Discrimination against people with HIV/AIDS is when someone is discriminated against, oppressed or otherwise treated unfairly for their real or perceived diagnosis as HIV-positive.
AIDS stigma exists around the world in a variety of ways, including ostracism, rejection, discrimination and avoidance of HIV infected people; compulsory HIV testing without prior consent or protection of confidentiality; violence against HIV infected individuals or people who are perceived to be infected with HIV; and the quarantine of HIV infected individuals.[1] Stigma-related violence or the fear of violence prevents many people from seeking HIV testing, returning for their results, or securing treatment, possibly turning what could be a manageable chronic illness into a death sentence and perpetuating the spread of HIV.[2]
AIDS stigma has been further divided into the following three categories:
- Instrumental AIDS stigma—a reflection of the fear and apprehension that are likely to be associated with any deadly and transmissible illness.[3]
- Symbolic AIDS stigma—the use of HIV/AIDS to express attitudes toward the social groups or lifestyles perceived to be associated with the disease.[3]
- Courtesy AIDS stigma—stigmatization of people connected to the issue of HIV/AIDS or HIV- positive people.[4]
Often, AIDS stigma is expressed in conjunction with one or more other stigmas, particularly those associated with homosexuality, bisexuality, promiscuity, prostitution, and intravenous drug use.[citation needed]
In many developed countries, there is an association between AIDS and homosexuality or bisexuality, and this association is correlated with higher levels of sexual prejudice such as anti-homosexual attitudes.[5] There is also a perceived association between AIDS and all male-male sexual behavior, including sex between uninfected men.[3]
Some forms of serious discrimination can include: being expelled from school, being denied housing, having to pay extra rent, and taking away their jobs.
See also
Research
Current research has found that discrimination against people living with HIV is a contributing factor for delayed initiation of HIV treatment.[6] As many as 20-40% of Americans who are HIV+ do not begin a care regimen within the first 6 months after diagnosis.[7] When individuals begin treatment late in the progression of HIV (when CD4+ T cell counts are below 500 cells/µL), they have 1.94 times the risk of mortality compared to those whose treatment is initiated when CD4+ T cells are still about 500 cells/µL.[8] In a 2011 study published in AIDS Patient Care and STDs (sample size 215), most of the barriers to care described involve stigma and shame.[9] The most common reasons of not seeking treatment are “I didn’t want to tell anyone I was HIV-positive”, “I didn’t want to think about being HIV-positive”, and “I was too embarrassed/ashamed to go”.[10] The presence and perpetuation of HIV stigma prevents many who are able to obtain treatment from feeling comfortable with addressing their health status.[11]
References
- ^ "The impact of AIDS on people and societies" (PDF). 2006 Report on the global AIDS epidemic. UNAIDS. 2006. http://data.unaids.org/pub/GlobalReport/2006/2006_GR_CH04_en.pdf. Retrieved 2006-06-14.
- ^ Ogden J, Nyblade L (2005). "Common at its core: HIV-related stigma across contexts" (PDF). International Center for Research on Women. http://www.icrw.org/docs/2005_report_stigma_synthesis.pdf. Retrieved 2007-02-15.
- ^ a b c Herek GM, Capitanio JP (1999). "AIDS Stigma and sexual prejudice" (PDF). American Behavioral Scientist 42 (7): 1130–1147. doi:10.1177/0002764299042007006. http://psychology.ucdavis.edu/rainbow/html/abs99_sp.pdf. Retrieved 2006-03-27.
- ^ Snyder M, Omoto AM, Crain AL (1999). "Punished for their good deeds: stigmatization for AIDS volunteers". American Behavioral Scientist 42 (7): 1175–1192. doi:10.1177/0002764299042007009.
- ^ Herek GM, Capitanio JP, Widaman KF (2002). "HIV-related stigma and knowledge in the United States: prevalence and trends, 1991-1999" (PDF). Am J Public Health 92 (3): 371–7. doi:10.2105/AJPH.92.3.371. PMC 1447082. PMID 11867313. http://psychology.ucdavis.edu/rainbow/html/ajph2002.pdf. Retrieved 2008-03-10.
- ^ Pharris et al. (2011). "Community patterns of stigma towards persons living with HIV: A population based latent class analysis from rural Vietnam". BMC Public Health. 705 11.
- ^ Mugavero MJ. (2008). "Improving engagement in HIV care: What can we do?". Top HIV Med 16: 156–161.
- ^ Panel on Antiretroviral Guidelines for Adults and Adolescents (October 14, 2011). "Guidelines for the use of antiretroviral agents in HIV-1-infected adults and adolescents". Department of Health and Human Services.
- ^ Pollini, Robin A.; Estela Blanco, Carol Crump, Maria Zuniga (2011). "A community-based study of barriers to HIV care initiation". AIDS Patient Care and STDs. 601-09.
- ^ Pollini, Robin A.; Estela Blanco, Carol Crump, Maria Zuniga (2011). "A community-based study of barriers to HIV care initiation". AIDS Patient Care and STDs. 601-09.
- ^ Pollini, Robin A.; Estela Blanco, Carol Crump, Maria Zuniga (2011). "A community-based study of barriers to HIV care initiation". AIDS Patient Care and STDs. 601-09.