From [Toronto] Globe and Mail:

Columnist and public health reporter Andre Picard says HIV-AIDS initiatives have sought to identify marginalized groups for treatment and prevention but “the largest of the marginalized groups has been callously ignored: People with disabilities.” An excerpt:

What few studies have been done — and there has been a lot more research done on transgendered people with HIV-AIDS than on disabled people with HIV-AIDS — suggests that the infection rate is significantly higher, probably two to three times more than the able-bodied and sound of mind.

Why?

In most societies, the disabled are shunned, at best hidden away and pitied. They are invariably the poorest of the poor: denied education and employment opportunities; unlikely to access health care services; frequent victims of physical and sexual violence; far more likely to end up in jail, particularly if they have a psychiatric illness.

Diane Richler, president of Inclusion International, responds in a letter to the editor. She says people with disabilities in Africa are largely ignored by education campaigns. An excerpt:

Local myths also contribute to vulnerability. In many African cultures, men believe that sexual relations with a virgin will cure sexually transmitted diseases, and girls with intellectual disabilities are easy prey.

(Globe and Mail photo)

This entry was posted on Saturday, August 9th, 2008 at 6:43 am and is filed under NOT2BEMISSED, chronic illness, commentary, cultural attitudes, disabilities, discrimination, human rights, international. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.  Email This Post