When we support people with HIV, we make it easier for them to lead healthy lives. Let’s Stop HIV Together highlights the role that each person plays in stopping HIV stigma and gives voice to people living with HIV, as well as their friends and family. Campaign participants share their stories and call on everyone to work together to stop HIV.

What is HIV stigma?

HIV stigma is negative attitudes and beliefs about people with HIV. It is the prejudice that comes with labeling an individual as part of a group that is believed to be socially unacceptable.

Here are a few examples:

• Believing that only certain groups of people can get HIV
• Making moral judgments about people who take steps to prevent HIV transmission
• Feeling that people deserve to get HIV because of their choices

What is discrimination?

While stigma refers to an attitude or belief, discrimination is the behaviors that result from those attitudes or beliefs. HIV discrimination is the act of treating people living with HIV differently than those without HIV.

Here are a few examples:

• A health care professional refusing to provide care or services to a person living with HIV
• Refusing casual contact with someone living with HIV
• Socially isolating a member of a community because they are HIV positive
• Referring to people as HIVers or Positives

What are the effects of HIV stigma and discrimination?

HIV stigma and discrimination affect the emotional well-being and mental health of people living with HIV. People living with HIV often internalize the stigma they experience and begin to develop a negative self-image. They may fear they will be discriminated against or judged negatively if their HIV status is revealed.

“Internalized stigma” or “self-stigma” happens when a person takes in the negative ideas and stereotypes about people living with HIV and start to apply them to themselves. HIV internalized stigma can lead to feelings of shame, fear of disclosure, isolation, and despair. These feelings can keep people from getting tested and treated for HIV.

What can be done about HIV stigma?

Talk About HIV

Talking openly about HIV can help normalize the subject. It also provides opportunities to correct misconceptions and help others learn more about HIV. But be mindful of how you talk about HIV and people living with HIV.

What Is HIV Stigma?

HIV stigma refers to irrational or negative attitudes, behaviors, and judgments towards people living with or at risk of HIV. It can negatively affect the health and well-being of people living with HIV by discouraging some individuals from learning their HIV status, accessing treatment, or staying in care. HIV stigma can also affect those at risk of HIV by discouraging them from seeking HIV prevention tools and testing, and from talking openly with their sex partners about safer sex options.

Populations disproportionately affected by HIV are also often affected by stigma due to, among other things, their gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, race/ethnicity, drug use, or sex work.

HIV stigma drives acts of discrimination in all sectors of society, including health care, education, the work place, the justice system, families, and communities.

Breaking down HIV stigma is a critical part of ending the HIV epidemic.

What Is Internalized Stigma for People with HIV?

Internalized stigma is when a person with HIV experiences negative feelings or thoughts about themselves due to their HIV status. Almost 8 in 10 adults with HIV receiving HIV medical care in the United States report feeling internalized HIV-related stigma, according to a CDC study. Internalized stigma can lead to depression, isolation, and feelings of shame, and can affect individuals’ ability to stay adherent to their HIV medication. Read more about this and about how people with HIV can reduce internalized stigma.

How Can I Stand Up to HIV-Related Stigma?

You can play an important role in reducing stigma and discrimination by offering support and speaking out to correct myths and stereotypes about HIV that you hear from others.

Learn which words have negative meanings for people at risk for or living with HIV and which are empowering. Be intentional when you choose your words and mindful of how they can affect those around you.

Know how talk about HIV to avoid stigma. The words we use matter. Keep in mind that:

• When talking about HIV, certain words and language may have a negative meaning for people at high risk for HIV or those who have HIV.
• We can do our part to stop HIV stigma by being intentional and thoughtful when choosing our words, and choosing to use supportive—rather than stigmatizing— language when talking about HIV.

Consider using the preferred terms below to avoid promoting stigma and misinformation around HIV.

Know what to do when you witness HIV stigma. The first step to stopping HIV is talking openly about it and addressing stigma head on. It is important to speak up and take action when you witness others behaving in ways that are stigmatizing.

But it can be hard to know what to say or do. Many of us struggle with how best to address HIV stigma and discrimination when we experience it. Check out some tips below for ways to act against stigma in everyday situations.

Scenario:
You arrive to a family reunion picnic with your sister who recently shared with the family that she was diagnosed with HIV. As you make your way around to say hello and offer hugs to family members, your cousin hesitates when greeting your sister, commenting “I’m not going to get it am I?”

What you can do:

• Model positive behavior by hugging your sister.
• Share HIV basics, including facts about how HIV is transmitted. “I’m not sure if you know, but HIV is not spread by hugging, shaking hands, or socially kissing someone who has HIV. HIV can’t survive outside the body.”
• Offer to have a conversation and answer any other questions she might have about HIV.
• Follow up later with an email or text that links to educational resources.

Scenario:
You are dating a new girl and things are getting more serious. You decide that it is time to share with her that you have HIV. When you tell her, she gets angry and says she doesn’t understand why you didn’t just date someone who was already sick.

What you can do:

• Whether you choose to pursue a relationship or not, this is an opportunity to stand up to HIV stigma and raise awareness of how hurtful it can be.
• Acknowledge that you know that learning a partner has HIV can be surprising. But let her know that it wasn’t easy for you to share your status with her because her reaction isn’t unusual.
• Use the opportunity to correct her stigmatizing language. You can say, “It really isn’t appropriate to call people with HIV “sick.” I’d appreciate if you used the phrase “people with HIV” instead.” Let her know that with proper treatment, people with HIV can live long and healthy lives.
• Explain that someone with HIV who takes their HIV medicine as prescribed and gets and keeps an undetectable viral load will not transmit HIV to their sex partners. Encourage her to learn more about HIV and other prevention strategies used when one member of a couple has HIV and the other does not, including condoms and pre-exposure prophylaxis or PrEP.

Scenario:
Your friend gathers you and several other friends to disclose he has HIV. One friend’s first reaction is, “How did you get it and do you know who gave it to you?”

What you can do:

• Redirect the conversation by showing empathy and saying, “We’re just happy you felt comfortable sharing this with us. Do you want to talk more about how you’re feeling?”
• Ask your friend if he has sought treatment. If not, offer to go with your friend to visit his doctor to explore his options for treatment.
• Later, talk to your friend who posed the question and explain that asking about transmission is insensitive. This would be a good time to explain what HIV stigma is and how it can be a barrier to treatment for those with HIV. Try not to pass judgement; instead show empathy as you help them learn more.
• Learning more about HIV is one of the first steps to support your loved one in living a healthy life with HIV. Educate yourself about the basic facts about the virus, how it is transmitted, and treatment options available to those with HIV.

Communicating openly and asking questions about HIV is important to promote learning and understanding of HIV. But remember, we have to do our part in being thoughtful and supportive—rather than stigmatizing or being offensive— in our responses to situations of HIV disclosure or misunderstandings about HIV.

Scenario:
During your weekly basketball league game, the subject comes up of a team member sharing on Facebook that he was going to get an HIV test. This individual is absent from the game this day. Several negative and judgmental comments are expressed by your fellow teammates.

What you can do:

• Share the last time you were tested for HIV and ask him if he’s thought about getting tested, too. Explain that HIV testing is a normal and routine part of health care and knowing your status is important because it helps keep you healthy.
• Explain to the team that they are contributing to HIV stigma when making judgements about people who take steps to prevent HIV transmission. Let them know that these types of stigmatizing remarks can lead people to being afraid of what people will say and less likely to get tested for HIV.

Scenario:
A friend at work remarks to you that another co-worker shouldn’t be participating in the office potluck because he has HIV. How do you respond?

What you can do:

• Respond to your friend’s misconception kindly by explaining the facts. “You don’t need to worry. You can’t get HIV from eating food handled by a person with HIV.
• Help your friend understand that refusing casual contact with someone with HIV is a form a stigma.
• Model positive behavior by eating the food your co-worker with HIV brings to the potluck. Have lunch together regularly and check in with your co-worker to ensure he isn’t feeling isolated.

How Can You Help Someone Who Has Been Newly Diagnosed with HIV?

There are many things you can do to support a friend or loved one who has been recently diagnosed:

• Listen. Being diagnosed with HIV is life-changing news. Listen to your loved one and offer your support. Be available to have open, honest conversations about HIV. Follow the lead of the person who is diagnosed with HIV. They may not want to talk about their diagnosis or may not be ready. They may want to connect with you in the same ways they did before they were diagnosed. Do things you did together before their diagnosis; talk about things you talked about before their diagnosis. Show them that you see them as the same person and that they are more than their diagnosis.

• Learn. Educate yourself about HIV: what it is, how it is and is not transmitted, how it is treated, and how people can stay healthy with HIV. Having a solid understanding of HIV is a big step forward in supporting your loved one and reassuring them that HIV is a manageable health condition. HIV.gov’s HIV Basics pages are an excellent source of information to familiarize yourself with HIV. Have these pages available for your newly diagnosed friend if they want them. Knowledge is empowering, but keep in mind that your friend may not want the information right away.

• Encourage treatment. Some people who are recently diagnosed may find it hard to take that first step to HIV treatment. But there are great benefits to starting treatment as soon as possible after diagnosis. By getting linked to HIV medical care early, starting treatment with HIV medicine (called antiretroviral therapy or ART), adhering to medication, and staying in care, people with HIV can reduce the amount of HIV in their blood to an undetectable level—a level so low that a standard lab test can’t detect it. People with HIV who take HIV medicine exactly as prescribed and get and keep an undetectable viral load can stay live long and healthy lives and will not transmit HIV to their HIV-negative partners through sex. Encourage your loved one to see a doctor and start HIV treatment as soon as possible. If they do not have an HIV health care provider, you can help them find one. Use HIV.gov’s HIV Testing Sites & Care Services Locator to find one nearby. There are also programs that can help with paying for HIV treatment and care.

• Support medication adherence. It’s important for people with HIV to take their HIV medicine exactly as prescribed. Ask your loved one what you can do to support them in establishing a medication routine and sticking to it. Also ask what other needs they might have and how you can help them stay healthy. Learn more about treatment adherence and get tips for sticking to a treatment plan.

• Get support. Take care of yourself and get support if you need it. Turn to others for any questions, concerns, or anxieties you may have, so that the person who is diagnosed can focus on taking care of their own health. But always respect the privacy of the loved one with HIV.

If you are the sexual partner of someone who has been diagnosed with HIV, you should also get tested so that you know your own HIV status. If you test negative, talk to your health care provider about PrEP (pre-exposure prophylaxis), taking HIV medicine to prevent HIV. PrEP is recommended for people at risk of getting HIV, including those who are in a relationship with a partner who has HIV. If you test positive, get connected to HIV treatment and care as soon as possible.

What If a Friend Tells You That They Have HIV?

More than a million people in the United States have HIV, so you may know someone with the virus. If your friend, family member, or co-worker has had HIV for some time and has just told you, here’s how you can be supportive:

• Acknowledge. If someone has disclosed their HIV status to you, thank them for trusting you with their private health information.
• Ask. If appropriate, ask if there’s anything that you can do to help them. One reason they may have chosen to disclose their status to you is that they need an ally or advocate, or they may need help with a particular issue or challenge. Some people are public with this information; other people keep it very private. Ask whether other people know this information, and how private they are about their HIV status.
• Reassure. Let the person know, through your words or actions, that their HIV status does not change your relationship and that you will keep this information private if they want you to.
• Learn. Educate yourself about HIV. Today, people with HIV who take HIV medicine as prescribed can get and keep an undetectable viral load, stay healthy, and will not transmit HIV to their sexual partners. Don’t make assumptions and look to your friend for guidance.

How Can I Help End HIV?

Want to get involved in HIV-related efforts? Here are some ideas:

Reach out to a local HIV service organization. Many HIV service organizations have opportunities for people living with HIV and others to share their time and talents. Depending on the organization, volunteer opportunities may include:

• Assisting with onsite or mobile testing events by being a greeter, registrar, health educator, or HIV tester
• Providing administrative support, such as filing, data entry, or answering phones
• Helping with special events
• Participating in fundraising or advocacy activities
• Providing language skills
• Offering professional services, such as legal assistance or medical care, if licensed

To find a local HIV service organization near you, use HIV.gov’s HIV Testing Sites & Care Services Locator.

Engage with others. Social media tools like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Snapchat offer many opportunities to connect with others who are interested and involved in HIV issues. You can also share information about HIV via these channels to help others learn more.

Get involved in HIV awareness days. Check out our HIV awareness days page to see how you can support national observances to raise awareness and encourage people to get tested for HIV, seek, or return to care.

Learn. Stay abreast of changes in HIV prevention, care, treatment, and research, and learn about new tools or resources. Check out our learning opportunities page to find webinars, conferences, Twitter chats, and other events.

Share what you know. You can make a difference by learning more about HIV and sharing that knowledge with others.Talk to others about testing, how to prevent HIV, the effectiveness of treatment, and the importance of getting and staying in medical care. Use our Basics pages to find answers to questions you or others may have. You can easily share tho se pages on social media or via email using the buttons at the top right side of each page.