Społeczny obraz chorego na AIDS w perspektywie historycznej

Abstract

In the article author describes changes which take place during the time, and which show the way people see somebody who suffers from AIDS. The first signals about new, unidentified disease appeared in the USA in 1978. Since that time AIDS has spread in the whole world. Nowadays 34 millions of people suffer from AIDS. Every year we have got 2,5 million new HIV infections. The speed, with which the virus spreads makes it one of the most dangerous threat for people’s health on the whole world. In the past AIDS was identified with social groups like homosexuals, prostitutes, drug addicts. Nowadays it changes its status. Social image of people with AIDS transforms too, but it doesn’t mean that people with AIDS don’t suffer from stigmatization and discrimination. Author describes factors, which influence on the degree and character of people with AIDS’ stigmatization. He mentions both: those with medical character, just like social and cultural factors. Finally author considers what role in those changes play campaigns against AIDS.