SOCIAL SUPPORT OF PLWHA IN CYPRUS

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Social Support of PLWHA in Cyprus

Neophytos Gregoriou
European University Cyprus
Stun. No: F20132341
PSY252 Health Psychology
Spring Semester 2015
Date of Submission 27/4/15

Abstract
People struggle with many chronic untreatable illness and diseases like AIDS. If you
do not have it then you will surely need to know how to act around them, make them
feel human beings. In this study we will see that AIDS does not only affect the body
but also the mental state. Onto the next part well see what a small island like Cyprus
does to keep this disease chained and controlled.
Keywords: HIV, AIDS, social support, Cyprus

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Social Support of People Living with HIV/AIDS in Cyprus

AIDS or Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome is a fairly new disease and
its caused by the HIV virus in which it attacks the immune system of the human
organism in a steady and progressive way. Eventually the immune system will stop
doing its job which is to protection from viruses that want to hurt the body and so the
organism is prone to many dangerous threats, even a simple cold can be lethal. The
virus was spread throughout the population fast during the 70s and the first time it
was reported to the public was in 1981. Furthermore it was identified to be
transmitted through blood to blood, from sexual intercourse and from the Mother to
her unborn child. A large population carries it, around 40 million people world-wide
(Whiteside, 2007). But the virus is not involved only with the organism but takes its
toll on the psychological well-being on the unfortunate AIDS patients. Either the
burden to carry the virus or the social stigma one has because of his disease
(Tomaszewski, 2012). Imagine youve just learned that you have AIDS, it will surely
change your life forever, you emotional state will crumble, your lifestyle from now on
wont be the same, changes will be made, changes you werent prepared for. Youll be
a victim of discrimination and labels will be put upon your head. People with AIDS
will surely need psychological support as much as they need blood to survive.
Hopefully more effective medicine against the AIDS have been produced so people
now can live up to their 70s (Yadav, 2010).
Social support is very much needed to the people but it is still not given much
attention to even though there people working on it and educating others. ((Yadav,
2010). Support like financial aid, as it is known, people with aids give away money to

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keep healthy and unfortunately poor families are destined to live without the idea of
help and hope.
High Major depression and low self-esteem prevalence has been observed in
people with AIDS and people might also find gateway by abusing drugs (Lyons,
2010). In addition people might become alienated from society, become inactive and
overall leading a very secluded and unhealthy life which can also affect the person
physically and ultimately lead to an early grave. Fortunately the medicine against the
HIV virus have evolved and is now possible to help the immune system back on its
feet as much as possible, together with the medicine and antiretroviral therapy has
increase the life of people with aids up to 35 years. (Yadav, 2010)). Education both for
the people living with aids and those around them is a mean for better support and
understanding, this is based around research that there is a link between support and
quality of life and as always common sense.
In Cyprus according to World Health Organization of Europe the total recorder
amount of people with aids and HIV up until 2011 is 730 people with HIV virus and
231 people with aids with the majority being the male. This is a low prevalence in
analogy with the other develop countries. But a question emerges if its a small
amount then do people care much about it? (HIV epidemic in Cyprus, 2013). The
National AIDS Programme or NAP has been implemented in Cyprus back in 1986
and reinforced later in 2004 in regard of the new lifestyle of the people, new risky
sexual behaviors and change in socio-economic status of the country (Strategic Plan,
2004). But still the people with HIV/Aids are trying to cope with everyday life and
strive for basic human rights and with many doubts (Phellas, Constantinou, &
Kostrikis, 2005). One of the reasons might be that the people of Cyprus still cling on
to past and with them many conservative beliefs, beliefs against people with aids that

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dont seem to want to change, beliefs about homosexuals and many contemporary
ways of thinking and living life (Strategic Plan, 2004).
Conclusion
Fryni Venardi, head of the Grigoriou Clinic charity organization has told us
that the reason that the amount of people with aids went up is because campaigns for
public awareness stopped (HIV cases rising, 2014) alongside that education for them
stopped. Even if this is overreacting, having in mind the K.Y.F.A doing the best they
can, its true that even though people with aids is low in Cyprus they might still feel
oppressed because of the lack of education and those campaigns that do exist are now
obsolete, because the world is ever-changing and the reasons one might have aids also
change, with only this fact, educational and awareness campaigns ought to be updated
and change their context to walk side to side with modern times.

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References
Tomaszewski, E. E. (2012) Understanding HIV/AIDS Stigma and discrimination.
Human rights and international affairs division. Retrieved from
http://www.socialworkers.org/practice/hiv_aids/AIDS_Day2012.pdf
Yadav, S. (2010). Perceived social support, hope, and quality of life of persons living
with HIV/AIDS: A case study from Nepal. Quality of Life Research, 157-166.
doi:10.1007/s11136-009-9574-z
Lyons, S. J. (2010). The role of social support and psychological resources in
depression in people living with hiv/aids: examing the mediating role of
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Key facts on HIV epidemic in Cyprus and progress in 2011. (2013). World Health
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Draft proposal HIV/AIDS strategic plan 2004 2008. (2004). Ministry of health.
Retrieved from http://www.ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/---ed_protect/-protrav/---ilo_aids/documents/legaldocument/wcms_127463.pdf
Phellas, C., Constantinou, C., Kostrikis, L. (2005). the psychological and social needs
of people with HIV/AIDS in Cyprus. Gregorios HIV/AIDS Clinic. Retrieved
from http://www.hivincyprus.org/en/research/psychological-social-needs
people
Whiteside, A. (2007). HIV/AIDS: a very short introduction. New York: Oxford
University Press.

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Number of reported new HIV cases rising. (2014). Cyprus Mail. Retrieved from
http://cyprus-mail.com/2014/01/30/number-of-reported-new-hiv-cases-rising/