Key Messages

• Stigma and discrimination violate basic human rights and thus should be prevented, eliminated or reduced wherever they occur and in whatever forms.

• Stigma and discrimination reinforce silence about the HIV/AIDS epidemic and denial that it is present within a society.

• It is not shameful to be HIV-positive.
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• Stigmatizing and discriminating against people from vulnerable populations, such as sex workers, injecting drug users, men who have sex with men, and migrant workers, can isolate these populations further and prevent them from accessing information and health-care services, or participating in prevention and care initiatives.

• Involvement of people living with HIV/AIDS is central to eliminating stigma and discrimination and thereby reducing the impact of the epidemic.

• Ostracizing people living with HIV/AIDS and restricting their daily life can inhibit their access to society and hamper their prospects for a decent livelihood.

• Stigma hurts; it can have harmful effects on people's perceptions of themselves. Fight stigma.

• Stigma and discrimination affect the capacity of societies to respond constructively to the devastation caused by the epidemic.

Help us fight fear, shame, ignorance and injustice worldwide.