“We’re finding, despite the fact that we’ve been living with this disease for 30 years, that the greatest challenge we’re facing is stigma. The biggest hurdle we have to overcome.”
—David Furnish, Chairman of the Elton John AIDS Foundation
“Everyone deserves compassion, everyone deserves dignity. Everyone, everyone, everyone deserves love. The AIDS disease is caused by a virus but the AIDs epidemic is not. It is fueled by stigma.” —Sir Elton John
“At the beginning of the fourth decade of the HIV epidemic, profound stigma and discrimination is a fact of life for those with the disease— not just socially, but within our legal system.” —Sean Strub, Activist and Founder of POZ magazine and The Sero Project
“Stigma is powerful, painful, and often confusing because it resonates with our own internal fears. Overcoming it takes persistence, courage, a strong sense of self, and a willingness to work with others.” — Australian Senator David Fawcett
THE TRENDING TOPIC
HIV102 / INTRODUCTION TO STIGMA
STIG·MA noun \’stig-mə\
a: a mark of shame or discredit : stain (bore the stigma of cowardice)
b: an identifying mark or characteristic; specifically : a specific diagnostic
sign of a disease
SOCIAL STIGMA:
The extreme disapproval of, or discontent with, a person on the grounds of characteristics that distinguish them from other members of a society.
HIV STIGMA:
“HIV stigma” refers to the HIV-related shame, fear, prejudice, discrimination, guilt, and lack of knowledge that exist in the world at large. It affects the health and well-being of both HIV-positive and HIV-negative individuals.
Stigma and discrimination persists and many HIV-positive people find that they are discriminated against on a daily basis. The National HIV/AIDS Strategy admits that “addressing stigma and discrimination is perhaps the biggest challenge we face”. This is not surprising considering the misconceptions surrounding the transmission of HIV: one in three Americans aged 18-29 believe HIV can be transmitted either through sharing a drinking glass, touching a toilet seat, or swimming in a pool with someone who is HIV-positive. Among the general public, the percentage of people who have one of these misconceptions has not changed since 1987.
EXAMPLES OF
EVERYDAY STIGMA
± Referring to HIV as “AIDS.”
± Presuming because someone is HIV-positive, they’re sick, contagious, or dying.
± Believeing HIV can be contracted by casual contact or kissing.
± Using the word “clean” when referring to a negative HIV status, or combining drug use with HIV status, often referred to in online personal ads as the acronym, “DDF.”
± Dismissing, judging, or rejecting someone who is HIV-positive when they disclose their status.
± Trusting that every sexual partner will be honest in disclosing their status.
± Perceiving HIV-positive people to be failures, promiscuous, or that they “deserved” to become infected with HIV.
± Discussing someone’s HIV status, whether it is rumor or factual, without their consent or knowledge.
± Refusing or withholding from getting tested for HIV for fear of a positive result.
