Guwahati: Noted activist and president of Indian Network of Positive People, Jahnabi Goswami has observed that stigma attached to HIV/AIDS leads discrimination against HIV-infected persons in the society and this needs to change for better.
Speaking at the obser-vance of Zero Discrimi-nation Day along with the rest of the country at the Assam State AIDS Control Society in association with Indian Network of Positive People here on Sunday , Goswami said that discrimi-nation especially of those who were infected by HIV/AIDS iwas very common.
Citing her own experience , she said, “There was a time when a dentist refused to treat me when I
told him that I am an HIV infected. Not only that, the concerned dentist even called up other dentist colleagues not to treat me.”
She further said that an HIV infected person is discriminated in such a way that there are instances that even after death the infected person’s house was burnt along with the body.
Jahnabi further said that even in ART centres, HIV-infected persons are discriminated. Dr Nabaneet Baruah of GNRC said that such day should be observed by inviting the discriminators and not those who are discrimnated. Stating that there is a lack of awareness amongst the medical fraternity on HIV/AIDS, Baruah said that it was really disheartening to hear about patients being turned away from the hospital just because he or she is an HIV positive. Dwelling on the rights of Lesbian, Gay, Bi-sexual, Transgender (LGBT), he said, “Being a lesbian or a gay is not a crime and in fact it is very much natural and therefore they should be given the legal status.” Around hundred parti-cipants participated in the programme comprising of people belonging of INP+ and other organizations.
Expressing the same view, Dr A Gogoi of GMCH said that efforts must be made to wipe out the mena-ce of stigma and discrimina-tion especially amongst the HIV-infected. Dr. C Bhatta-charjya, Epidemiologist, ASACS said that HIV was a manageable disease and thus early detection and taking of ART drugs was very important.
