Re: Publishing photographs of HIV +ve Children without consent

[Guest guest]

Dear FORUM,

I am thankful to Ms. Meena Saraswathi Seshu for raising this issue.

Re: /message/7280

Consent is no consent according to child rights and legal rights of minor. Other

wise also if we are publishing photograph and original name of PLWA with his/her

consent, still we are violating rights of

his/her family members.

Now the issues are how we evolve positive speakers and reduce stigma and

discrimination related to PLWA.

Even media has rights and for public welfare they can write and publish.

I request moderator and policymakers to start debate on this issue and draft a

policy on this issue for advocacy of rights of PLHA and methodology to reduce

stigma and discrimination related to PLWA as well as their family members.

I request Ms. Usha Rai who wrote the manual “HIV/AIDS in News -Journalists as

Catalysts” published by UNDP India and Population Foundation of India to discuss

this issue in right direction.

Regards,

Avnish

Dr. Avnish Jolly,

#3008,Sector-20D,

Chandigarh 160020, India.

Cell: +91-9814213809

e-mail: <avnishjolly@...>

[Guest guest]

Dear FORUM,

/message/7280

I am the co-ordinator of an HIV Positive Speakers Bureau based in

Melbourne, , Australia. Our State has more than 3500 people

living with HIV/AIDS. We have more than 40 speakers including 15

female speakers who regularly speak in schools and the wider

community. Last year our speakers spoke to more than 3600 people.

We provide comprehensive public speaking training to our speakers

including media and presentation skills training. Our speakers focus

is their personal story and many speakers have encountered stigma and

discrimination in a country that has very strong anti discrimination

laws and equality of access to healthcare and treatments.

We have been promoting greater visibility of our speakers as a way of

reducing discrimination and the myths that still surround HIV/AIDS.

The more our speakers go into the community the greater is the

understanding that HIV doesn't discriminate - people do. Because of

the nature of the epidemic in Australia where the overwhelming

majority of HIV transmission occurs amongst men who have sex with

men, education and prevention messages to the wider community are

primarily delivered by health professionals and secondary school

nurses.

However evaluation of our speaker's impact on audiences says

that they deliver consistent education and prevention messages

regarding STI's and HIV/AIDS so speakers have a crucial role as

educators especially with secondary school students. Our speakers

also deliver presentations to health care professionals and

evaluation has found that many healthcare professionals claim to have

never met an HIV positive person and that our speakers have a

profound impact of the way they view HIV Positive patients and their

rights.

Our website has a Speakers Bureau section that highlights the work of

our speakers and their willingness to have a higher profile in the

media and the community. To visit the site go to

www.plwhavictoria.org.au and go to the Speakers Bureau tab.

Max Niggl

Speakers Bureau Coordinator

PLWHA Inc

6 Claremont Street

South Yarra

3141

Email: max.niggl@...

Web: www.plwhavictoria.org.au

Tel: 03 9865 6771

fax: 03 9804 7978

mobile: 0412 082 372

_______________________________

Dr. Avnish Jolly,

#3008,Sector-20D,

Chandigarh 160020, India.

Cell: +91-9814213809

E-MAIL: avnishjolly@...