What is HIV and AIDS?

“Prejudice springs from ignorance”
Chinese Proverb
(Source: The Pocket Oxford Dictionary and Wikipedia)
We grow up with different prejudices. These prejudices may have been
influenced by family, friends, what we have read, what we have heard and what
we have seen. Everyday, whether consciously or unconsciously we judge people
based on these prejudices.
There is much stigma and discrimination surrounding HIV
and AIDS.
Reasons for stigma include:
Fear of death and disease.
Ignorance – lack of knowledge of HIV and AIDS.
Belief in myths and inaccurate knowledge.
Moral judgments on sex and drug use.
Don’t believe the facts. Information is received but not
internalised.
Section 5: Stigma and Discrimination
Definitions
Prejudice – preconceived opinion or bias can be against or in favour of.
Stigma - a stigma is an attribute, behavior, or reputation which is socially discrediting in a
particular way: it causes an individual to be mentally classified by others in an undesirable,
rejected stereotype rather than in an accepted, normal one.
Discrimination - unfair treatment of a person or group on the basis of prejudice.
Because of the modes of HIV transmission, moral judgments
of people living with HIV are common. The activities
associated with HIV transmission, sex and drug use in
particular are considered taboo and are difficult to discuss,
leading to stereotypes of people living with HIV, e.g. “they are
all prostitutes and drug users.” HIV is then frequently
regarded as “punishment” for engaging in these types of
activities. That is why the language we use when discussing
HIV and AIDS is so important. Language can perpetuate
What’s the difference
between stigma and
discrimination?
Stigma is to do with
attitudes and thoughts.
E.g. “Your skin is so
beautiful and white, not
like your sister’s, hers is
dark and rough”.
Discrimination are the
actions that manifest
because of stigma, e.g.
refusing a person medical
treatment because they
are HIV positive.
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