End HIV Stigma | End HIV Dallas County
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End
The
Stigma

Fear around STIs and HIV is nothing new. But fear is often a key driver of stigma, as anxiety about a particular condition can lead people to negatively perceive and avoid individuals associated with whatever is feared — creating a sense of social exclusion, discrimination, and negative stereotypes. This can lead to feelings of shame, fear of sharing or disclosing their status, isolation, and depression. It’s one of the main reasons why people resist seeking information or even testing for STIs and HIV. We can stop this. By discussing sexual health care and taking action to share accurate information, we can avoid stigma and discrimination. Here are some examples of the type of stigma and discrimination people experience every day:

Belief

Believing that only certain groups of people can get STIs or HIV.
Feeling that people deserve to get STIs or HIV because of their life choices.

Behaviour

Making moral judgments about people who take steps to prevent STI or HIV transmission.
Socially isolating a member of a community simply because they’re living with HIV, AIDS, or other STIs.
Referring to people with degrading labels.

Avoidance

A health care professional refusing to provide care or services to a person living with HIV.
Refusing casual contact with someone living with HIV or AIDS — like not sharing food or drinks or even shaking hands.

End HIV Stigma

HIV stigma is negative attitudes and beliefs about people who are living with the HIV virus. It’s the prejudice against a group of people that attempts to make them social outcasts. Stigma leads to the bullying, harassment, and mistreatment of those living with HIV and those who are believed to have it because of the groups or communities they’re a part of. The fear, misinformation, and discrimination that are directed toward people living with HIV can be dangerous. End HIV stigma by refuting misinformation with facts.

HIV and AIDS in particular have given rise to profound stigma since the 1980s when there was little to no information on HIV and AIDS. This led to rumors and misinformation that are just as strong today as they were then, despite all the advances made in prevention and treatment. Not only has it led to society-based stigma, but also it affects individuals through “internalized stigma” in which an individual applies the negative stereotypes about STIs and HIV to themselves.