The Claim of Policy Essay’s Assignment

Name : Dian Tri Wahyuni

NIM : 108221416264

Should the ODHA be discriminated??

Human Immunodeficiency Virus/ Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome

(HIV/AIDS) has haunted human beings in the world for many years. The HIV is a virus
which attacks the immune system in our body so that we do not have any body
protection if we are infected by this virus. Our body become less and less although we
look so healthy because this virus infects our body without any symptoms. Based on
AIDS epidemic update in December 2004, about 4,3 – 6,4 millions people in the world
have infected HIV and it still increases till now. There are many people have died due to
this disease. All kinds of anti-HIV/AIDS campaigns have been done but it does not
bring any implications to decrease the number of the HIV/AIDS suspect or we can call
it ODHA (Orang Dengan HIV/AIDS). They often get unfair deals and discrimination
from the society because people think that they are the spreader. They are also human so
should we discriminate them???

Based on data in 2002 there are 7,4 millions people in Asia Pacific were infected
HIV and less than 1 million are teenagers. In our country itself, ODHA (Orang Dengan
HIV/AIDS) in 2003 was predicted about 90.000 – 130.000 people and approximately
500.000 people died because of the infection of this virus. This data strengthens the
doctrine in our society that AIDS is an abusive disease. This doctrine is strongly
attributed to our society because in our mindset, the main factor of HIV spreading is
genital disease due to free sex. We also think that the existence of ODHA around us will
spread to others so that we try to keep away from them and sometimes excommunicate
them. If we want to be wise, our way to avoid them can’t make us out of HIV infection.
We have to keep our eyes open to this case because HIV doesn’t compromise the
victim, everybody can be infected. It is supported by the data from medical department
that shows the number of ODHA always increase every year. In the late of 2006, the
ODHA came out at 4.527 then it increases 794 AIDS cases and 410 HIV infections in
the first quarter of 2007.

This iceberg phenomenon is caused by misunderstanding in the concept of

HIV/AIDS spreading. According to the medical scientist, the spreading of HIV/AIDS is
different with the common contagion disease such as influenza. HIV/AIDS only can
spread through blood transfusion, hypodermic needle, free sex, and drugs. As a
component of society which is stereotyped, the ODHA actually gets psychological
stress. After facing the fact that they are infected HIV, they must get a raw deal which is
inhuman from the society as if they are isolated from others. I think this discrimination
is more inhuman than the HIV/AIDS itself. Because of that reason, we shouldn’t
discriminate them but we have to take them care.

To sum up the explanation above, we should take an action in anti- HIV/AIDS

campaigns as a way to prevent the spreading of HIV/AIDS not to blame and
discriminate the ODHA (anti-ODHA).The ODHA needs to interact with society and
also be accepted in society. They should get their rights to enjoy their rest life and we
have to support them to survive