Introduction
The HIV/AIDS epidemic is one of the most long-term and devastating health-related problems in today’s world. Although much attention in the media is now paid to COVID-19, HIV/AIDS continues to be actively featured in the global media. In this paper, it is important to discuss whether the global media coverage of the HIV/AIDS issue is relevant and what wellness dimension is typically affected by this issue.
Discussion
One should state that the HIV/AIDS global epidemic is commonly reported in the context of morbidity, mortality, and prevalence statistics across countries and regions. The media are actively discussing successes and failures in the fight against the epidemic, as well as new methods of prevention and treatment. It is possible to observe multiple newspaper headlines and online articles about this topic, and this issue is still actively discussed on television.
Among the wellness dimensions, HIV/AIDS primarily affects the physical health of an individual. This condition weakens the immune system and makes the body vulnerable to many infections and opportunistic diseases. In addition, this disease can also cause psychological problems related to social stigma and discrimination.
However, despite the wealth of information and discussion on HIV/AIDS, it is possible to state that the problem receives more attention than is really necessary today. The reason is that HIV/AIDS is widely researched, and there is much information available for individuals regarding the prevention and treatment of HIV/AIDS.
Conclusion
Still, many other health problems, such as non-communicable diseases and mental health, are not as widely reported, although their prevalence and impact may be comparable or even more severe in the context of the COVID-19 epidemics. Furthermore, when covering the issue of HIV/AIDS in the news and publications, stereotypes and clichés are often used, which can lead to stigmatization of people suffering from the condition and contradictory information about this epidemic. Therefore, the media should be more responsible when covering the issue of HIV/AIDS.