A Disease in Disguise: Addressing the Stigma of HIV/AIDS and Its Repercussions in Healthcare

Abstract

Since its discovery as the virus that causes AIDS in 1983, HIV has had a considerable amount of stigma attached to it. Originally, little was known about the virus and its transmission besides the fact that it causes a deadly disease, so it became heavily stigmatized. Despite the fact that many treatments for the virus now exist, its stigma still persists. This paper is based on ethnographic research of patients and healthcare workers at various HIV clinics in the United States. It delves into how HIV became stigmatized and how it currently manifests in healthcare systems and the behaviors of health professionals. Furthermore, it examines how medical innovations, specifically various medications, have affected the stigma of HIV. Finally, it assesses existing approaches to reduce stigma in healthcare settings and makes suggestions on how to improve them.