Alex GarnerNovember 22, 2013agarner@nmac.org

HIV Stigma and Discrimination

Webinar

Alex GarnerProgram Coordinator

National Minority AIDS Council

"HIV-related stigma is among the most formidable obstacles for people living with HIV and their advocates. Stigma is a product of misinformation and broad societal acceptance of certain human characteristics or behaviors as inherently bad or spoiling of individual identity. HIV-related stigma is a significant public health problem; it creates very real obstacles for people with HIV in obtaining treatment, housing, education, and employment, all of which are essential to their health. Because HIV and the behaviors or identities associated with it - such as being gay or using drugs - are still stigmatized, confirming or disclosing one's HIV status is still widely perceived as socially dangerous. HIV-related stigma discourages testing and prevention practices, and creates confusion about the routes and relative risks of HIV transmission. HIV-related stigma is also tied to and compounded by stigma and discrimination associated with sex, race and ethnicity, immigration status, poverty, sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression.”

Center for HIV Law and Policy

Understanding and Challenging HIV Stigma: A Toolkit for Action. Stigma Action Network http://www.stigmaactionnetwork.org

HIV Criminalization in FL

HIV-Specific Criminal Laws Sex:  Yes

Organ/Blood/Semen Donation: Yes

Prostitution: Yes

HIV-specific Sentence Enhancement: Yes

STI/communicable disease statute that includes HIV: Yes

General felony laws used against PLWH: Yes

HIV-specific felony law: Yes

STI/communicable disease felony law: Yes

http://hivlawandpolicy.org/states/florida

Older Stigma Messages

Prevention Messages and Stigma

HIV Blame Game

Anticipated Stigma

Findings from a Community-Based Sample of Men Who Have Sex with Men and Transgender Women in New York City:

Overall, 32% of participants had not had an HIV test in the past 6 months. Anticipated stigma was negatively associated with risk perception. In multivariate models, anticipated stigma, risk perception, and younger age were significant predictors of HIV testing behaviors. Anti-HIV stigma campaigns targeting HIV-negative individuals may have the potential to significantly impact social norms around HIV testing and other biomedical strategies, such pre-exposure prophylaxis, at a critical moment for the redefinition of HIV prevention.

Stigma and Prevention In a 2009 Wisconsin case study, among Blacks, male on

male sex accounted for 58% of HIV diagnoses that year. Yet Black gay men only received 19% of targeted tests, and made up only 11% of HIV prevention clients.

Only 27% of HIV education and risk reduction funding was targeted toward MSM, according to a 2011 Centers for Disease Control analysis; 38% was targeted toward high-risk heterosexuals, while 20% was not targeted or was targeted toward other risk groups.

Only 16% of National Institutes of Health funding for HIV that was targeted to a specific risk group was allotted to MSM, according to a 2011 report by the White House Office of National AIDS Policy.

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Sexual Health and Quality of Life

Confronting Stigma

Thank You!

Alex Garneragarner@nmac.org