City hosts exhibit on prejudice against persons with HIV-AIDS

“HEAR their stories to understand them.”

With this in mind, the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) yesterday launched a multi-media exhibit “Human Soul” at the fourth floor social hall of Cebu City Hall’s legislative building to solicit support for the passage of the Anti-Discrimination Bill pending in Congress.

Pictures of 12 individuals—seven transgenders, one gay man and four persons living with HIV—are on display.

Audio headsets  below the pictures let viewers hear about  experiences of  stigma and discrimination, and lend  “insight on how we as a community can address the issue of stigma and discrimination,” an exhibit press release states.

The Health Action Information Network and TLF Chare Collective co-organized the exhibit.

Jerson See of Cebu Plus Association Inc., a Cebu based support group  for  people with HIV said he experienced  discrimination for years ago when a BPO denied his application for a job because he was HIV positive.

Dr. Ilya Tac-an of the Social Hygiene Clinic of the Cebu City Health Department said incidence of HIV among men who have sex with other men are on the rise.

This could mean that more of these men are openly seeking treatment, she said.

These men do not volunteer for testing for many reasons, said Renaud Meyer of UNDP who called for people to be taught HIV-AIDS prevention.

Tac-an said there is a treatment hub at the Don Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center that caters to HIV patients.

“But first, we have to address the issue of discrimination to encourage those with HIV to come out and avail of treatment.”

Cebu City  Councilor Alvin Dizon said he would author an anti-discrimination ordinance.

He also intends to sponsor  a resolution in  support of the passage of the Anti-Discrimination Act. /Chief Of Reporters Doris C. Bongcac