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Marking Zero HIV Stigma Day: how HIV Confident is helping organisations turn awareness into action
Over the last 40 years, extraordinary progress has transformed the outlook for people living with HIV. Treatment means people can live long, healthy lives, and when HIV is undetectable it cannot be passed on sexually (U=U). Yet stigma continues to persist and remains one of the largest barriers to a better quality of life for people living with HIV. It continues to shape people’s experiences at work, in healthcare, in housing and across local services.
That is why Zero HIV Stigma Day on 21 July matters. It is a global call to move beyond awareness and take practical action to challenge the myths, policies and everyday behaviours that leave people living with HIV feeling excluded or unsafe. This mission is at the heart of the HIV Confident charter mark: helping organisations build communities where people living with HIV are welcomed, respected and protected from stigma.
What does an HIV Confident community look like?
An HIV Confident community is one where people understand the facts about HIV, challenge stigma when they see it, and make sure no one is excluded because of their status. The HIV Confident charter mark programme shows that stigma is not inevitable. It is created and sustained by outdated beliefs, misinformation and the absence of visible policies that protect people living with HIV.
Our latest report highlights why organisational action is still urgently needed:
- Many people still wrongly believe HIV can be passed through everyday contact
- At least a third of staff working in healthcare did not agree with, or did not know how they felt about, a statement describing U=U
- 1 in 5 healthcare staff did not know that someone living with HIV can have HIV-negative children
- Stigma continues to affect access to healthcare, fair employment, housing and other local services
The impact of HIV Confident
Over the last three years, the HIV Confident charter mark has helped more than 130 organisations educate staff, strengthen policies and put stigma reporting mechanisms in place. This means staff and service users living with HIV are more likely to feel welcomed, understood and able to raise concerns if stigma occurs.
The programme’s impact is already visible:
- Thousands of people have learned about U=U for the first time
- 14,000+ people have accessed our eLearning modules and 9,000+ have completed our staff surveys
- Agreement that healthcare staff do not need to use extra precautions or different behaviour when caring for a patient living with HIV increased by about 70% after completing HIV Confident eLearning
- When asked, 80% of our respondents said they would like training around HIV stigma, and 80% want this to be mandatory
- Our training has been called “one of the best eLearning sessions”, “the most informative and structured learning I’ve ever done” and “simple, effective and myth busting”.
From confidence to change
Improving knowledge and attitudes is essential, but stigma reduction also depends on confidence. It is crucial that we empower people to challenge myths, use people-first language, identify discriminatory practice and improve organisational systems. These actions must all work together to address stigma from every angle. This is where HIV Confident makes a practical difference, by giving organisations the tools to move from good intentions to measurable action.
Ending stigma is not only an individual responsibility – local authorities, NHS trusts, GP practices, businesses and community organisations all have the power to make a visible commitment to creating environments where people living with HIV can access services and workplaces without fear of stigma.
On 21 July, we are proud to mark Zero HIV Stigma Day by celebrating the progress made through HIV Confident and by calling on more organisations to take part.
Find out how your organisation can become HIV Confident at www.hivconfident.org.uk, or email [email protected], and help build a world that welcomes and respects people living with HIV.