HIV Stigma
What is HIV stigma and why can it be so damaging?
HIV stigma today can often be more damaging or pervasive than the virus itself. After four decades of the advances in HIV treatment allowing people to live long, healthy lives, there hasn’t been an equal reduction in stigma in the community.
HIV stigma is a complex issue that manifests itself in many ways. It can stem from fear combined with a lack of knowledge or understanding of HIV.
Stigma is any act that treats people living with HIV as less than or different because of their HIV positive status. Stigma isn’t just present in interpersonal relationships, it occurs frequently and is often most impactful when observed in healthcare settings, or in the workplace.
HIV stigma can lead to long-term psychological effects for people living with HIV, especially when the stigma becomes anticipated, and at its worst when it becomes internalised, whereby a person might start to believe some of these stigmatising messages about themselves. This often leads to increased risk of anxiety, depression, social isolation and suicidality.
Stigma doesn’t just affect people living with HIV either, it can also be directed to and impact their partners, friends, and families. The damage stigma causes doesn’t stop there either.
The stigma of HIV impacts the everyone’s willingness to engage in testing, making it harder to ensure that everyone living with HIV in Australia can be diagnosed and take control of their health and protect the community from further transmissions.
Where does stigma come from?
Stigma can be experienced in a variety of ways. Some examples of HIV stigma include:- Ignorance or false information as to how HIV is transmitted and what it’s like living with
- False information that HIV is highly contagious
- Moral judgements about people who are living with HIV
- Assumptions about sexual behaviour and or injecting drug use
- Jokes about HIV/AIDS or at the expense of people living with HIV
- Fear of death and disease
How does HIV stigma manifest?
HIV stigma affects people living with HIV in more ways than one. It can be perceived, anticipated, experienced or internalised.- Perceived sigma is formed from past and current experiences, such as interpreting words and phrases that are often connected to stigma, like the word ‘clean’.
- Anticipated stigma is closely connected to these perceptions. Always expecting to be treated differently, even with the lack of evidence. This can lead to self isolation, anxiousness and depression.
- Experienced stigma sadly still does occur. Not everyone is accepting, educated, or willing to learn. It’s important to remember that the person who is stigmatising another is the one at fault.
- Internalised stigma can be the most pervasive. When HIV stigma can become internalised, whereby a person might start to believe some of these stigmatising messages about themselves.
How do I reduce the effects of stigma?
- Control your HIV disclosure. You control the who, what, when and where of your HIV disclosure. Check out our Tips for Disclosing your Status
- Develop coping strategies in the face of stigma. These can include: seeking social support when needed (including from QPP and the HIV community) and cultivating the capacity to bounce back from, or not take to heart perceived slights. The resilience you grow will help all aspects of your life, not just around HIV.
- Educating others, or encouraging others to learn more themselves about HIV and how stigma affects you. Be a force of change.
- Remember, HIV does not define you, it’s a health condition you live with.
Become an ally
If you are HIV negative, there is a lot you can do to make a change. Being an HIV ally helps all people living with HIV and is a powerful act that reduces HIV stigma.- If someone trusts you with their HIV status, respect their disclosure and show your support.
- Hear the stories and learn more about HIV with our Hi Campaign resources and videos. Knowledge and understanding is powerful against stigma.
- When you hear someone make a discriminatory comment about HIV, call it out and help educate them.
- Talk about HIV in the right way. Our HIV Language Guide is a quick and easy place to start.
- Be the best ally you can be. The team at ACON and Positive Life NSW have created a A Practical Guide to Being a Better HIV Ally.
The words you use matter
Learn how to talk openly about HIV and stigma in a way that can help empower those living with HIV. Our HIV Language Guide is a quick and easy place to start. The CDC in the United States has also created a Guide to Talking about HIV which is a great resource to help talk about HIV in the right way. If you are are a journalist or reporting on HIV in the media, check out our A Guide to HIV for Media for tools and suggestions to provide accurate and contextual information about HIV to your audience.
Need help with discrimination?
Discriminating against someone because of their HIV status is unlawful in Australia. What you need to know and how to get help.
HIV Disclosure and the law
There is no specific law regarding HIV disclosure in Queensland, but there are laws you should understand.
Tips on disclosing your status
Find out more about when you need to disclose, how best to do it, and what to think about before you do.
Mental Health
It is not uncommon for people struggle with mental health at some point, but there are a lot of other things you can do to look after your mental health and wellbeing.
Our trained team is here to help you should you have any questions or need support. You can call for free from a Queensland land-line on 1800 636 241 or call (07) 3013 5555 (national). You can also email us or use the contact form or the chat function in the corner of our website.
