Hiv - the Scientific Representation of the Immune System

The scientific representation of the immune system makes those infected with HIV seem like they should be defined by the disease. It makes the disease seem so powerful so as to become the defining characteristic of its victim, and it even goes so far as to politicize the study of the disease and link it to the rights and living conditions of certain social groups. While this is often done to highlight the gravity of the problem and secure more funding for research, it leaves said social groups in an unenviable position where they are defined by an ailment rather than by their personality traits and other human characteristics.

The metaphors often used in pop culture literature about HIV are often related to military, surveillance and trespassing. The immune system is likened to a complex military framework that is in charge of the body’s border control. Thus, anyone infected by this disease is often seen as having an incompetent system that allowed the entry of an intruder without detection. Another metaphor mentioned by Sturken was one that likens HIV to the Trojan Horse legend. This metaphor essentially puts the blame on the victim of the disease, and insinuates that, had they been more careful and less naïve, may have avoided contracting the disease. By extension, the social groups that are disproportionally affected become wrongly associated with incompetence and irresponsibility.

In my opinion, these misrepresentations are within themselves a pandemic that must be eradicated in order to begin the process towards social acceptance of HIV patients. It is about time pop culture became able to look past someone’s disease as a defining feature and see them for who they really are.

References:

• Epstein, 2014
• Sturken, 1997