April 15, 2005
By Debi Olick, Health Educator, and Andrea Savage, Circle of Care
Infection by HIV has now spread to almost every country in the world, with an estimated 40 million people infected with the virus.
Although significant advances in the treatment of HIV infection have been made in the past two decades, medical science still seeks a solution to the worldwide epidemic of HIV/AIDS. Given the fact that HIV/AIDS infection involves a growing population that is not English speaking, it is inevitable that medical translators will encounter this disease in various aspects of their professional work.
This brings us to the Yup'ik word for HIV and AIDS. There is really no Yup'ik word for HIV/AIDS. Some suggestions for HIV have been; Augmi Naulluutnek Kitugcitulit Navguutiita Ayagniutii.
The Yup'ik word for AIDS is; Augmi Naulluutnek Kitugcitulit Navguutiit. Before HIV was truly understood by western culture, the Yup'ik culture described it as a Sexually Transmitted Disease, akusrarutekitulim naulluti, or the disease of one who is fooling around.
Some other words used to express HIV/AIDS in Yup'ik relate it to cancer, which can often be incurable, Mamyuilnguq (incurable). A very controversial word refers to it as a disease from women; Arnam (females) and Naulluutii (illness, sickness).
HIV is a Sexually Transmitted Disease with no cure (unlike many sexually transmitted diseases). It is not a disease limited to only women, it does affect all races, ages, genders, religions and sexual orientations. If it is not appropriately addressed, the Delta could see rates similar to those in Africa.
Let's be proactive and focus on prevention; this is the prefect time to begin, before HIV devastates the Delta. Having a culturally appropriate word that describes HIV and AIDS will not stop its spread, but it will offer a deeper understanding of this disease and its prognosis.
HIV
Augmi -- Blood
Nauluutnek -- Illness
Kitugcitulit -- things that fix
Navguutita -- destroy
Ayagniutii -- Beginning
AIDS
Augmi -Blood
Naulluutnek -- illnesses
Kitugcitulit -- things that fix
Navguutiit -- break things up, or impossible to fix, or destroy
Sexually Transmitted Disease
akusrarutekitulim naulluti -- the disease of one who is fooling around
Akusrarutekitulim -- one who is fooling around
Naulluti -- disease
If you have suggestion about a Yup'ik word for HIV and AIDS, please call 543 -6941