• Topic
• Chronic health issues >> HIV >> Prejudice, stigma and discrimination >> Prejudice, stigma and discrimination

Prejudice, stigma and discrimination 

• Clip
• Chronic health issues >> HIV >> Aged 46-55 >> Interview 01 >> Explains that listening to others can begin to break down prejudices.

A long term survivor who has done a considerable amount of voluntary work in Aids, uses complementary health approaches, and is concerned about HIV discrimination and stigma.

• Chronic health issues >> HIV >> Aged 20-30 >> Interview 49 >> Being so young he felt that older people with HIV did not understand him.

Clint progressed to Aids defining illnesses relatively quickly. Fortunately, combination therapy had come in by then, and his original combination (Combivir, efavirenz and nelfinavir) is still effective today.

• Chronic health issues >> HIV >> Aged 41-45 >> Interview 10 >> He belongs to many minorities and has to challenge prejudices.

Today, he has considerable support from friends and family, and takes a combination of anti-retroviral drugs with few side effects (abacavir, 3TC, Kaletra). He is now in good health except for occasional chest infections.

• Chronic health issues >> HIV >> Aged 46-55 >> Interview 38 >> Some of his neighbours in a small English village are still ignorant about HIV.

Although he has developed a lot of resistance to anti-HIV drugs, he is currently doing well on T20, TMC114 (as part of a trial), FTC, tenofovir and abacavir, and has an undetectable viral load.

• Chronic health issues >> HIV >> Aged 36-40 >> Interview 06 >> HIV positive can be judged as having been 'promiscuous', which is unfair.

He is currently receiving psychotherapy, mainly for his HIV diagnosis and sexual assault. On benefits, he keeps himself busy, and is positive about life and returning to work.

• Condition
• Chronic health issues >> HIV >> HIV

Publication date: November 2006          Last updated: September 2010

Review date: September 2012

 

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection attacks the body's immune system. We interviewed 50 people about their experiences of HIV infection. Select from the key topics below, choose from the full list of topics, or explore all the interviews.