Isn’t it interesting that human beings are often inclined to consciously contribute to their own misfortune or even destruction? Smokers continue to puff away in defiance of medical evidence, sometimes, but not always, preferring to refute it as being unsubstantiated. If the number of smokers has declined, it may be attributed to the restrictive laws and certainly not the warnings on the packaging. Drivers continue to drive recklessly without any heed being taken to the horrific death statistics or the plethora of signs, slogans and advertisements that are part and parcel of road safety campaigns. This sphere of national carnage and that of HIV and AIDS show clearly that awareness campaigns have little or no effect on people’s behaviour. Yet, if government does not spend inordinate sums of money on them, it would be accused of doing nothing to bring the awful situations under control.
In the sphere of HIV and AIDS people continue to behave in ways which court disaster. It has to do with a sort of over-riding human belief that “I will not be affected”. How many thousands have found to their cost that this is palpable nonsense. I think it also has to do with traditional male attitudes towards women and towards sexuality. Right from an early age boy children are imbued with certain male behaviour patterns which year after year become reinforced by a host of influences which range from television programmes, to peer pressure, to behaviour of their fathers and their teachers, to cultural rituals and beliefs. Schools, even at primary level, are often a breeding ground for male arrogance; boys’ sports enjoy prominence and men get quicker promotion to leadership positions, for example. Fifteen years ago when we admitted children of colour to Alexandra High School we became aware of overt differentiation between boys and girls within families. Boys were favoured by being sent to the model C school, especially if they were considered to be bright, while girls were kept in the disadvantaged learning environment.
It is difficult, therefore, to determine how best to deal with the HIV and AIDS pandemic. If awareness campaigns fail, what is left? Behaviour modification, especially if it has traditional and cultural roots, is a long-term endeavour which requires, in any event, a significant paradigm shift on the part of those who are in a position to modify the behaviour of others. In the workplace, the people who are in the best position to provide something between awareness and behavioural change are employers who can, and often do, offer support for those who are known to be HIV positive. Employers’ resources, even if they are confined to counselling, are highly significant and in many cases enable an infected employee to work productively for a significantly longer period. A relatively good quality of life for many more years is not difficult to achieve if the person who has discovered an HIV-negative status is prepared to avail him or herself to this kind of support and assistance. Instead, it remains an unacknowledged curse. People either protect the secrecy of their negative status, or decline to be tested for fear of the result. It is true, regrettably, that employment practices in South Africa have not always inspired trust and a worker’s fear of losing his or her job if found to have AIDS is a very real one.
The PCB believes that employment is a relationship of trust and urges employers and workers to build their relationship in this way. All people should submit to HIV testing and have the confidence to acknowledge the fact if it proves to be negative. This is the only way that will allow support and assistance to be made available. An employer cannot help a person whose status remains secret.
Andrew Layman: PCB CEO
This article appeared in the Public Eye on the 26 June 2008
