This article talks about how mental health issues fuel the spread of HIV in men. It goes on to further discuss the effects of being a person living on the fringe. I've blogged before about disenfranchised people being more apt to experience stigma & stress. These factors affect these men's mental health. Their impaired mental health impacts these men's ability to make good choices in regards to many factors that can lead to them becoming HIV + or further spreading the virus.
All these factors; economic instability, being foreign born, ethnic, non-mainstream religion, being gay, etc... have notable affects on these people's lives. These factors stack as well. The more you have, the higher the stress levels. Each time the resulting stress impairs these men's health, mental health & decision making ability.
I truly feel, to really fight AIDS, we're going to have to get to a point where our society promotes inclusion of all people. Until these people feel more franchised with society they will continue to live on the fringe & experience all the effects of doing so. As horrible as this virus can be, as bad as the lack of meds & $ for treatment are, these things are nothing compared to the terrible nature of the stigma that goes with all these things that force people to the very edges of our lives.
Cya...
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