The emergence of AIDS in societies ca-used an anxious interest in the disease, as co-uld be observed in the reportedly first HIV case of Turkey. The ethical and social analysis of the perception of HIV/AIDS will be incomp-lete without assessing the first reaction of the society upon meeting with an unknown disea-se. The attitude of the healthcare professionals, the first group facing the new epidemic disea-ses, is important with respect to the medical et-hics. The average level of HIV/AIDS knowled-ge and awareness of the Turkish people is below the ideal level; and the HIV positive people have been stigmatized, excluded, censured and trea-ted with fear from the first day till today. For the integration of the people with HIV to the soci-ety without experiencing psychological and so-cial problems, the facts concerning HIV/AIDS should be addressed with the public more fre-quently and in a straightforward manner, thus normalizing the marginalized word of AIDS.
Key Words: HIV/AIDS; AIDS and confi-dentiality; AIDS in Turkey; AIDS and ethics.
Abstract
The emergence of AIDS in societies ca-used an anxious interest in the disease, as co-uld be observed in the reportedly first HIV case of Turkey. The ethical and social analysis of the perception of HIV/AIDS will be incomp-lete without assessing the first reaction of the society upon meeting with an unknown disea-se. The attitude of the healthcare professionals, the first group facing the new epidemic disea-ses, is important with respect to the medical et-hics. The average level of HIV/AIDS knowled-ge and awareness of the Turkish people is below the ideal level; and the HIV positive people have been stigmatized, excluded, censured and trea-ted with fear from the first day till today. For the integration of the people with HIV to the soci-ety without experiencing psychological and so-cial problems, the facts concerning HIV/AIDS should be addressed with the public more fre-quently and in a straightforward manner, thus normalizing the marginalized word of AIDS.
Key Words: HIV/AIDS; AIDS and confi-dentiality; AIDS in Turkey; AIDS and ethics.