(Transgender, 53 yrs, Upper secondary education, SW)Impact on career options and upward mobilityHIV/<strong>AIDS</strong> had impacted on career options and job mobility for all groups ofrespondents. The MSM, although better off working as professionals, some of them wereforced to quit high-paying jobs, or even leave the country, and subsequently had to resortto lower paying jobs.“Like for myself for example...is ...to compare with the pay that I used tohave and my pay now. I mean...there’s a difference...you know...”(Male, 40 yrs, Upper secondary education)A member of the MSM group recounted when he was first diagnosed when still workingin Singapore:“No counselling...whether you go <strong>this</strong>...you go...there is the governmentin Singapore...They make it very confidential...they won’t tell thecompany that I work...but they ask me to resign la from thecompany...because they won’t let you stay in Singapore.”(Male, 46 yrs, University education, MSM)For many, the disease had removed whatever potential or better options in their careers.“Before ...I was diagnosed, I have so many options...you know...I can doso many things.”(Male, 40 yrs, Upper secondary education, DU)The impact is far reaching and deep because, as some of them explained, even thoughthey can maintain their health sufficiently to work, they would be discriminated eachtime they apply for a job as it is now a common requirement that applicants do a medicaltest and they fear their HIV/<strong>AIDS</strong> status would be revealed.“Generally...ah I mean now if you asked us to for job interview...I meanI’ve applied for a couple of jobs and...you know...when you going forinterview...there’s gonna be a medical test and...I mean...always when Ithink of it...I’m...err...it just...arr... it just remind me that may be I have todo a HIV test...of course I’m not going to do because once they dothat...that shows there’s discrimination. Why should they do a HIV test...Imean a person living with HIV/<strong>AIDS</strong>, they still work...ah...so...why theyneed to do a HIV test...So, I mean but then...if we go and if we do it...ifthey find out that you’re HIV positive...will they accept you or not? Willany hmm...company or...anywhere...will they accept you or not?So...that...that’s the fear also.”(Male, 50 yrs, Upper secondary education, DU)It is particularly daunting for sex workers. A couple of them could not reveal their HIV+status because they knew clients would refuse their service.68
“Dia bukan tanya HIV ke, apa ke, tapi dia tanya kau ni ada sakit tak?Haa, dia cakap macam itu je. Kalau saya kata tak da, haa...kalau kitakata sakit memang dia, dia memang tak buat.”(“He doesn’t ask about HIV or what not, but he asks are you sick or not?Haa, he talks like that. If I say no I don’t have, haa...if we say we’re sick,surely he, he will surely won’t want to do it.”)(Female, 45 yrs, Primary education, SW)However, several of them in the study pointed out they were honest and would revealtheir HIV+ status to clients:“Bagi tau customer”(“Tell the customer.”)(Female, 45 yrs, Primary education, SW)“Tau HIV”(“Knows HIV.”)(Female, 49 yrs, No formal education, SW)A couple of sex workers felt trapped and torn but yet they needed to work to survive, and<strong>this</strong> predicament could push some to be suicidal.“Bagi tau lain-lain orang, haa. So malu la. Ada orang ah...boleh bunuhdiri tau. Boleh bunuh...”(“Tell to other people, haa. So ashamed la. There’re people ah...would killthemselves, you know. Will kill...”)(Female, 36 yrs, Lower secondary education, SW)Out of desperation, some sex workers would continue working but said they would takenecessary precautions:“Saya kerja pun, saya ada kerja ada pakai itu... (kondom).”(“I still work, I have work, I use that ... (condom).”)(Female, 48 yrs, No formal education, SW)One transgender confessed:“If I’m healthy, I’m not shy ...I’ll go I’ll put make up and go out findmoney you know. Until that stage I have to do. Catherine...sometimes atnight see me... I wear the wig, I make up...have to look for money, haveto eat...ah...that’s why I feel so bad.”(Transgender, 53 yrs, Upper secondary education, SW)This sort of predicament also affects the refugees group - some of whom had to hang onto their work despite being physically unwell.69
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Table of ContentsPROJECT TEAM 5ACKN
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Information received at the time of
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AcknowledgementsThis research is fu
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The main findings from the qualitat
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school or work, transport costs for
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is that the large majority of women
- Page 18 and 19: In fact, special surveys conducted
- Page 20 and 21: ObjectivesThe specific objectives o
- Page 22 and 23: have been rejected by their immedia
- Page 24 and 25: eport) that his/her healthcare (or
- Page 26 and 27: CommunityKnowledge/awareness of HIV
- Page 28 and 29: Framework of analysisA descriptive
- Page 30 and 31: urban and a rural community. In all
- Page 32 and 33: medication, the physical health com
- Page 34 and 35: husbands working in other places wh
- Page 36 and 37: (“And then, this doctor, he/she v
- Page 38 and 39: their food. Nurses and their attend
- Page 40 and 41: “Because we take drugs….no time
- Page 42 and 43: The same claim to 100% condom use w
- Page 44 and 45: in asking them to use condoms, even
- Page 46 and 47: “Normally…..normally, memang ma
- Page 48 and 49: (“But I continued using at that t
- Page 50 and 51: “Buat pada permulaannya, saya mem
- Page 52 and 53: However, not all experiences with d
- Page 54 and 55: yang amat sangat. Tak pernah I rasa
- Page 56 and 57: long term fears and anxieties. The
- Page 58 and 59: “The first time I heard from the
- Page 60 and 61: handset, I too, have handset. Some
- Page 62 and 63: have been turning to God since and
- Page 64 and 65: felt I’m indecent. But, at one ti
- Page 66 and 67: would certainly want to continue wo
- Page 70 and 71: “Sometimes I didn’t get enough
- Page 72 and 73: positively portray people living wi
- Page 74 and 75: “After my diagnosis...I’ll pay
- Page 76 and 77: not know or might not want to be bo
- Page 78 and 79: (UNAIDS 2005).(UNAIDS 2000):The fac
- Page 80 and 81: “…bawak saya pergi hospital. An
- Page 82 and 83: erpindah ke tempat lain makin lama.
- Page 84 and 85: pada HIV itu, dia nampak penagih. S
- Page 86 and 87: (Male, 49yrs, University education,
- Page 88 and 89: However this association with the n
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- Page 92 and 93: (“I …my experience society will
- Page 94 and 95: (“Can…can marry, no problem. Bu
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- Page 98 and 99: (“In my opinion such campaign sta
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- Page 104 and 105: NO. OF LIVING PARENTSNobody 7 1 1 2
- Page 106 and 107: tested in drug rehabilitation cente
- Page 108 and 109: GroupsDUHetero-SexuallyInfectedMenT
- Page 110 and 111: y the Ministry of Health (74.2%) or
- Page 113 and 114: Child CareYes, often 0 0 0 1 0 1 0
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GroupsTable 12aEmotional Problems E
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Stigmatization and how it has affec
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GroupsTable 15How They Cope With Th
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Table 18Percentage Of Respondents W
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esponsible for their families. As m
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In this study, it took more effort
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eing transgender and sex worker whe
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denies them social and economic opp
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working towards their future, who c
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ReferencesAidsmeds.com (2006). Curr
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Sen G, George A, Ostlin P (2002). E
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Annex II: FGD Guide for PLHIV Group
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♦ Spouse: marital/sexual relation
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I. Attitudes and Perceptions relate
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I. HIV/AIDS Knowledge‣ What did y
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Annex V: Rapid Needs Assessment Que
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Types of support or responsibilityM
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Please tick (√)one onlyIf yes,ple
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more help would be useful for you i
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Annex VI: Ethics Approval Letter157