Stigma and

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• Stigma and
• Discrimination
• As related to HIV/AIDS.

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• Aims Participants will be able to understand the
  connection between stigma around HIV and AIDS
  and discrimination in church and communities.

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• Objectives by the end of this session,
  participants should be able to
• Define stigma and discrimination.
• Discuss the causes and consequent situation of
  HIV/AIDS associated to stigma and discrimination.

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• To be able to tell how HIV/AIDS related
  discrimination affects people living with
  HIV/AIDS or those perceived to be living with
  HIV/AIDS.

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• To be able to tell how HIV/AIDS related
  discrimination affects people living with
  HIV/AIDS or those perceived to be living with
  HIV/AIDS.
• Able to explain how HIV/AIDS related stigma and
  discrimination affect people who stigmatize and
  discriminate those living with HIV/AIDS.

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• Able to develop a possible plan of action for
  addressing stigma in the church or community.
• To work individually and collectively to
  recognise, be aware, stop or reduce stigma.

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• Introduction It has been made clear that
  stigma and discrimination associated with HIV
  and AIDS are the greatest barriers to preventing
  further infections, providing adequate care and
  treatment and alleviating (the) impact (of HIV
  and AIDS). UNAIDS, 2002.

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• Stigma and discrimination connected to HIV and
  AIDS are almost as old as the epidemic itself.
  Stigma and discrimination are one of the three
  phases of the AIDS epidemic. The first is the
  silent spread of HIV throughout the church or
  society.

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• Second, is the rising number of HIV positive
  people whose health deteriorates and are
  eventually diagnoses with AIDS. However, it is
  the third phase of the epidemic, the spread of
  stigma, discrimination, collective denial and
  blame that may be the most damaging of the three
  on the church or societys health.

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• Definition of stigma
• An undesirable or discrediting attribute that a
  person or group possesses that results in the
  reduction of that persons or groups status in
  the eyes of the church or community.

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• It is a social label that radically changes the
  way individuals view themselves and are viewed by
  others.
• Stigma is a destroyed identity. To stigmatize is
  to label someone to see them as inferior because
  of an attribute they have

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• Three types of stigma
• Self-stigma is self hatred, shame, blame people
  feel they are being judged by others so they
  isolate themselves. PLWHAs practices self
  stigma or isolate from families, church members
  and communities.
• Felt stigma is perceptions or feeling towards
  PLWHAs.
• Enacted stigma or discrimination.

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• Stigma comes in many
• forms
• Labelling.
• Self Isolating .
• Gossiping.
• Ridicule .

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• Making assumptions.
• Suspecting.
• Teasing.
• Neglecting.
• Scapegoating.
• Finger pointing.

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• Name calling .
• Rejecting.
• Blaming .
• Separation.
• Rumour.
• Hiding.
• Backbiting.
• Staying at a distance.

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• Judging.
• Harassment.
• Shaming.
• Physical violence.
• Utensils not shared.
• Abuse.

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• The Causes of Stigma and Discrimination.
• Desire to judge others.
• Lack of experience or limited understanding.
• Unfair or unreasonable opinion (prejudice)
  towards PLWHA.
• Gender insensitivity.
• Poverty.
• Inferiority and superiority complex.

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• Misconceptions
• Ignorance lack of knowledge/fear of
  transmission and infection
• Morality questions on PLWHAs
• Women, children and the poor are more stigmatized
  than the man and the rich

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• Consequences the consequences of stigma and
  discrimination against those infected and
  affected with HIV/AIDS negatively impact them by
  
• Creating emotional trauma of scorn.
• Rejection, adding to the existing burden of
  illness.

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• Delaying access to needed services
• Anger
• Violence
• Withdrawn from public activities even from church
  membership
• Become very quiet

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• Commit suicide or tend to think of suicide.
• Die alone without love
• Feel unproductive/useless not contributing.
• Forced to leave community or town.
• Develop attitude that destroyed family.
• Separation or divorce.
• Kicked or fired from work.

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• Loss of promotion, scholarship opportunities,
  reeled accommodation
• Decline in school performance or drop out of
  school
• Abuse or poor treatment by relatives

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• AIDS orphans and street kids.
• Deprived of medical/health care, start arguing
  that this is a waste of resources.
• Sent back to the village (home town).

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• Property grabbing
• Quarrels within the family argue over who is
  responsible for this situation and who will take
  care of the sick PLWHA
• Stops to use clinics, VCT and Home Based Care
  programs
• No treatment
• Spread of infection

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• Ways to reduce stigma and discrimination.
• Sensitization campaign.
• Strengthen antidiscrimination and protective laws
  that protect vulnerable groups and PLWHAs.
• Advocacy campaigns to educate people about how
  HIV/AIDS is transmitted and not transmitted.

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• Establish voluntary counselling and testing
  services.
• Provide care and support to PLWHA to avoid self
  stigma.
• Routine counselling of PLWHA to avoid self
  rejection and feeling of guilt.

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• Cautions.
• Separate kitchen utensils for patients with
  tuberculosis.
• Giving light work to PLWHAs at their places of
  employment.
• Delivering positive mothers in a special manner.

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• Questions
• and
• Comments

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• Akwai
• Tambaya?

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• Thank You
• For Your
• Participation.