The emergence of the Human Immunodeficiency Virus has brought with it significant social, cultural, and economic effects on modern society. Among the distinct aspects of the society that HIV has impacted is the perception of sex and education ( Liamputtong, 2013) . Scholars have established that among the varying ways through which the virus can be transmitted in human beings is through sexual contact bringing a significant influence on how sex is perceived. Additionally, education has also had critical changes that have erupted from the emergence of HIV. This paper seeks to explore the varying ways in which the perceptions of sex and education have been influenced by HIV.
Sexual literacy
In the modern American society, sexual literacy is constantly being entrenched in the education curriculum in alignment with the “Healthy Youth Act” that emphasizes on the need to keep the youths equipped with the skills and necessary knowledge to create healthy relationships. The primary aim of sexual literacy as indicated by continued studies is to enable young individuals to take initiative in protecting themselves from among other things HIV infection.
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To ensure that the objectives of sexual literacy are achieved, medically accurate, age-appropriate, and evidence-based education has been developed ( Liamputtong, 2013) . Such education is proving integral in addressing pertinent issues ranging from abstinence as well as prevention methods which is appropriate to students regardless of sexual orientation, race, or gender. Resource centers on sexual education have been set up containing tools, fact sheets, and data on HIV. Moreover, publications and professional websites offering online training for parents and the youths have contributed to the growth of sexual education with respect to HIV.
In addition, reforms within the education system have been made to accommodate sexual literacy (Lakon, Cynthia, Davtyan & Mariam, 2018) . Education standards such as the “Sexual Health Education Standards Comparison” have been critical in shaping sexual literacy with the learning standards providing a strong foundation upon which planning process and curriculum alignment can be undertaken. Additionally, “Health Education K-12 Learning Standards” have also come in handy in dispensing knowledge on HIV.
Impact of HIV on social movements
HIV/AIDS has had a profound impact on the development of social movements across America. A notable group is the San Francisco AIDS Foundation. The foundation stands out as one of the activist groups that have created impact in the sensitization of the public on HIV in addition to calling for the development of strategies to reduce HIV transmission across America. Most notably, the group was integral in bringing the presidential candidates in the 2008 elections to commit themselves to develop a national strategy on HIV. According to the foundation, their push for a national strategy culminated into the White Office releasing the first “National HIV/AIDS Strategy for the U.S”
The “AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power (ACT UP)” group of activists has impacted in direct advocacy helping individuals living with AIDS. Moreover, the group has proven pivotal in pushing for medical research, legislation, and policies aimed at boosting awareness and mitigating loss of lives ( Lakon et al., 2018) . The group at one point staged a protest to bring to the attention of the political class the plight of the individuals living with AIDS inability to access medication since the only approved medication was selling at high prices. In addition, the movement has worked to create awareness on the symptoms and causes of AIDS with a notable protest of a Catholic stand that was against the provision of condoms and safe sex education. The considerably bold actions of the social movements have been critical in ensuring that the government makes appropriate legislation to enhance AIDS awareness and the promotion of safe sex education in schools.
HIV negative stigma's influence on the prevention and development of STI's
People living with AIDS face increasing negative stigma that has a profound impact on the prevention and development of sexually transmitted infections. Peer-reviewed scholarly articles indicate that the prejudice directed to people with HIV has caused fear among the HIV positive individuals. As a result, this has reduced the number of HIV positive individuals seeking health promotion activities and sexual literacy when sexually transmitted infections come into play. Stigmatization has as a result been connected with people living with HIV/AIDS portraying non-adherence to sexual norms.
Research indicates that negative stigma has a profound role in reducing the rate of HIV infection given that individuals living with the disease do not conform to community sexual norms. Additionally, their avoidance of medical professionals especially in public settings translates into increased chances of spreading sexually transmitted infections (Lakon et al., 2018) . According to researchers, the prevention and development of sexually transmitted infections are seen to be downplayed by negative stigma towards individuals living with HIV. Efforts to have the individuals attend counseling on healthy and responsible living are annulled by stigmatization increasing the risks of spreading sexually transmitted infections.
HIV negative stigmatization and the marginalized groups
The impact of stigmatization is evident in how the marginalized groups behave such as by being socially isolated, depressed and stressed out (Mitchell, 2018) . Due to the varying gender, cultural, and societal norms the different marginalized groups experience stigmatization in different ways. A conspicuous marginalized group of people living with HIV is women who are more likely to encounter negative stigmatization than men. HIV positive women may be viewed as promiscuous therefore making them “deserving” HIV reducing the chances of their attending counseling while preventing them from seeking care promotion services.
The LGBTQ community stands out as another stigmatized group. Acts of stigmatization among the LGBTQ community occur on legal, structural, cultural, and individual levels posing a barrier in the ability of the community members to seek HV services (Mitchell, 2018) . The most vulnerable group within the LGBTQ community is arguably men who have sexual relationships with men and coincidentally form a considerable population of the individuals living with HIV. As a matter of fact, gay men are often signaled as being responsible for HIV transmission with sensational media reports and headlines such as “Alert over ‘gay plague’”. According to Mitchell (2018), such sentiments have been critical in creating fear among the gay community who in return evade HIV testing, care services, treatment, and prevention. The LGBTQ community portrays patterns of reduced health-seeking behavior and result in substance abuse due to the homophobia they are constantly faced with. Studies have indicated that the behavior exhibited by the gay community puts them in compromising and risky situations for contracting HIV. Moreover, such members of the LGBTQ community are not on antiretroviral therapies posing an imminent danger to other members who are not positive. People of color have not fallen short of the stigmatization making them inadequately access health promotion services.
References
Lakon, Cynthia M, Davtyan, & Mariam. (2018). HIV-related Stigma in Health Care Settings: Concept, Context, and Response . eScholarship, University of California.
Liamputtong, P. (2013). Stigma, Discrimination, and HIV/AIDS: An Introduction. Stigma, Discrimination, and Living with HIV/AIDS , 1-19. doi:10.1007/978-94-007-6324-1_1
Mitchell, F. (2018). Exploring stigma: HIV in marginalized communities. The Lancet HIV . doi:10.1016/s2352-3018(18)30287-x
