Visual Perceptions of HIV/AIDS a project by
Meade Inglis, Kerry Mallinson, Jesse Mangold, Chandler Moore, Samantha Morales Fall 2017
Table of Contents
I. Project Overview……………………………………………………………………………………………...…. 3
II. Thematic Analysis………………………………………………………………………………………. 4 - 19
III. Conclusions ………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 20
IV. All Collected Responses ………………………………………………………………….….…. 21 - 65
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Project Overview
Asked participants “What does HIV/AIDS look like to you?” and collected a total 48 responses ○
Participants were given the opportunity to describe/explain their drawings in a brief interview What does the Duke community think about HIV?
Aimed to collect responses from a diverse group of participants ○
Participants can express ideas visually that may be harder to put into words
Why collect drawings? ○
Biomedical Interpretation
● All drawn by STEM majors, represents 6/48 drawings ● Artists are likely to have been introduced to the virus in a more scientific way, similar to other viruses ● More impersonal and objective than other drawings
Biomedical Interpretation
Evil Personification of HIV
â—? â—?
HIV was personified and characterized with malintent. Reminiscent of our reading and discussion about The Book of the Dead by Moele in which the HIV virus within Khutso gains a moral dimension with explicit goal to infect as many people as possible
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Isolation and Stigma
Distance from the virus → stigmatization People don’t see HIV in their daily lives, so they form an image in their heads that the virus is far away--and that those with the virus are isolated and alone
Isolation and Stigma
“I drew a cliff to convey a sense of loneliness, since people who are HIV+ are often ostracized from society. HIV+ people are on the edge, yearning to fit in and debating whether their lives are still worth living.�
-Male, 21, Student
Social Support as Key to HIV Management
â—? Stark contrast to images of isolation/loneliness â—? Some recognition of the importance of social support/community for HIV+ individuals
People with HIV are like anyone else
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Represents a more positive outlook on HIV People conceive HIV stigma to be mild or are attempting to reduce stigma Anyone can be HIV positive HIV is like any other virus Connection to Chiedza’s Song
People with HIV are like anyone else
“You can’t tell they have HIV. It doesn’t change them, just like any other disease.” -Female, 18, GH interest
HIV/AIDS Fatalism and Death
“When I think of HIV, I think of finality and how permanent it is. For many it’s a death sentence.” -Male, 22, Student
-Male, 49
“Dead leaves remind me of the epidemic and how HIV left many people looking thin, fragile, and many died.”
HIV/AIDS Fatalism and Death
“I think of HIV as being on the verge of a death sentence but not quite there. I think of it as something that is somewhat preventable—people tend to put themselves in high-risk positions, so that’s why I drew a noose.” -Female, 19, Student
HIV in media and popular culture
Female, 48
“This is Tom Hanks in the movie Philadelphia. He is a lawyer who gets diagnosed with HIV and is heavily discriminated against in the law community.� -
HIV in media and popular culture
Male, 24, Student
“There are certain common risk factors for HIV, but just because you have it doesn’t make it a death sentence. Magic Johnson is the best example of that to me. The technology is there and has come a long way.” -
AIDS in Africa
Patterns by Age of Participants Youngest participant (15 years old) drew death, possibly due to lack of exposure to information at school
Older participants had a wide range of responses, possibly due to more exposure to the epidemic and disease throughout their lives
Patterns by Major- STEM majors
Participants with majors in STEM fields tended to draw more biologically based images with focuses on medicalization of the virus, immunosuppression, and visuals of the virus itself. Many also drew needles, and visuals that dealt more with stigma and isolation
Patterns by Major- Non STEM majors
Had a very wide range of responses depending on the amount of information each participant had about the virus and its history
Some visuals were more abstract than those drawn by STEM majors
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Conclusions
We saw images of death more than we saw images of sickness or healing No mother-to-child transmission depicted No doctors or medical professionals
What we did not see: ○ ○ ○
Difficulty engaging with HIV+ individuals Lack of complete anonymity during drawing process
Limitations: ○ ○
How does distance from the virus affect perceptions of HIV?
Only one participant had a close relationship with an HIV+ person ○
Art as is aa valuable tool for assessing perceptions of HIV and identifying areas for improving public opinion
Female, 119, 9, MMechanical echanical Engineering and B&iology Female, Engineering Biology
Female, GlobalHealth Health Female,19, 20,Sociology Biology &&Global
Male, 20, Biology & Chemistry
Male, 24, Engineer “There are certain common risk factors for HIV, but just because you have it doesn’t make it a death sentence. Magic Johnson is the best example of that to me. The technology is there and has come a long way.”
Female, 19, Biology Male, 21, Mechanical Engineering
Male, 21, Neuroscience & French
Male, 19, Biology and Psychology
Male, 21, Biology “When I was working at an HIV clinic in Kenya, no one wanted to come in to get tested.�
Male, 23,Female, Mechanical Engineering 15, theater
Male, 21, Mechanical Engineering
Female, Health and Economics Male,18, 19,Global Chemistry & Global Health
“You can’t tell they have HIV. It doesn’t change them, just like any other disease.”
Female, 23, Engineering
“I drew a person who I know who disclosed to me that she was HIV+.”
Female, 48, Business Administration
“This is Tom Hanks in the movie Philadelphia. He is a lawyer who gets diagnosed with HIV and is heavily discriminated against in the law community.�
Male, 19, Public Policy
Male, 19, Biomedical Engineering
Female,21, 20,Biology Biology&&Global Global Health Health Male,
Male, 70, Global Health Professor
“My first exposure to patients with HIV was in Africa in 1972 before we knew what the disease was. All of these guys were very thin and were said to have Slim Disease.�
Female, 22, ComputerEngineering Science Male, 21, Mechanical
Female, 21, Political Science and Economics
Female, 21, Psychology and Chinese Male, 20, Biology & Chemistry
Male, 21, Sociology
Male, 20, Electrical and Computer Engineering
Female, 20, Biology & Global Health
Male, 20, Electrical and Computer Engineering & Computer Science
Female, 19, Psychology
Female, 55, Lawyer
“My drawing is supposed to represent mostly images of fear, despair, and isolation, but with rays of hope because of drugs that can now treat HIV and the burgeoning acceptance of people with HIV/AIDS as human beings.�
Female, 19, Biology & Global Health
Female, BiologyScience & Global&Health Male, 19, 19, Computer Biology
Male, 20, Neuroscience & Computer Science
Male, 19, Chemistry & Global Health
Male, 20, Neuroscience & Philosophy
Female, 19, English
Male, 21, Mechanical Engineering
“When I think of HIV, I think of finality and how permanent it is. For many it’s a death sentence.”
Female, 19, Biology
“I drew a person surrounded by both support and the virus.�
Female, 20, Biology and Innovation & Entreprenuership
“I think of HIV as being on the verge of a death sentence but not quite there. I think of it as something that is somewhat preventable—people tend to put themselves in high-risk positions, so that’s why I drew a noose.”
Female, 19, Marine Biology
Male, 49, Digital Media Production
“Dead leaves remind me of the epidemic and how HIV left many people looking thin, fragile, and many died.�
Male, 21, Biology
Male, 21,Computer Science
“I drew a cliff to convey a sense of loneliness, since people who are HIV+ are often ostracized from society. HIV+ people are on the edge, yearning to fit in and debating whether their lives are still worth living.�
Male, 22, Electrical and Computer Engineering & Computer Science
Female, 20, Neuroscience
Male, 21, Computer Science
Female, 15, Theater Male, 23, Mechanical Engineering
Female, 22, Biomedical Engineering & Electrical and Computer Engineering
“I wanted to represent the stigma of HIV, so I drew people separated on two sides.�
Female, 19, Environmental Science