Stigma and Support

HIV stigma and discrimination are major issues affecting people living with HIV.

HIV stigma is a 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;

Social Stigma: Fear of rejection, isolation, or negative reactions from family, friends, partners, or community due to HIV status.

Internalized Stigma: PLHIV may feel shame, guilt, or self-blame about their status.

Healthcare Stigma: Some healthcare providers may hold biases, impacting care quality or leading to denial of services.

Workplace and Education Stigma: Fear of disclosure due to potential job loss, discrimination, or bullying.

While stigma refers to an attitude or beliefs, discrimination is the behaviors that result from those attitudes or beliefs. HIV discrimination is the act of treating people living with HIV. 

Here are a few examples;

Fear of Disclosure: Students might fear disclosing their HIV status due to potential bullying, isolation, or discrimination from peers or educators.

Access to Education: Discrimination could impact a student’s ability to attend school, participate in activities, or access support services.

Stigma and Bullying: Students with HIV might experience stigma bullying, or social exclusion from peers.

A healthcare professional refusing to provide care or services to a person living with HIV.

Refusal of 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.

Factors causing stigma and discrimination against people with HIV

• Misconception about HIV transmission: Fear of HIV transmission due to limited knowledge or myths about HIV spread.
• Cultural or Religious Beliefs: Some cultures or religions may attach stigma to HIV due to association with behaviors like sex work, drug use, or perceived “immoral” actions.
• Lack of awareness about HIV treatment and prevention: Limited understanding of HIV treatment ( like antiretroviral therapy) and prevention strategies contributes to fear and stigma.
• Fear of Death or Illness: Historical associations of HIV with severe illness and death contribute to ongoing stigma.
• Stigma tied to Modes of Transmission: HIV stigma may be linked to behaviors like sexual activity or drug use.

HOW TO SUPPORT SOMEONE WITH HIV?

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 medical care and treatment. People newly diagnosed with HIV may struggle to seek medical care at first, but the most important step for their health is to start treatment right away. Taking HIV medicine consistently can lower the virus in the blood to an undetectable level—meaning it can’t be found on standard tests. When someone maintains an undetectable viral load, they can live a long, healthy life and cannot transmit HIV to their HIV-negative partners through sex. Encourage loved ones to see a doctor quickly, start treatment, and stay in care. If they don’t have an HIV provider, you can help them find one using HIV care locator services. Financial assistance programs are also available for treatment and care.

Support medication adherence. It’s important for people with HIV to take their HIV medicine exactly as prescribed. 

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.

MENTAL HEALTH RESOURCES

 National Center for Mental Health (NCMH) Crisis Hotline

Landline (toll-free): 1553 Self Help+2World Health Organization+2

Cellphone: 0917-899-8727, 0966-351-4518, or 0908-639-2672 Self Help+1

HOPELINE / Natasha Goulbourn Foundation(02) 8804-4673; 0917-558-4673; 0918-873-4673; 2919 (Globe & TM toll-free) Silakbo PH+2anxiety-gone.com+2 In Touch Community Services

Hotline: (02) 8893-7603; 0917-800-1123 (Globe); 0922-893-8944 (Sun) Silakbo PH+2In Touch Community Services+2

Tawag Paglaum – Centro Bisaya (for emotional crisis intervention)

Smart / Sun / TNT: 0939-937-5433 / 0939-936-5433; Globe / TM: 0927-654-162

Organizations & Support Services

Philippine Mental Health Association, Inc. (PMHA)

Offers advocacy, education, intervention, research, counseling and support. Philippine Mental Health Association+1

MentalHealthPH A nonprofit that provides directories of mental health facilities, awareness-campaigns, support networks. MentalHealthPH Heads Up PH (Unilab Foundation)

Works with communities, schools, and youth; does prevention, detection, referral, and advocacy. My Site

In Touch Community Services Besides hotlines, they provide subsidized counseling, psychosocial support, etc. In Touch Community Services+1

UGAT Foundation, Inc. Offers psycho-social interventions, family therapy, workshops and services especially for underserved areas. ugatfoundation.com

World Association for Psychosocial Rehabilitation (WAPR) Philippines Focuses on integrating mental health in general health care, especially in remote and disaster-affected areas. wapr-philippines.com+1