Sometimes we do not know our behaviours and actions are stigmatising and discriminating. Here are some examples of HIV-related stigma and discrimination in care and support environments.

Stigmatising Language: Using negative or offensive language about HIV. This could include labelling someone as an ‘AIDS patient’ or making insensitive comments about the person living with HIV.

 Avoidance: Avoiding interaction with or providing care to someone living with HIV due to fear of getting HIV, or judging how we think the person may have contracted HIV.

 Assumptions or Judgements: Forming an opinion about someone based on our judgements about their home, their lifestyle, their sexuality, or how they contracted HIV.

 Breaking confidentiality – thinking it is acceptable to share information about someone’s HIV status with others because there is a perceived risk or concern of it being passed on.
Discussing a person’s HIV in the corridor, in an open-plan room or in front of friends and whānau (never assume the person living with HIV has shared this information with others).

Victimisation: Thinking people living with HIV are in ill-health or they are not able to understand their HIV and other health conditions.

 Differential Treatment: Asking a person living with HIV to use separate facilities, eating utensils, plates etc different from others we are caring for. Wearing more PPE or doing extra cleaning and sterilisation than we usually would.
Providing less attention, excluding someone from activities or other people, or isolating someone in a separate room because they are living with HIV.