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Copingandcompensation
Eventhoughmuchresearchhasbeendoneonthesocialpsychologyofcivilwork,
volunteerism,NGOsandphilanthropy,researchonadvocacyinhealthisrelatively
new.Itmainlyconcentratesontheexperiencesofotherstakeholders,suchasreg-
ulators,researchers,orindustry,ratherthanexploringthelivedexperienceofpa-
tientsandpatientcommunities.
Idemonstratedinapreviousstudythatlearning,self-empowermentandcon-
sciousandtargetedworkwithalectivelychargedimpulsesarelegitimateandfunc-
tionalcopingstrategiesinsituationswhereillness-relatedminoritystressdisem-
powerstheindividualorrendersthempartofagrouporabiosociety(Rabinow
andRose2006)with“undesireddilerentness”(Golman1963).Notallpatients
sulerpatiently(Bereczky2019).
Teactsandmovementsofcompensationandovercompensationofsome
groupsofpatientsdemonstratethedesiretobecome“goodcitizens”andtoshed
thestigmaanddiscriminationassociatedwithillness.Tisisamorallylaudableand
nobleendeavour,butitalsoleadstobiopoliticalimplicationsandthestrengthen-
ingofahegemonic,dominantthinking(HorkheimerandAdorno2010).Tein-
troductionofelectiveantiretroviraltherapy(ART)hashadaprofoundimpacton
thebiologicalcitizenshipofpatientslivingwithHIV
,inwhichtheyhavefashioned
themselvesas“goodcitizens”whoadheretotreatment(controlovertransmission,
whichisthemainobjectiveofsociety)andobeyandsafeguardpublichealthinter-
ests(Pienaar2016).However,therearealsoplausibleargumentsfortheprecarity
andvulnerabilityofthetherapeuticcitizenshipofpeoplelivingwithHIV
,asaccess
tolife-savingARTisnotalwayscompletelyreliableorgranted(e.g.Decoteau2013).
MuchofthecurrentengagementofindividualslivingwithHIVinHIVpre-
ventionandeducationprogrammes,likeU=U(Undetectable=Untransmitta-
ble)10orPrEPinEurope,11lendsitselftoaninterpretationthatpositionspeople
livingwithHIVasgoodcitizenswhodotheirbesttostoptheepidemicofwhich
theyhavebecomepart.Tiswouldnotnecessarilybetheirtask.However,they
readilyaccepttheresponsibilityofthegovernment(thepoliticalestablishment)
thathasbeenpassedtothemintheapparenthopeofenhancingthequalityoflife
andlifeexpectancyofothers,butalsotogainforgiveness,todemonstratetheir
societalworthandthesuperiorityoftheirmoralstance-peoplewhohavebeen
labelledbysocietyasdeplorablefordecades.Teybecomeusefulcyborgs,partsof
thesystemtheyaretryingtochange.
10www.preventionaccess.org[accessedJanuary12th,2022].
11www.prepineurope.org[accessedJanuary12th,2022].
ContagiousCitizens
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