Social Impact of AIDS

According to the book, The Social Impact of Aids in the United States, epidemics are considered both a medical and social occurrence. Socially, an epidemic disrupts the life of a community by causing fear, uncertainty, blame, and eventually flight. The AIDS epidemic has had a social impact all over the world.

Considerations

• In its early years, AIDS was commonly identified with men who have sex with men and drug users. Because AIDS affects thousands of bisexual and gay men and drug users, the social impact of AIDS in these demographics are strong. AIDS has also become a serious problem among African American women and has caused social concern in African American communities.

Socioeconomic Impact

• The social impact of AIDS can evolve into a socio-economic problem. For example, in Botswana and South Africa, the social impact of AIDS is felt economically. Families that have someone in the household infected with the virus, lose an income earner in the household when the virus proves fatal. This causes the household per capita income to fall and increases the poverty rates.

Social Rejection

• There is still a stigma and discrimination attached to people with AIDS. Individuals with AIDS may experience discrimination among the people or communities they are associated with and have the potential to be rejected from their community.

Significance

• The social impact of AIDS can also be seen in the restrictions placed on travelers and immigrants who want to enter the United States. In 1987, the U.S. Public Health Service issued a travel and immigration ban on individuals with AIDS.

Women

• The social impact of HIV and AIDS on women is particularly acute. In many developing countries, women who are socially disadvantaged are blamed for the disease. This is true even if the man brought the infection into the household. The women are stigmatized, and sometimes abandoned by their husbands and family.