The article, “Prince Harry, Rihanna take HIV
test on World Aids Day” in the Life Section of The Straits Times on Saturday 3rd December 2016, caught my attention first thing in
the morning. I have the utmost respect and admiration of leaders and
world famous celebrities who go out of their way to help change mindsets.
Sufferers of HIV are often discriminated
against. The fear surrounding the emerging HIV epidemic in the 1980s even
persists today and misconceptions of this illness need to change.
Thus, public education on HIV has to be intensified.
HIV-related stigma and discrimination refers
to prejudice, negative attitudes and abuse directed at people living with HIV
and AIDS.
Many people mistakenly believe that:
- HIV and AIDS are always associated with death
- HIV is associated with behaviours that some people disapprove of (like homosexuality, drug use, sex work or infidelity)
- HIV is only transmitted through sex, which is a taboo subject in some cultures
- HIV infection is the result of personal irresponsibility or moral fault (such as infidelity) that deserves to be punished
- inaccurate information about how HIV is transmitted, creating irrational behaviour and misperceptions of personal risk
Some people even believe that one can get
infected if you mix with people with HIV. It is clearly a misunderstood illness
– just like mental illness. I still recall how a mental health counsellor told
me that some ignorant people mistakenly believe that if you drink from a cup
used by a psychiatric patient, you can be infected with a mental illness.
There are still people in our midst who feel
that because HIV patients have led a flirtatious lifestyle, they are being
punished and they don’t deserve help. Medication is expensive – and
some patients travel all the way from Singapore to Thailand to buy the
medication which is cheaper over there.
The effort on the part of Prince Harry and
Pop Queen Rihanna is indeed a very noble one. It was Prince Harry who
persuaded Rihanna to take the HIV test with him when they attended a concert in
celebration of Bridgetown’s capital Barbados’ 50th anniversary on Wednesday 30th November 2016.
It hilarious reading of how Rihanna teased
the Prince when the needle that was pricked in the future King’s finger caused
him to make a face as he took the test: “Oh, that’s not bad. You made it seem
like it hurt,” Rihanna took a jibe at the Prince.
Leaders and celebrities can so easily change
mindsets and eradicate discrimination and stigma because people in general look
up to them as role models.
To this end, I urge our local celebrities and
even our politicians to emulate the good work Prince Harry and Rihanna have
done and step forward to support the Ministry of Health’s programme to get more
of our locals and foreigners working here to participate in HIV testing next
year and every year thereafter.
Raymond Anthony Fernando
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