Medical researchers attribute the upswing to two main factors:
less stigma around the practice, which has long been at odds with some religious customs, and rising funeral costs.
Consider: the arsenal of effective (and
less risky) HIV medicines has ballooned, the
stigma associated with the disease has declined (although, as activists note, much work remains to be done on that front), and awareness campaigns centered on HIV / AIDS have gone from what was a fringe movement just 30 years ago to a cause championed by top public figures and companies
around the world.