Why STIGMA must DIE

Twenty-one years after HIV got its name, the stigma and discrimination against it continue unabated.
What exactly do we mean when we talk about HIV stigma and discrimination? Stigma is a powerful and discrediting social label. It radically changes both the way people see themselves and how they are seen. Discrimination is stigma in action; it is when someone is treated unfairly on the basis of confirmed or suspected HIV status.
They both occur for a range of reasons. Aids is a life-threatening condition, so people fear contracting the virus that causes it. HIV infection is associated with already stigmatised activities like gay sex and injecting drug use, so people with it are seen as somehow responsible for having contracted the disease.
Both have a real and lasting impact, and for both practical and moral reasons we must try to tackle them.
Stigma old and new
HIV prejudice has always affected the health and well being of people with HIV. It is painful and stressful, but often subtle and difficult to challenge. Stigmatised people are more likely to be isolated and/or depressed, and less likely to use health services or support.

HIV stigma undermines effective prevention efforts. Because it stops people talking about their own status or asking others about it, it contributes to HIV infection.