HIV/AIDS in News – Journalists as Catalysts - United Nations ...

80
HIV/AIDS in News – Journalists as Catalysts
myself as lucky because both my children are HIV negative. I look after my parents now
as both my brothers broke all ties with us on learning of my status. My parents will look
after my children if I die earlier,” she says matter-of-factly. Anita has told her children
about her positive status and finds that they are empathetic. “They will be more sensitive
human beings than their uncles (her brothers),” she says. “That will be my contribution
to society.”
Reports about positive
women being ostracised,
being subjected to physical
and mental violence,
turned out from homes,
being disinherited and
even beaten to death
abound. What are missing
are media stories
about how infected and
affected women are coping
with this epidemic
Reports about positive women being ostracised, subjected to physical and mental violence,
turned out from homes, disinherited and even beaten to death abound. In one
instance, people burnt down the homes of sex workers in their neighbourhood, fearing
their presence would spread HIV infection in their area! Yet, what are missing are media
stories about how infected and affected women are coping with this epidemic, and
bringing about behavioural, social or economic change.
‘Low-risk’ women put to high risk
Shobha and Anita’s experience point to another chilling fact. ‘Low-risk’ women are at
threat because their only fault is that they get married! Women are in no position to
ascertain whether their potential partners’ are positive or not.
Changing the Focus of ‘Lifestyle’ Stories
There are umpteen ‘lifestyle’ stories about wealthy professionals and industrialists
buying the services of ‘high class’ call girls; and stories of ‘bored’ housewives
taking to this ‘work’ for ‘recreation.’ What does not get written about is that unsafe
sex makes this a highly risky behaviour; that education and money are no longer
a bar from getting infected; that children often become unintended victims of this
unsafe sex.
Current public debate focusses on the morals of extra-marital sexual relationships.
The media can inject gender issues into this debate: whether educated and wealthy
women are informed about safe sex and able to negotiate it; whether educated and
wealthy men are responsible enough to have safe sex with their wives and/or with
‘other’ women; and whether a society that sees an upward trend in this kind of
‘promiscuous’ behaviour can uphold values such as dignity, respect, responsibility
and hope if it does not also deal with unsafe sex. Such debates on sexual behaviour
in society can help decrease the stigma and discrimination against positive
women.