“We Don’t Want To Know”-HIV Case Study

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“We Don’t Want To Know”-HIV Case Study

One of the health communication campaigns that connect to this story is community-based communication. Chanda and Thandi are a conservative married couple living in a remote village in Zambia. They choose not to get tested for HIV owing to a combination of cultural and personal factors. The text mentions that non-governmental organizations working in the field informed them of the importance of getting tested. Still, Thandi insists it is not her decision to make, so they agree not to get tested alongside her husband. This is a form of community-based communication as there is a presence of a third party that intervenes and tries to convince them to get tested.

HIV stigma greatly impacts Chanda’s and Thandi’s ultimate decision not to get tested. She says that she cannot get tested at the local hospital in the community as she does not want other people to see them there. She says that once the villagers spot them at the clinic, they will automatically assume that they are sick. This stigma makes people stay away from the clinic and testing altogether for fear of being labeled. Another form of stigma is reflected in how discussing issues pertaining to HIV is considered taboo. Thandi also says that although she might want to get tested, she cannot raise the issue with her husband as he might think that she is cheating on him, which is not the case.

In my viewpoint, the best communication approach to applying to this case of Chanda and Thandi is the informative approach. I would recommend this approach as it would expose them to the harsh truths about the impact of the pandemic. I would provide them with information about the number of lives the pandemic has claimed. I think that this strategy would be effective because by showing them raw footage and painting the real picture about the potential danger they are placing their lives in, they would have a change of heart.