DRUG DISCOVERY
HIV AND AIDS
Social and ethical
Different regions have different issues and how it affects HIV. However, social issues seem to raise the risk of HIV infection, which makes it harder for the HIV epidemic to be easily controlled and treated. In the 1980s, when the HIV epidemic was rising, there was lots of fear that surrounded it and is still happening today. There is a correlation between stigma and HIV: "people who experience stigma and discrimination are [...] more vulnerable to HIV, while those living with HIV are more vulnerable to experiencing stigma and discrimination". About every one in eight people who are HIV-positive are denied health care because of discrimination and stigma. The cause of stigma could be due to rumors and incorrect information being spread about HIV, leading people to make assumptions that aren't true. Similarly, there are effects of HIV-related stigma as well, such as poor health care, loss of income, losing hope and confidence, and a loss of reputation.
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legal
Over the past few years, the epidemic has drawn away from the gay and bisexual community and towards colored people with low incomes in urban areas, including women. To deal with stigma relating to HIV/AIDS, federal laws were passed by Congress to protect those infected with HIV from stigma and discrimination. Along with this, they were also given legal protections that were given to HIV-negative people. One of these laws was the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) which was approved in 1990. This caused HIV to be considered a disability and the discrimination against this disability was illegal. Another law was passed soon after and gave HIV-positive people a decision whether or not they wanted to hide their HIV status. This protection of medical records and personal health information was called the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA).
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