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However, on June 13, as she was counselling some sex workers on health issues
at the old bus stand in Hubli, a police constable approached the group and began
assaulting Manjula.
The constable, in a fit of rage, beat her with his lathi and she sustained fractures
and swelling on her back and legs. She was admitted to KIMS for 3 days in the
casualty ward.
(Yousaf, 2007, p.6)
This design therefore challenges the line between flesh and fabric. On a substrate of
stretchable, skin-coloured nylon, the ulceration and Kaposi’s sarcoma has become
visible. 58 The work is not subtle. It seeks to lay bare the consequence of orchestrated
abuse, hypocrisy and neglect. Using film makeup techniques imitating visually evident
AIDS symptoms, 59 I have painstakingly depicted the reality of infection and vulnerability.
Fig. 5:5 Kaposi's sarcoma lesions generally appear as nodules or blotches that may be red, purple,
brown, or black, and are usually raised. Dezube (1996) notes that these legions are typically found on
the skin, but spread elsewhere, especially in the mouth. Growth of these lesions can range from very
slow to explosively fast, and the wounds are often associated with the last stages of AIDS.
58 Kaposi's sarcoma is a non-curable tumor caused by Human herpes-virus 8 (HHV8). In AIDS patients,
Kaposi's sarcoma is considered an opportunistic infection, (a disease that is able to gain a foothold in the
body because the immune system has been weakened). Epidemic Kaposi's sarcoma was described during
the 1980s as an aggressive disease in AIDS patients. The skin lesions most commonly related to Kaposi's
sarcoma affect the lower limbs, face, mouth and genitalia. Associated swelling and eruptions are highly
disfiguring for the sufferer.
59 Opportunistic infections profiling as symptoms of AIDS include coma, extreme fatigue, fever, mouth
ulcers in the genital region, pelvic inflammatory disease, persistent or frequent yeast infections (oral or
vaginal), persistent skin rashes or flaky skin, eczema, psoriasis, candidiasis, swollen lymph glands, hair, and
nail changes, non-specific folliculitis, scabies weight loss, as well as severe herpes infections causing anal
sores, genital sores, mouth sores, and shingles. (See: Sexually Transmitted Disease Resource (2007)
http://www.herpes-coldsores.com/std/aids_pictures.htm
55 55