Stigma & HIV/AIDS

Time to Show My Face and Take the Stigma Away (Regularly Updated)
A blog by Maria T. Mejia.
From The Well Project
The Ins and Outs of HIV/AIDS Stigma (Regularly Updated)
A blog by Marc Kolman, M.S.P.H.
From The Body
The Problem of Stigma: A Blog Entry by Rae Lewis-Thornton (February 7, 2012)
"The stigma around HIV created an enormous amount of shame for people living with HIV/AIDS and their family. This stigma is embedded in American culture. In the 21st century it's become politically incorrect to talk negatively about HIV and people living with HIV openly, but the whispers float in our society just like the air we breathe."
From The Body
Working in Kazakhstan to End HIV Stigma, Discrimination (January 3, 2012)
In Kaiser Daily Global Health Policy Report, from Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation
Pakistan's Shunned HIV Victims Fight Pariah Status (December 20, 2011)
In CDC HIV/Hepatitis/STD/TB Prevention News Update, from U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Tennessee: Time to Move Past Silence, Shame of AIDS (December 15, 2011)
In CDC HIV/Hepatitis/STD/TB Prevention News Update, from U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
California: Some Dentists Refuse to Serve People With HIV (December 15, 2011)
In CDC HIV/Hepatitis/STD/TB Prevention News Update, from U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Georgia: To Fight AIDS, We Must Fight Its Stigma (December 9, 2011)
In CDC HIV/Hepatitis/STD/TB Prevention News Update, from U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
AIDS Still Carries a Strong Stigma in Africa (December 7, 2011)
In CDC HIV/Hepatitis/STD/TB Prevention News Update, from U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Pastor Fights HIV Stigma in Southern Town (December 2, 2011)
In CDC HIV/Hepatitis/STD/TB Prevention News Update, from U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Fear, Not Loathing and HIV (December 1, 2011)
From The Body
Qatar: End Prejudice Against HIV and AIDS Victims, Arab Experts Urge (November 4, 2011)
In CDC HIV/Hepatitis/STD/TB Prevention News Update, from U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
I Am Tired of Watching Them Cry: Facing the Emotional Burden of HIV Stigma -- A Blog Entry by Lisa Fitzpatrick, M.D., M.P.H. (October 31, 2011)
HIV physician Lisa Fitzpatrick, M.D., M.P.H., has all too often watched her patients break down into tears when she asks them who else knows about their status. "We can stop these tears," she writes.
From The Body PRO
Status Undetectable? Not Really! A Blog Entry by Ibrahim (October 27, 2011)
"I know that reversing how detectable my status is can only start within me. I guess my fear of this status is the fear of being rejected and deprived from love that status determines."
From The Body
Pakistan: Treatment Center Begins to Break AIDS Stigma (October 26, 2011)
In CDC HIV/Hepatitis/STD/TB Prevention News Update, from U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Indiana: Purdue University Professor Turns HIV/AIDS Diagnosis Into Her Life's Work (October 6, 2011)
In CDC HIV/Hepatitis/STD/TB Prevention News Update, from U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
What if Your Food Server Was HIV Positive? A Video Blog Entry by Justin B. Terry-Smith (September 6, 2011)
Justin takes his video camera about town, asking folks on the street whether they'd discriminate against an HIV-positive food server -- and gives us an update on HIV/AIDS and employment rights.
From The Body
HIV-Positive Pregnant Women Across Africa Face Discrimination (August 23, 2011)
In Kaiser Daily Global Health Policy Report, from Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation
Stigma Prevents Many African-American Doctors From Testing for HIV: A Blog Entry by Candace Y.A. Montague (August 3, 2011)
"The study ... finds that although African-American doctors are concerned about HIV among their patients many of them only tested about one-third of them within the past year. African-American physicians cited that social stigma keeps them from routinely testing their patients."
From The Body
New York: Forum Focuses on Reducing Stigma of HIV/AIDS (July 12, 2011)
In CDC HIV/Hepatitis/STD/TB Prevention News Update, from U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
New Novel About Homophobia and HIV Stigma Hits Shelves (June 27, 2011)
From PRWeb
Discrimination and Stigma: These Are the Stories -- A Video Blog Entry by Maria T. Mejia (June 13, 2011)
"I want to be the voices of those that have been discriminated for living with HIV/AIDS or for supporting us! There are stories of people from all over the world that wrote me in my international group for people with HIV/AIDS, and the people who love us on Facebook."
From The Well Project
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: 30 Years on, a Fear of Stigma Remains (June 13, 2011)
In Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, from Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation
People Living With HIV/AIDS in China Face Discrimination When Accessing Health Care, Report Says (May 18, 2011)
In Kaiser Daily Global Health Policy Report, from Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation
Hateful Words From DC Writer Keeps Stigma and Ignorance Going: A Blog Entry by Candace Y.A. Montague (May 3, 2011)
"Ms. Polis is a transgender female, assigned as a male at birth but she obviously identifies herself as a female. Referring to her with the wrong pronouns is outright disrespectful. It creates the same kind of inflammation as a white man calling a black man 'boy' does."
From The Body
Women Overcoming the Shame and Stigma of HIV (May 3, 2011)
From Black AIDS Institute
Fighting Stigma, Discrimination Against People Living With HIV/AIDS (April 22, 2011)
In Kaiser Daily Global Health Policy Report, from Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation
The Michigan Department of Community Health Urges Local Health Departments to Stop Stigmatizing HIV (April 6, 2011)
In The Michigan Messenger
Stigma Within Our Own HIV Community: A Blog Entry by Maria T. Mejia (April 6, 2011)
If we are stigmatizing ourselves, what can we expect from others?? ... I am talking about just a name on Facebook! You can't have a friend on Facebook that has HIV in it!?"
From The Well Project
Illinois Alliance for Sound AIDS Policy Launches Anti-Stigma Campaign (April 4, 2011)
In Positively Aware, from Test Positive Aware Network
National Organization Adds Voice Against HIV-Specific Criminal Laws (March 24, 2011)
In CDC HIV/Hepatitis/STD/TB Prevention News Update, from U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
I Agree: We Are Not A F***ing Scorpion! A Blog Entry by Rae Lewis-Thornton (March 18, 2011)
"There was something about this ad campaign that didn't sit well with me. It left a bad feeling in the pit of my stomach. It seemed to overstep a boundary."
From The Body
Justin Writes a Children's Book About HIV/AIDS Called "I Have A Secret": A Blog Entry by Justin B. Terry-Smith (March 18, 2011)
"I decided to write this book for all of the HIV positive and negative children. I was trying to show that despite a child's HIV status they want to be treated like every other kid."
From The Body
AIDS Groups See Stigma, Misinformation in Mississippi (March 15, 2011)
In CDC HIV/Hepatitis/STD/TB Prevention News Update, from U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
I Am Not an Ugly Scorpion! HIV Ads That Add to the Stigma: A Blog Entry by Maria T. Mejia (March 9, 2011)
"I actually believe that through showing the different faces of HIV/AIDS and people hearing and reading our stories, we accomplish more ... NOT through fear! And that is what the image does."
From The Body
HHS Launches New Website: Stopbullying.gov (March 9, 2011)
From AIDS.gov
Is HIV Conversation on the Menu? (February 22, 2011)
From The Bilerico Project
Ignorance and My Beauty Salon Experience: The Time to Educate Can Happen When You Least Expect! A Blog Entry by Maria T. Mejia (February 14, 2011)
"Here I am holding my tongue, but with such a big urge to speak my mind and educate ... and remember I was there to pamper myself and RELAX! But that went out the window, of course."
From The Well Project
Stigma Hampers Afghan Fight Against AIDS (February 14, 2011)
In CDC HIV/Hepatitis/STD/TB Prevention News Update, from U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
4 Reasons I Publicly Lead by Example in the Fight to End HIV/AIDS (February 10, 2011)
From Black AIDS Institute
Researchers Criticize AIDS Spending, Stigma (February 7, 2011)
In CDC HIV/Hepatitis/STD/TB Prevention News Update, from U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Urgent Action Required to Fight Unscientific, Stigmatising Nebraska Bill That Will Criminalise Body Fluid Assault on Public Safety Officers: A Blog Entry by Edwin J. Bernard (February 1, 2011)
From Criminal HIV Transmission
Report Shows D.C. LGBTQ Youth in Need of Urgent Support: A Blog Entry by Candace Y.A. Montague (January 26, 2011)
"A report released this week by Southeast based SMYAL (Sexual Minority Youth Assistance League) shows that the needs of DC area LGBTQ youth are not being met."
From The Body
N.C. Rep: Government Shouldn't Fund HIV Treatment for People "Living in Perverted Lifestyles" (January 13, 2011)
In Housing Works AIDS Issues Update, from Housing Works
New Nebraska Bill Proposes Increased Penalties for Spitting on Cops if You're Living With HIV or Hepatitis; Media Fails in Its Reporting: A Blog Entry by Kellee Terrell (January 13, 2011)
From The Body
After Haiti HIV Slur, NYC's HOT 97 Makes Amends (January 11, 2011)
In Housing Works AIDS Issues Update, from Housing Works
New York City Radio DJ Suspended After HIV Remark: A Blog Entry by Warren Tong (December 29, 2010)
From The Body
Following On-Air Slur, Haitian Community and Allies Blast HOT 97 Outside Studio (December 21, 2010)
In Housing Works AIDS Issues Update, from Housing Works
Homophobia Sweeping Africa Like a Disease, Says Rights Group (December 20, 2010)
In CDC HIV/Hepatitis/STD/TB Prevention News Update, from U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
United Kingdom: Stigma "Prevents Men From Seeking a Test for the Virus" (December 9, 2010)
In CDC HIV/Hepatitis/STD/TB Prevention News Update, from U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
The Congressional Black Caucus Foundation Takes On HIV and AIDS (December 8, 2010)
From Black AIDS Institute
Stigma and Violence Against Gay Men and Transgender People Cited as Major Barrier to HIV Prevention and Treatment (December 7, 2010)
In-depth interviews from around the world add to growing evidence that human rights violations play a central role in the spread of HIV.
From Global Forum on MSM & HIV
Mission Impossible: Tom Cruise and Sara -- A Blog Entry by Ibrahim (December 2, 2010)
From The Body
In The Life Addresses "The Cost of Stigma" On World AIDS Day (December 1, 2010)
From In The Life
WHO Director-General Calls for Greater Protection of the Rights of HIV-Positive People, and Those at High Risk (December 1, 2010)
In Kaiser Daily Global Health Policy Report, from Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation
Can Talking Defeat AIDS? The International Conference on Stigma Says "Yes": A Blog Entry by Candace Y.A. Montague (November 30, 2010)
"Would you rather die than know your HIV status? Some people say 'yes'. That answer is generally brought on by one word: stigma."
From The Body
Lambda Legal Releases Report on HIV Stigma and Discrimination in Advance of World AIDS Day (November 19, 2010)
From Lambda Legal
A Place Called Home (November 17, 2010)
From The Body
It's Time to Remove the Veil (November 15, 2010)
From The Body
What Do You Think Is the Best Way to Fight HIV/AIDS Stigma? (November 15, 2010)
From The Body
Billboards -- Awareness or Stigma? A Blog Entry by Robert Breining (November 14, 2010)
"I honestly think that these billboards should be something that humanized HIV/AIDS. Something that reminds you that HIV/AIDS is still an issue. This billboard left me with a bad feeling."
From The Body
The HHS Office of HIV/AIDS Policy on Bullying and Teen Suicide: A Blog Entry by Miguel Gomez (October 27, 2010)
From AIDS.gov
HHS Secretary Addresses Bullying and Teen Suicide (October 15, 2010)
Lists resources for dealing with bullying and preventing suicide in at-risk groups, including gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender youth.
From AIDS.gov
Status Symbols (September/October 2010)
A group of Cleveland HIV/AIDS activists wear the fight against stigma on their sleeves.
To read PDF, click here.
In Positively Aware, from Test Positive Aware Network
Stigma and Discrimination in Disney World (September 22, 2010)
From U.S. Positive Women's Network
Caribbean: Still Fighting HIV Stigma After 30 Years (September 21, 2010)
In CDC HIV/Hepatitis/STD/TB Prevention News Update, from U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
HIV/AIDS: A New First Impression -- A Blog Entry by Myles Helfand (September 20, 2010)
"Here we are, entering the fourth decade of our life with HIV as a human nation. And much of our country -- heck, much of the world -- still thinks HIV/AIDS is not so much a viral disease as it is the inevitable result of a bad decision."
From The Body
HIV Stigma (and My Lover Jack) at USCA (September 14, 2010)
From MyFabulousDisease.com
HIV, Ignorance and Bigotry Take Center Stage During Iowa State Senate Race (September 10, 2010)
From The Body
D.C. Mayoral Candidate Wants HIV Status on Driver's Licenses: A Video Blog Entry by Justin B. Terry-Smith (September 2, 2010)
"To me this is almost as bad as someone branding me with a red hot poker. ... This would be in violation of so many health information privacy/HIPAA laws it's not even funny. Does [Leo Alexander] even know what HIPAA is?"
From The Body
I Am NOT HIV: A Blog Entry by Brandon Lacy Campos (August 24, 2010)
"We who live with HIV are subsumed into the identity of the disease instead of simply being human beings that carry one of a number of viruses that, once they enter your life, do not leave it."
From The Body
Loneliness and HIV-Related Stigma Explain Depression Among Older HIV-Positive Adults (August 16, 2010)
In CDC HIV/Hepatitis/STD/TB Prevention News Update, from U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Why the Prop 8 Decision Should Be Important to the HIV/AIDS Community: A Blog Entry From Positive Policy (August 10, 2010)
From National Minority AIDS Council
Lessons From the Frontline (July/August 2010)
Advocates discuss communities at risk.
To read PDF, click here.
In Positively Aware, from Test Positive Aware Network
Before August 2: HIVers Needed to Complete an Online Survey About Stigma (July 30, 2010)
From U.S. Positive Women's Network
AIDS 2010: Global Health Leaders Say Stigma Exacerbates HIV Epidemic Among Black Gay/Bi Men (July 22, 2010)
From Black AIDS Institute
Education: "People Are Afraid to Touch Them" (June 25, 2010)
In CDC HIV/Hepatitis/STD/TB Prevention News Update, from U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Relationships Between Perceived STD-Related Stigma, STD-Related Shame and STD Screening Among a Household Sample of Adolescents (June 22, 2010)
In CDC HIV/Hepatitis/STD/TB Prevention News Update, from U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
World Cup Has Helped Highlight Public Health Issues in S. Africa, Reduce Stigma, Health Minister Says (June 15, 2010)
In Kaiser Daily Global Health Policy Report, from Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation
S. Africa: Survey Shows Students Find Little Support Against HIV Stigma (April 5, 2010)
In CDC HIV/Hepatitis/STD/TB Prevention News Update, from U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Reader's Forum (March/April 2010)
Photographer Terry J. Cyr responds to a letter in which the writer expresses her disgust concerning Cyr's January/February 2010 cover image for Positively Aware depicting two cowboys and the words "HIV in Rural America."
In Positively Aware, from Test Positive Aware Network
Religious Leaders Vow to Fight HIV/AIDS Stigma, Discrimination (March 24, 2010)
In Kaiser Daily Global Health Policy Report, from Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation
Thailand: Women With HIV Break Silence, Confront Stigma (March 22, 2010)
In CDC HIV/Hepatitis/STD/TB Prevention News Update, from U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Florida: Women Unite to Help End Stigma of HIV (March 2, 2010)
In CDC HIV/Hepatitis/STD/TB Prevention News Update, from U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Salient Ramblings (January/February 2010)
"I'd like to be, under the sea, in an octopus' garden, in the shade." -- The Beatles.
To read PDF, click here.
In Positively Aware, from Test Positive Aware Network
S. Africa: Despite Years of "Awareness," HIV Stigma Persists (January 19, 2010)
In CDC HIV/Hepatitis/STD/TB Prevention News Update, from U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Stigma Hampers Fight Against AIDS in Senegal (January 12, 2010)
In CDC HIV/Hepatitis/STD/TB Prevention News Update, from U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Blog: How PEPFAR Fares in Addressing Stigma, Discrimination (December 24, 2009)
In Kaiser Daily Global Health Policy Report, from Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation
Feelings of Stigmatization May Discourage HIV Patients From Proper Care (October 29, 2009)
In CDC HIV/Hepatitis/STD/TB Prevention News Update, from U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Zimbabwe Women Combat HIV Stigma (October 19, 2009)
In CDC HIV/Hepatitis/STD/TB Prevention News Update, from U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Personal Perspective: Double Stigma (Fall 2009)
To read PDF, click here.
In Achieve, from ACRIA and GMHC
New York Times Examines HIV Stigma In Vietnam (October 14, 2009)
In Kaiser Daily Global Health Policy Report, from Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation
Study Explores Why Gay, HIV-Positive Men Do -- or Don't -- Disclose Their Status (September/October 2009)
To read PDF, click here.
In Positively Aware, from Test Positive Aware Network
Worldwide, Health Care Workers Are Often Sources of HIV Stigma and Discrimination, Report Says (September 15, 2009)
From The Body
South Carolina: A Cure for the Stigma -- Medicines Have Advanced, But Stigma Is Biggest Challenge in HIV/AIDS Battle (September 14, 2009)
In CDC HIV/Hepatitis/STD/TB Prevention News Update, from U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Female Patients' Stigma, Disclosure Concerns Reduce Their Access to HIV and TB Care in Africa, Study Shows (July 20, 2009)
The lower social status of Ugandan women compared to men is largely to blame for their difficulty in accessing HIV or tuberculosis (TB) care, according to David Kaawa-Mafigiri, Ph.D., M.P.H.
In The 5th International AIDS Society Conference on HIV Pathogenesis, Treatment and Prevention, from The Body PRO
If We Can't Overcome HIV Stigma and Discrimination, Access to Care Won't Improve in Africa, Advocate Says (July 20, 2009)
"Right now, we're standing in a sinkhole, with regards to HIV and TB [tuberculosis] treatment" in Africa, said HIV/AIDS advocate Paula Akugizibwe in an eloquent, passionate speech at IAS 2009. "Until we do some serious work, and invest money and time on creating human rights sensitization ... and the imperative of governments to fund this right, then everything else we're doing is essentially self-defeating."
In The 5th International AIDS Society Conference on HIV Pathogenesis, Treatment and Prevention, from The Body PRO
HIV-Positive Migrants Face Deadly Barriers (June 18, 2009)
UNAIDS governing board meeting on migrants should emphasize rights.
From Human Rights Watch
HIV/AIDS Awareness Campaign in Western North Carolina Addresses Stigma (June 3, 2009)
In Kaiser Daily HIV/AIDS Report, from Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation
First Papua New Guinea Man Ever Convicted for AIDS Abuse (May 26, 2009)
In CDC HIV/Hepatitis/STD/TB Prevention News Update, from U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Governments Should Increase Efforts to Reduce Stigma, Improve Access to HIV Services Among MSM, UNAIDS Executive Director Sidibe Says (May 20, 2009)
In Kaiser Daily HIV/AIDS Report, from Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation
U.S. HIV Awareness Is Disturbingly Low, Survey Suggests (April 28, 2009)
The latest nationwide survey by the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation, which reveals disturbing trends about how much complacency the U.S. has about its HIV epidemic, and how far we still have to go in fighting misconceptions and stigma.
From Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation
Alabama: Silence, Stigma Still Mark HIV (April 21, 2009)
In CDC HIV/Hepatitis/STD/TB Prevention News Update, from U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Stigma and Homophobia: Fueling the Fire (Spring 2009)
To read PDF, click here.
In Achieve, from ACRIA and GMHC
IRIN/PlusNews Examines Stigma Surrounding HIV-Positive Pregnant Women (January 28, 2009)
In Kaiser Daily HIV/AIDS Report, from Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation
Bill to Implant Microchips in "Sexually Aggressive" HIV-Positive People in Indonesian Province Generates Support, Criticism (November 25, 2008)
In Kaiser Daily HIV/AIDS Report, from Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation
Anti-Gay Oppression Undermines Prevention Efforts Targeting MSM Around the World (July/August 2008)
To read PDF, click here.
In GMHC Treatment Issues, from Gay Men's Health Crisis
Stigma Still Clings to HIV-Positive Women in United States, Survey Finds (March 31, 2008)
From amfAR, The Foundation for AIDS Research
U.S. HIVers Still Discriminated Against by Health Care Professionals, Study Finds (January 22, 2008)
From aidsmap.com
How We Talk About HIV: A Blog Entry by Terri Wilder, M.S.W. (December 1, 2007)
From Terri Wilder
Nobody's Being Buried Alive, Says Papua New Guinea AIDS Committee (September 13, 2007)
In Kaiser Daily HIV/AIDS Report, from Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation
HIVers Buried Alive in Papua New Guinea (August 28, 2007)
From Agence France-Presse
HIV Stigma and Rates of Infection: A Rumour Without Evidence (November 3, 2006)
In Kaiser Daily HIV/AIDS Report, from Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation
The Battle Against AIDS in Africa: Behind the Pain, There's Hope (September 21, 2006)
In The Independent
Personal Perspective: Stigma in Zambia (Fall 2006)
To read PDF, click here.
In ACRIA Update, from AIDS Community Research Initiative of America
"HIV Does Not Define Me" (November/December 2005)
Jim Pickett has embraced his role as an HIV-positive public speaker, but he loathes people who treat him like little more than a walking virus.
To read PDF, click here.
In Positively Aware, from Test Positive Aware Network
HIV Stigma and the Limits of Antiretroviral Treatment (August 25, 2005)
As HIV treatment access spreads across the developing world, the need to address the psychological impact of HIV becomes more clear, writes Oni Blackstock, M.D.
In New England Journal of Medicine
Man Mistakenly Told He Had HIV Speaks Out About Experience (October 10, 2004)
Jim Malone offers a poignant glimpse into the impact an HIV diagnosis has on a person's life -- and on the brutal role HIV stima still plays in the United States today.
In The New England Journal of Medicine
Sorry, Doom-and-Gloomers, but It Doesn't Always Suck to Live With HIV (September 2004)
Living with HIV has its ups and its downs, says Chicago AIDS advocate Jim Pickett -- so why do so many people in HIV prevention make it sound like a living hell?.
From HIV Stops With Me
Stigma of AIDS Is Helping to Spread Epidemic (August 30, 2004)
Scientists may know more about HIV/AIDS today than ever before, writes Vincent J. Lynch, Ph.D., but myths and misinformation continue to threaten both HIV-positive and -negative people in the United States.
To read PDF, click here.
In STEP Ezine, from Seattle Treatment Education Project
Cruising With Lazarus: Fear, Loathing and Discrimination in Las Vegas (March/April 2004)
Examples of how HIV stigma is still very much alive and well in the United States.
In Survival News, from AIDS Survival Project
HIV/AIDS in Its Second Decade: Stigma and Death (August 12, 2003)
In STEP Ezine, from Seattle Treatment Education Project