HIV/AIDS survivors are often discriminated not only by the community but also by health workers who are supposed to serve and treat them regardless of their background. Discrimination by health workers is thought to be due to stigma and lack of education. The topic was raised in the Discussion on Discrimination and Stigma against People Living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) in Health Services in Yogyakarta on Friday (1/12) at the Faculty of Medicine, Public Health and Nursing (FKKMK).
Ragil Sukoyo from the HIV/AIDS Volunteer Group said he often works with HIV/AIDS patients who are discriminated against by medical personnel. During examination, medical personnel seem reluctant and afraid of being contracted so the service is not optimal. “Medical staffs do not want to hold their patients just to check blood pressure, there is a concern among medical staff when examining HIV patients,” he said.
Several times he also got patients who were lectured on religion by medical officers while all they wanted was to seek treatment. “Health workers do have various personality characteristics,” he said.
According to him, this discrimination happens not only in health services. The community also still considers transvestites, gay and sex worker groups to be at risk of HIV/AIDS infection.
The same experience was told by March Setya Kurniawan from the Vesta Indonesia Foundation. He works with patients who were refused by the Public Health Centers. “Officers answered that they were not ready to serve HIV patients as there was no special room for HIV patients. But we don’t need to be specialized and distinguished, we just need to be served,” he said.
Setya Kurniawan also once did a testimony by going directly to a hospital in Yogyakarta. He said he had a fever after taking HIV medicine, and then the administrative officers and nurses discriminated him. Although eventually served, he got good treatment from the doctors. “Medical staffs are also supposed to be informed about HIV services,” he explained.
HIV/AIDS researcher from FKKMK UGM, dr. Yanri Wijayanti Subronto, Ph.D., Sp.PD., said that health workers should not discriminate against HIV/AIDS patients. Good service should be given regardless of the patient’s background. “Health services already have standards from director to security guard level when serving patients,” he said.
Yanri said discrimination against PLWHA still happens because of the negative stigma attached to them. Not only sufferers who tested positive for HIV/AIDS, but also gay people, transvestites and commercial sex workers are discriminated. “The HIV stigma is strong enough especially if it is confined to religion, there should be no stigma if the approach is humanitarian,” she said.
Mami Vinolia Wakidjo, administrator of the DIY Waria Large Family, said she was one of the transvestites who received good treatment by her neighbors in the Gowongan area, Yogyakarta. In fact, she is active in Family Welfare Movement (PKK) activities in her residence. “I am often invited to give a talk for mothers, where I also include topics on transvestites,” she said.
Source: https://ugm.ac.id/id/berita/18886-penyintas-hiv-aids-sering-mendapat-perlakuan-diskriminatif
