Homophobia and the Aids Distribution
By: Max • Essay • 550 Words • February 11, 2010 • 884 Views
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In the United States, the distribution of AIDS have increased homophobia over time. During the early 1979 through the end of 1983, most citizens diagnosed of AIDS rose from 0 to 900 cases. This epidemic affect two sub-populations which were the injection of drug users and the male homosexuals. As awareness of the disease increased, the public became extremely fearful of persons infected with the HIV/AIDS virus (Ruel & Campbell, 2006). In the following paragraphs I will review a study that researched homophobias and the spread of HIV/AIDS. I will indicate the purpose of the study and the research method used. I will, reveal the results and how they might contribute to further understanding the problem.
The purpose of the study was to examine how attitudes towards homosexuals changed at the onset of the AIDS epidemics, and over the course of the epidemic. According to the research, by the mid-1983 medical practice and police enforcement in the state of California were routinely wearing rubber gloves and facemasks when dealing with persons affected with this disease. Also school systems around the country were worried on how to handle children who might have been infected with AIDS. This problem arise antigay harassment and linked it to anti-gay violence (Ruel & Campbell, 2006).
In this research it was said that Herek(1999) argue that the AIDS stigma was defined as prejudice against people believed to have it, ostracism, discrimination against the persons most likely to contract AIDS which were gay men and the legislation that deprived people with AIDS of basic human rights. Ruel & Campbell stated that, Herek(1997) concluded that, the AIDS epidemic did not cause negative trends in a survey he established, but simple focus pre-existing homophobia (Ruel & Campbell, 2006).
The research methods used in this investigation to obtain the results were both surveys entitled the General Social Survey(GSS), which asks questions regarding the morality of homosexuality and civil rights of homosexuals, and the Centers of Disease Control(CDC), which was data on the umber of AIDS cases by state from 1981 to present.
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