can
help to ensure recovery of the individual. The doctor advised her that she
should call her boyfriend and ask him to be tested. Secondly, she was asked to
go home with a close friend who would help her pass the news to her parents.
And lastly, she was told that the child would be safe if she takes precautions.
Julie says that her doctor helped her to deal with the shock partially but was
still worried about what her parents would do.
Denial is a common stage for individuals
with a disability. It is common for any person to deny that her status is
positive when they are tested for HIV. Doctors say that it is healthy for
individuals to undergo denial stage for three weeks to four months. This helps
individuals to accept gradually the disability that has come into her life
(EverydayHealth.com 2016). Julie says that she went through this stage for
seven months. She could not accept her status. She went for another test after
three months for confirmation. Still, she tested positive. She thought that it
was the child who tested positive and not her and therefore decided to undergo
another test after giving birth. Again, she tested positive. This was when
reality downed on her that she was positive indeed. Julie got help from her
doctor who talked to her and encouraged her that she can still leave a positive
life with proper medication and healthy living. After her child she tested
positive and started coping with the situation and living positively.
Anger and depression occur when an individual
starts thinking of what life would be with the new disability in his/her life.
The person grieves about the changes that happen in his/her body, loss of what
he/she had expected in future and loss of some of her basic functions. Julie was angry with herself and her
boyfriend. She was angry that her boyfriend cheated on her. She was angry that
she could drop out of college to take care of her child. She was angry that she
could not get a man to marry her because of her status. Julie became depressed
because of these situations. Also, she was depressed that her parents were
disappointed with her. There are various ways of dealing with anger that
include talking about the feeling with other people, taking exercises such as
dancing that help relieve tension and avoiding situations that would make one
feel angry (Hivinsite.ucsf.edu 2016). For Julie, she decided to talk about her
situation with her close friend Mercy and her doctor. She says that helped her
to relieve the anger and depression.
Adjustment and acceptance of one’s disability is a milestone of treating
or coping with the disability. It does not mean that at this stage the person
is happy with the disability, but acceptance helps her find alternatives and
ways to go on with her daily life (Hivinsite.ucsf.edu 2016). Julie accepted her
status after the birth of her beautiful baby, Joy. The baby had brought joy in
her and turned life around. She says that talking and discussing the matter
with her self-help group helped in coping with the situation. As most doctors
would recommend, talking about the disability, Julie got a lot of help from her
friend Mercy. Julie says that she now lives positively, is dating another man
who is positive, she has started a workshop to help teenagers deal with HIV,
and she is planning to go back to college to take counseling courses to help
her start a counseling center.
Sociological
Impacts
Family and friends’ support for people
with HIV reduces the burden of stigma. A study was conducted in South Africa to
find the effect of family support or lack of family support. The study involved
a group of 27 individuals who were HIV positive. From the interviews and
questionnaires, the study found out that family support helps in reducing the
burden of the effect of HIV and improving the care of the disabled persons (Iwelunmor, J., Airhihenbuwa, C., Okoror, T., Brown, D., &BeLue,
R. 2006). Julie says that her parents were “harsh” on her in the initial
stages. However, they later came to support her and after giving birth, they
assisted her in raising the kid. The parents are now willing to take her back
to college and helped to start her workshop. Her friend Mercy has been her
pillar every day of her life. She says that that this has made her life smooth.
Her boyfriend left her when he realized
that she was pregnant. It was hard to cope with the situation, but she says
that she has moved on and is now dating another man. She says that she has
found love again. Another study conducted in America with 40 HIV-infected
mothers indicted that social support and family functions combined with
medication help to bring up the child healthy and the mother happy (Mellins, C. 2000). Julie says that if it were not for her
friend Mercy, she could not have taken the medication while pregnant and her
child would have been born positive. She is happy for her child, and she is
leaving healthy.
Conclusion
Disability can be physical, emotional,
mental, sensory, developmental or cognitive impairment. It can occur any time
of life and can affect anybody. When the disability occurs for the first time,
individuals undergo psychological stages. These stages include; shock, denial,
anger or depression and adjustment or acceptance. These stages are common, but
the problem arises if an individual is stuck in any stage for long. People with
disability need sociological and psychological intervention to help them
progress through their different stages well. HIV is one form of invalidity
that requires psychological and sociological support so that the individual can
adjust or cope with the situation. Most health practitioners advocate for a
person with HIV to find support from their doctors, friends and family. Julie,
who was infected with HIV at her 20’s, was able to adjust to her situation with
the help of her doctor, parents, and her friend. Although she went through
denial, anger and depression, she finally accepted her status and she is now
living a positive life.
References
amfAR ::
Basic Facts About HIV :: The Foundation for AIDS Research :: HIV / AIDS
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http://www.amfar.org/facts-about-hiv-and-aids/
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with HIV/AIDS: Mental Health. (2016). Hivinsite.ucsf.edu. Retrieved 12 April
2016, from http://hivinsite.ucsf.edu/insite?page=pb-daily-mental
Getting
Past HIV Denial. (2016). EverydayHealth.com. Retrieved 12 April 2016, from
http://www.everydayhealth.com/hiv-aids/getting-past-hiv-diagnosis-denial.aspx
Iwelunmor,
J., Airhihenbuwa, C., Okoror,
T., Brown, D., & BeLue, R. (2006). Family Systems
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Community Health Education, 27(4), 321-335. http://dx.doi.org/10.2190/iq.27.4.d
Mellins,
C. (2000). AIDS And Behavior, 4(4), 317-328.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1023/a:1026494221011
Psychological
and Social Aspects of Disability. (2016). Disabled World. Retrieved 12 April
2016, from http://www.disabled-world.com/disability/social-aspects.php
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