Kalpana Jain is an investigative journalist who raised her voice for the betterment of public health and social justice. She has written extensively on public health issues such as Tuberculosis, Malaria, Dengue and Chikungunya. Her book on the AIDS is part of he curriculum at many Indian Universities. 'Stigma, Shame and Slience' is taken from her book, 'Positive Lives: The Story of Ashok and Others With HIV (2003), that highlights the Social Stigma and Shame faced by people diagnosed with HIV.
Ashok was a
radio-operator in a Navy Ship. One day
when he was about to pass on some signal to his officer, a passing medical
officer noticed some blisters that had appeared on his arm. He ordered him to go to the Naval hospital
and got some test. That was how the tragic
days crept into his life. He had to
undergo too many blood tests. One day he
saw a slip attached to his bed 'Elisa for HIV'.
Then he was taken to the Command Hospital, Pune for Western blot test. His blood samples taken to National Institute
of Virology. As Ashok came to know about
HIV and AIDS, then, he was preparing himself for the worst in the isolation
ward. He was going to enter a new world of
stigma and shame. Even the doctor
advised him not to get married and have sex again. He
wondered why they shouldn't educate him to have a safe sex and protect
others. So, he looked at the doctor and
laughed. So, he was referred to a
psychiatrist. However, Ashok was given a
'No Abnormalities Detected' (NAD) certificate by the psychiatrist and
discharged. Now he is capable of
adjusting himself to fight and conquer the shame and fear. Thus, he has become a source of inspiration
for other HIV virus infected men and women.
In this way, Kalpana Jain exposes people's prejudices towards
HIV-positive people and highlights the systemic failures in the health system's
treatment through this story.
------Thulasidharan V
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