HIV Exceptionalism By Aida Benton

In Aida Benton’s book HIV Exceptionalism she gives a story two different individuals who have decided to take different positions in regards to their HIV status, and how this can impact their lives. For example, Alfred was very vocal about the fact that he was positive with HIV, and that he was doing the best he could to live in an optimistic manner. He also mentioned that he could not understand why someone would not want to be open about their struggles with HIV. Nafiatsu, on the other hand, does not want to expose her status with HIV. This is despite immense pressure that she has felt in her community to come out with her status, and she is even denied a job at her organization, because she is not open. This as she points out the book is …show more content…
While noting that these programs have not always worked as well as planned. The problem with PEPFAR or the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, the problem with it is that it included a prostitution pledge, in that any organization that wanted funding had to denounce sex workers. Moreover, one-third of funds would go to abstinence only programs, which many people are critical of. Another problem is that PEPFAR is that they want to purchase name brand AIDS medication, which is too expensive and out of reach for people in low income countries. In addition, UNICEF is another institution that works to give health care to children around the world. For instance they have started programs for growth monitoring, oral rehydration, breast feeding, immunizations, and many more. The problem with having a health care agenda based upon on specific areas is that most of the time it does fix the structural problems that have created a failing health care system in the first place. Another problem is that major funders of programs to fight AIDS, such as the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has created a monopoly on health care, and calls on the shots in …show more content…
He describes there has been a wide range of harm reduction programs that attempt to advocate for injection drug users, due to the fact that HIV is primarily spread through injection drug use in Russia. These campaigns are a drastic change from when they would denied health care and then thrown in and out of prison by the police, Furthermore, Zigon states that state is only adopting human rights to the degree that it beneficial for them to maintain political, economic, and social stability. In the sense that Russia state found out that the HIV epidemic was most prevalent amount the young adult population that was about to go into the labor force, and they saw this as a threat to social security. In addition, Russian military is also primarily young men, and the Russian state realized that HIV crisis could affect rates of conscription. Moreover, he claims that these programs do not care for the health and well-being of injection drug users, but rather to strengthen the state. He refers to this as “differential sameness” where things have changed, but in the end still remain the