Positive role model predicament
JournAIDS
3 February 2012
A health-e article syndicated in an edition of The New Age this week examined the ins and outs of singling out people living with HIV as role models.
The article takes its impetus from a UNAIDS policy framework around working with HIV-positive people in a bid to prevent further infections. Called Positive Health, Dignity and Prevention, the approach uses the concept of “Positive Prevention”, but couches it in a milieu that emphasises the dignity of and rights of people living with HIV.
The article uses this as a hook to further explore the potential pitfalls of emphasising the responsibilities of people living with HIV, without alienating or stigmatising them.
A number of voices are called upon to hash out the complexities inherent in this delicate task of balancing responsibility with the risk of generating unwanted stigma. Prominent among the contributors to this debate is activist Pholokgolo Ramothwala, who weighs in with his remarks around the responsibility of both partners to take necessary protective steps.
Overall, the article appeals to our shared responsibility as partners and lovers – regardless of our status. It is a message well-worth heeding.
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