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Stigma keeps thousands of people
with HIV from disclosing their status, fearing a loss of employment, friends or
a significant other. And it keeps others from getting early testing and
treatment, which can help prevent HIV’s spread.
More than one in five Massachusetts
residents with HIV report they “work hard” to keep their infection secret from
everyone, according to a 2009 Harvard Law School’s Health Law and Policy Clinic
study. Nearly half of the 284 people with HIV surveyed had not disclosed their
HIV status to anyone outside the immediate family. About 30 percent reported
recent poor treatment by health care providers or stigma from doctors and
support staff. Some reported unwanted disclosure of their HIV status.
Lingering myths contribute to
stigma, leading some people to avoid those with HIV. In a 2011 Kaiser Family
Foundation survey of almost 2,600 Americans, 18 percent report they would not
feel comfortable working with a person who has HIV. Almost 30 percent would not
want their child to have a teacher with HIV. Nearly half would not want food
prepared by someone with HIV.
“Some who used to be active in our
organization are pulling away,” said Rebecca Haag, president of the AIDS Action
Committee of Massachusetts. “They tell me they don’t want HIV to be their
primary label on the job or when they’re dating someone new.”
Such attitudes are one barrier to
testing for people at risk of infection, said HIV specialists. However, another
barrier was removed last month, when a new Massachusetts law was implemented to
allow verbal consent for HIV testing. “We pushed for this law to try to
normalize testing for HIV,” said Haag.
The Friends of AIDS Foundation is
dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for HIV positive individuals and
empowering people to make healthy choices to prevent the spread of the HIV
virus. To learn more about The Friends of AIDS Foundation, please visit: http://www.friendsofaids.org.
TOGETHER WE REMAIN STRONG!
