Disabilities and HIV privacy in Botswana
Botswana: We Need Privacy in HIV Tests - the Disabled
AllAfrica.com - Washington,USA
The president of Botswana Association of the Deaf, Maggie Mapharing and an intern at BONELA, Shirley Keoagile, have cried foul at being left behind in the intervention strategies in the fight against HIV. "It is difficult for us to go for HIV tests due to lack of confidentiality. This is because we have to go with sign language interpreters, which compromises our right to confidentiality," Keoagile said. She said confidentiality is important in HIV testing, and lack of it or the absence of a guarantee it becomes a hindrance. Both Mapharing and Keoagile have a hearing impairment and are advocates for people with disability. Keoagile said there are many who are HIV positive but cannot come out in the open for fear of further discrimination and stigma ... Keoagile said at the recent workshop on HIV/AIDS and the deaf, where they were taught on different issues such as ARV, PMTCT, CD4 count among others, it was evident that people were still behind in their awareness ... Mapharing said one "needs to understand why they should go for an HIV test or how HIV infection is transmitted". She said through Botswana sign language, more people could hear and understand why they needed to test ... The two called for sufficient interpreters who are able to interpret in Botswana sign language, not volunteers who abandon their duties. "Botswana needs to promote its own sign language through research and consultation," she said. Mapharing said by next year, she is hopeful of Sign Language Council or even an introduction of the course at the University of Botswana and eventually a dictionary.
AllAfrica.com - Washington,USA
The president of Botswana Association of the Deaf, Maggie Mapharing and an intern at BONELA, Shirley Keoagile, have cried foul at being left behind in the intervention strategies in the fight against HIV. "It is difficult for us to go for HIV tests due to lack of confidentiality. This is because we have to go with sign language interpreters, which compromises our right to confidentiality," Keoagile said. She said confidentiality is important in HIV testing, and lack of it or the absence of a guarantee it becomes a hindrance. Both Mapharing and Keoagile have a hearing impairment and are advocates for people with disability. Keoagile said there are many who are HIV positive but cannot come out in the open for fear of further discrimination and stigma ... Keoagile said at the recent workshop on HIV/AIDS and the deaf, where they were taught on different issues such as ARV, PMTCT, CD4 count among others, it was evident that people were still behind in their awareness ... Mapharing said one "needs to understand why they should go for an HIV test or how HIV infection is transmitted". She said through Botswana sign language, more people could hear and understand why they needed to test ... The two called for sufficient interpreters who are able to interpret in Botswana sign language, not volunteers who abandon their duties. "Botswana needs to promote its own sign language through research and consultation," she said. Mapharing said by next year, she is hopeful of Sign Language Council or even an introduction of the course at the University of Botswana and eventually a dictionary.