Saturday, August 21, 2010

SOCIAL STIGMA AND ISOLATION


The WHO (The World Health Organization) acknowledges that there is a social stigma associated with having a bedbug infestation which results in negative social impacts. Most people feel ashamed and embarrassed when they discover that they have bed bugs and, as result, socially isolate themselves from others. In addition, because of the negative connation of bed bugs, people do not want to openly disclose the fact that they have an infestation. Bed bugs are mistakenly associated with people who live in unclean conditions, resulting in particularly negative implications for marginalized people who already face barriers to social and economic inclusion. In many instances, people with bed bug infestations become pariahs, cut o from their friends, family, and work associates because no one wants to take the risk of getting bed bugs.

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