In short, we all should. Currently, there are 39.4 million people infected with HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus) worldwide (UNAIDS 2004). Almost half of them are women. Not our comfortable stereotypes of injecting drug users or men who love men or people with multiple sex partners, but increasingly, women who are in monogamous, often married relationships. In fact, the AIDS (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome) epidemic is progressively affecting young women more, mainly between the ages of 15-24, and the proportion continues to grow especially in Asia, Eastern Europe and Latin America. According to the recent UNAIDS report on women and AIDS, "AIDS is affecting women most severely in places where heterosexual sex is a dominant mode of HIV transmission".

How are we rationalising these figures in our heads?

If we have not dealt or even thought about the issue of HIV/AIDS because we think we are 'safe' through distance from related lifestyle stereotypes, we need to seriously think again. HIV/AIDS does not only affect people who inject drugs, or have same sex relationships. It is not "god's punishment for immorality". As we begin to understand more and more about this virus and how to fight it, we begin to unravel the myths that have become associated with the disease. In fact, it is the obstinate submission to these myths help to facilitate the increase in numbers of those living with HIV/AIDS.

When HIV was discovered by the Western medical profession in 1981, it was through examining an AIDS symptom of Kaposi's Sarcoma, a form of cancer, in young homosexual men. This begins the first stereotype assigned to the medical condition. Fear that results from as of yet, not completely treatable diseases (such as the SARS epidemic late last year), need to be displaced. Unfortunately, the response by medical professions, governmental policy makers and health educators focused on existing cultural judgements against already marginalised sections of society as a point of reference. It became easier to think of only the "low-life" of society as susceptible to this condition, and in doing so, protect ourselves through distancing.

By imagining ourselves as invincible, we slowly disassociate. Life goes on, and we do not change much in what we tell ourselves or teach our children. We preach about the "dangers" of homosexuality, or even active sexuality in general, and now have an added ammunition to discriminate against the gay as well as drug using communities. Meanwhile, the numbers just do not add up. More and more of our daughters, sisters and wives are being infected with HIV. And most do not even know it until much later when AIDS occur.

Public education campaigns emphasised on intravenous drug use and condoms are mentioned abashedly, choosing to stress instead the importance of monogamy in marriage. Heterosexual men are given the slip. No sense of responsibility is directed at their sexual behaviour, and in fact, another myth about the 'natural sexual drive' of men are constantly raised in various arenas (such as rape). Now studies have revealed that a large proportion of new infections are caused by married, heterosexual men who contracted the disease from multiple sexual partners and transmitting it to their wives and partners. This is compounded by gender roles which systemically deny women control over her own body and sexuality.

Women are expected to remain subservient to their male partner's sexual needs, and any sign of active sexuality is taken as a negative sign of character. Most a woman can do is hope that their male partners are responsible enough to carry a condom since a woman who has her own would be deemed as lascivious. At the same time, there is great reluctance to speak openly about matters related to sexuality. Our education policy seem to fear that publicly surfacing sex education will encourage promiscuity instead of responsible behaviour through awareness. There was even a misinformed government official several years who wanted to restrict condom sales in the fear that it resembled packets of sweets. It seems like we are living our sexual lives in the dark, restricted from making sensible decisions because of a whole range of mistaken beliefs.

How do we start to change this? Importantly, we gravely need to change this because if not, the pandemic will continue to grow and along with it, the struggles and sufferings of millions of people living with HIV/AIDS.

A good first step is self-education. Don't skim read through the facts. We really do not know all there is to know about HIV/AIDS, and new knowledge is being constructed all the time. Understand the stigmatisation and stereotypes that come with this disease and unlearn all the erroneous assumptions that we have lived in ignorance with all this while. Make a conscious effort to be engaged with efforts by organisations and communities of people who live with HIV/AIDS, and find out what it means to have HIV/AIDS as part of our reality. Think about what we individually can do to change this; really inspect and challenge our gendered expectations in thinking about sexuality. If sexually active, practice safer sex, or at least find out what that means. If you have been exposed to high-risk behaviours such as blood or organ transfusion, sexual intimacy that involves transmission of bodily fluids or exchange of syringe needles, consider going for an HIV Antibody Test to avoid further transmitting this to your partner. Demand accountable public education efforts by our government that does attempt to moralise the issue, but rather stresses information, responsibility and respect. In short, really start to care.

Jaclyn Kee
28 November 2004

Talk Back to wao@wao.org.my
Fortnightly Column by WAO on Sunday Mail

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