Discrimination discourages patients from accessing therapy, authorities say
According to experts, Thailand needs to work more quickly to stop stigmatizing young people who are living with HIV (young PLHIV ) in healthcare settings because it prevents them from seeking treatment and prevents the global effort to end the Aids epidemic.
At the recent 2nd Southeast Asian Regional Workshop on HIV-related stigma and discrimination, which was held in Bangkok, representatives from the internet and the legal and justice sectors shared their experiences with addressing HIV-related discrimination.
The Strategic Information Officer of the UNAIDS Asia and the Pacific Regional Office, Ye Yu Shwe, stated that “human rights and social justice are essential in addressing the issue of unequal access to healthcare.”
About one in four of Thailand’s fresh Helps victims, ages 18 to 24, still face discrimination in healthcare settings, despite Thailand’s success in providing medical to them. People are urged to avoid getting medical care and accessing health services as a result, he said. For stigmatisation and discrimination is common worldwide, he noted.
According to experts, fresh HIV people in Thailand face stigma from both the general public and the HIV community.
He said that it is difficult to pinpoint the cause because stigmatization vary depending on the social context.
” However, Thailand should address the issue and healthcare workers need to be well- trained to understand that PLHIV are no different from other patients, and]they ] should be treated with dignity and equal respect”, said Mr Shwe.
Oh Yu Shwe: An issue of human rights
Most younger PLHIVs in Thailand have experienced prejudice while using medical services, according to Niwat Suwanphattana, the representative of UNAIDS Thailand Stigmatization and Discrimination Reduction. The most prejudiced against are young transgender people who are living with HIV.
Some people think that young PLHIV got the disease from sexual relationships. They are frequently accused of having sexual relations with children during health screenings, he said, adding that this notion violates their right.
In contrast, young people who are developing HIV, regardless of gender identity, may face criticism from medical professionals because of the likelihood of their partners getting the disease. Some are warned not to have babies, Mr Niwat said.
Some people assume that the trans women’s being transgender was a reason for their contracting HIV. These fresh PLHIVs are most likely to self-promote and label themselves as poor people. They would avoid treatments because they do n’t want to be criticized by doctors, he said.
For self-blame would cause them to degrade themselves and have an impact on how they live their lives. ” They may feel hopeless, especially in building a marriage or a home”, he added.
Mr. Niwat stated that Thailand has spent more than ten centuries attempting to stop the destigmatization of PLHIV in medical settings. However, the number of new circumstances suggests that the country needs to work harder.
The International Aids Strategy 2021- 2026 aims to combat inequality and places PLHIV and areas at the forefront in order to put the world on trail, he said.
The goal for 2025 is to have important populations made aware of their body status and 95 % of PLHIV in order for them to receive the treatment they need, be able to control their popular loads, and be able to do so.
Additionally, it aims to promote integrated HIV health services, lower gender-based imbalances and violence against PLHIV, and promote punitive laws and policies against nations where PLHIV have restricted access to healthcare.
He advised Thai care professionals to take into account these strategies because they are the driving forces behind PLHIV’s withdrawal from the program.
” We are still far beyond. We need to do more to end the stigma surrounding PLHIV, according to Mr. Niwat.
Niwat: Fresh transgenders most affected
Thailand has seen a rise in HIV/Aids diseases in the past two years, according to Dr. Chewanan Lertpirayasuwat, head of the Department of Disease Control’s HIV/Aids and Sexually Transmitted Disease Division.
Some 9, 000 new cases of HIV infection are reported in Thailand each season, she said, adding that quarter are children.
Worryingly, she said, younger patients tend to disregard the doctor’s instructions and fail to take medication often.
She claimed that institutions ‘ free HIV self-test products are a part of the universal healthcare system. According to Dr. Chewanan, those at a higher risk of infection should think about taking the test because first medical care is essential to halting the incident.
She claimed that the Ministry of Public Health intends to improve the testing process for sexually transmitted diseases so that results can be obtained within a moment.
She noted that the issue is that the majority of people do n’t make their appointments to hear the outcome. She also raised concerns about pregnant women who are n’t given prenatal care or medical exams. According to her, young people who have sexually transmitted diseases are more likely to pass them on to their sons.
Chewanan: 9, 000 new cases annually