Skip to main content

LUP Student Papers

LUND UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES

Vem skyddas av smittskyddslagen - En kvalitativ studie om smittskyddslagens konsekvenser för HIV-positiva

Eskilsson, Camilla LU (2010) SOPA63 20101
School of Social Work
Abstract
There is an ongoing debate in Sweden about the Communicable Disease Act and if it should be modified because of the negative impact it has on HIV-infected people. The law is said to be counterproductive and does not protect the general public against the infection. The Swedish Communicable Diseases Act is unique because it places all the responsibility on the infected person and they must give their new sexual contacts information about their HIV-status. The Act is also said to be stigmatizing and labeling HIV-positive people. My purpose of this study was to determine the impact that the Communicable Disease Act has on HIV-positive and to see if the Act is able to stop HIV from spreading. I also asked myself the question if the... (More)
There is an ongoing debate in Sweden about the Communicable Disease Act and if it should be modified because of the negative impact it has on HIV-infected people. The law is said to be counterproductive and does not protect the general public against the infection. The Swedish Communicable Diseases Act is unique because it places all the responsibility on the infected person and they must give their new sexual contacts information about their HIV-status. The Act is also said to be stigmatizing and labeling HIV-positive people. My purpose of this study was to determine the impact that the Communicable Disease Act has on HIV-positive and to see if the Act is able to stop HIV from spreading. I also asked myself the question if the Communicable Disease Act had an impact on the contact between HIV-positive and health professionals. To examine this, I have interviewed six people who have contact with HIV-positives in their work. I have been using semi-structured interviews that I have recorded and then transcribed the material. In my empirical analysis I used the labeling theory and stigma. I have reached the conclusions that the law is limiting HIV-infected people in their everyday lives, particularly sexually. The Communicable Diseases Act prevent an open and honest communication between the health professionals (mainly medical social workers) which leads to that behavior that can spread the infection is not talked about. The Act may be needed but the unilateral responsibility does not seem to reduce the spread of the infection. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
Eskilsson, Camilla LU
supervisor
organization
course
SOPA63 20101
year
type
M2 - Bachelor Degree
subject
keywords
Smittskyddslag, Health Professionals, Labeling, Stigma, The Communicable Diseases Act, HIV, stämpling, vårdpersonal
language
Swedish
id
1613207
date added to LUP
2010-06-08 15:59:10
date last changed
2010-06-08 15:59:10
@misc{1613207,
  abstract     = {{There is an ongoing debate in Sweden about the Communicable Disease Act and if it should be modified because of the negative impact it has on HIV-infected people. The law is said to be counterproductive and does not protect the general public against the infection. The Swedish Communicable Diseases Act is unique because it places all the responsibility on the infected person and they must give their new sexual contacts information about their HIV-status. The Act is also said to be stigmatizing and labeling HIV-positive people. My purpose of this study was to determine the impact that the Communicable Disease Act has on HIV-positive and to see if the Act is able to stop HIV from spreading. I also asked myself the question if the Communicable Disease Act had an impact on the contact between HIV-positive and health professionals. To examine this, I have interviewed six people who have contact with HIV-positives in their work. I have been using semi-structured interviews that I have recorded and then transcribed the material. In my empirical analysis I used the labeling theory and stigma. I have reached the conclusions that the law is limiting HIV-infected people in their everyday lives, particularly sexually. The Communicable Diseases Act prevent an open and honest communication between the health professionals (mainly medical social workers) which leads to that behavior that can spread the infection is not talked about. The Act may be needed but the unilateral responsibility does not seem to reduce the spread of the infection.}},
  author       = {{Eskilsson, Camilla}},
  language     = {{swe}},
  note         = {{Student Paper}},
  title        = {{Vem skyddas av smittskyddslagen - En kvalitativ studie om smittskyddslagens konsekvenser för HIV-positiva}},
  year         = {{2010}},
}