HIV & AIDS stigma and discrimination |
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AIDS-related stigma and discrimination refers to prejudice, negative attitudes, abuse and maltreatment directed at people living with HIV and AIDS. They can result in being shunned by family, peers and the wider community; poor treatment in healthcare and education settings; an erosion of rights; psychological damage; and can negatively affect the success of testing and treatment. AIDS stigma and discrimination exist worldwide, although they manifest themselves differently across countries, communities, religious groups and individuals. They occur alongside other forms of stigma and discrimination, such as racism, homophobia or misogyny and can be directed towards those involved in what are considered socially unacceptable activities such as prostitution or drug use. Stigma not only makes it more difficult for people trying to come to terms with HIV and manage their illness on a personal level, but it also interferes with attempts to fight the AIDS epidemic as a whole. On a national level, the stigma associated with HIV can deter governments from taking fast, effective action against the epidemic, whilst on a personal level it can make individuals reluctant to access HIV testing, treatment and care. UN Secretary-General Ban Ki Moon says: "Stigma remains the single most important barrier to public action. It is a main reason why too many people are afraid to see a doctor to determine whether they have the disease, or to seek treatment if so. It helps make AIDS the silent killer, because people fear the social disgrace of speaking about it, or taking easily available precautions. Stigma is a chief reason why the AIDS epidemic continues to devastate societies around the world."1 Why is there stigma related to HIV and AIDS? Fear of contagion coupled with negative, value-based assumptions about people who are infected leads to high levels of stigma surrounding HIV and AIDS.2 Factors that contribute to HIV/AIDS-related stigma: HIV/AIDS is a life-threatening disease, and therefore people react to it in strong ways. HIV infection is associated with behaviours (such as homosexuality, drug addiction, prostitution or promiscuity) that are already stigmatised in many societies. Most people become infected with HIV through sex which often carries moral baggage. There is a lot of inaccurate information about how HIV is transmitted, creating irrational behaviour and misperceptions of personal risk. HIV infection is often thought to be the result of personal irresponsibility. Religious or moral beliefs lead some people to believe that being infected with HIV is the result of moral fault (such as promiscuity or 'deviant sex') that deserves to be punished. The fact that HIV/AIDS is a relatively new disease also contributes to the stigma attached to it. The fear surrounding the emerging epidemic in the 1980s is still fresh in many people’s minds. At that time very little was known about the risk of transmission, which made people scared of those infected due to fear of contagion. From early in the AIDS epidemic a series of powerful images were used that reinforced and legitimised stigmatisation. HIV/AIDS as punishment (e.g. for immoral behaviour) HIV/AIDS as a crime (e.g. in relation to innocent and guilty victims) HIV/AIDS as war (e.g. in relation to a virus which must be fought) HIV/AIDS as horror (e.g. in which infected people are demonised and feared) HIV/AIDS as otherness (in which the disease is an affliction of those set apart) |
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