HIV/AIDS COUNSELLOR/CLIENT DISCOURSE IN ORLU DIALECT OF IGBO LANGUAGE: AN ETHNOGRAPHIC ANALYSIS

ABSTRACT

This study is a HIV/AID counselor/client discourse in Orlu dialect of Igbo language. It accounts for the role of language in medical discourse which implies medical counseling and also the socio-cultural aspect which implies the perceptions and interpretation of HIV/AIDS clients, the various misconceptions surrounding the subject matter culturally and otherwise. Data for this study were gathered from variety of sources including a recorded interview with a medical doctor concerning the concept of HIV/AIDS, a recorded speech of HIV/AIDS counselor/client discourse and also published works related to the work. The framework employed for this study was based on the Ethnography of communication using the SPEAKING modular employed by Dell Hymes (1972). Through this framework, the socio-cultural factors and conceptions, including the evident role of language use were relayed. This study found out that lack of adequate dissemination of information contributes to the ignorance of the society especially when it comes to HIV/AIDS and its victims. In these case(s), the larger community or society are less oriented about the surge. So far, we have found out that lack of information as regards the meaning of the disease, causes and even possibilities of survival especially in the rural areas has contributed to the stigmatization of HIV/AIDS clients. The study also found out that the use of language in communicating effectively (employs a euphemistic approach to relaying such issues to HIV infected patients) in medical counseling is more beneficial to the health status of a patient even when faced with a severe case of HIV/AIDS.