Grad student in USA: What are the prevalent attitudes about HIV/AIDS? Stigma, prevention, etc.?

Question

I work in an HIV/AIDS clinic in the US where we treat people who are living with this disease. We have more and more Indian patients and we want to understand how we can serve this group better by understanding more about their cultural attitudes and beliefs. I appreciate any thoughtful opinions....

Answer 1

I don't know anyone personally with HIV-AIDS. Abt the stigma i can say, sex is a very hshh hshh word in India and everything has to be done undercover even in normal circumstances. A boyfriend-girlfriend scenario is hardly accepted. and if something like HIV/AIDS happens, that person wud be looked down upon as a loose character visiting prostitutes all the time kind-of-a-thing for the fact he/she had sex in the first place. nobody will sympatise with him/her. I have heard nurses in remote hospitals are afraid to touch the patients and give them seperate plates to eat etc. HIV is only co-related with sex in india.