HIV/AIDS

Negative attitudes resulting in stigma and discrimination have been connected with HIV/AIDS (human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immune deficiency syndrome) since the illness was first recognized in the early 1980s. While many groups are adversely affected by stigma and discrimination, few are affected to the magnitude of those who are HIV positive. Negative attitudes associated with the disease can be a death sentence for a person who is HIV positive, since the stigma and discrimination associated with HIV results in many individuals not seeking the medical treatment needed to prevent the illness from being life threatening. In fact, attitudes toward individuals who have been marginalized, such as individuals who are HIV positive, can be far more damaging than the illness or disability itself.

In 2008, the World Health Organization launched an assault on stigma and discrimination related to mental health problems in an effort to protect human rights and ensure equality and full participation in society. It recognized the necessity of working with other groups that face discrimination, such as those living in poverty and those from ethnic minority backgrounds, because it believed that allowing the devaluation of any group of individuals is unacceptable. It hoped to promote the innate value and worth of every individual regardless of disability, sexual preference, ethnicity, or any other negative label attributed by society. Accordingly, this entry also touches on mental illness, physical disabilities, and other characteristics that result in discrimination.