Dealing with stigma and discrimination

Experiencing stigma and discrimination can be painful.

Below are three general tips that you might find helpful:

1. A good first step in responding to it is to try not to blame yourself. Try to remind yourself that what you’ve experienced is wrong – it should help you to respond constructively to what you’ve experienced.

2. Talking to someone close to you or that you trust about your experiences is also likely to be helpful. HIV support agencies can be very useful at such times.

3. If you’ve been harassed or assaulted, then you might want to contact the police. It’s good to know that your local HIV organisation will be able to help you if you feel you need some advice or support to do that.

It can also be helpful to have information on how to respond to stigma and discrimination should you experience them in certain situations.