Overcoming stigma

HIV/AIDS at one level is a matter of intense shame and stigma. Individuals and whole communities are unwilling to accept the seriousness of the problem, or its causation.

There has certainly been a culture of ‘denial', and this may continue. Increasingly, however, HIV/AIDS has become a matter of major public concern and discussion.

In most countries now the public media every day contains discussions of causes and effects of HIV/AIDS.

Political leadership can be critical in setting the public mood and leading public attitudes to a more open and less ‘blaming' stance (see geography pages for more information). New public institutions have been created to deal with aspects of the problems created by the epidemic. In many countries a National AIDS Commission has been created to be a central point within government for coordinating and implementing medical and educational interventions (see control pages for more information).

The knowledge/behaviour gap

However, despite all that propaganda and much better knowledge about HIV/AIDS among the general population, there is not much evidence that people are changing their sexual behaviour. There is a very wide knowledge/behaviour gap that needs to be closed if prevalence rates are to fall.

People are certainly increasingly aware of what HIV/AIDS is and what causes it; but are they willing to change their behaviour to take account of their knowledge?

Efforts to close the gap are intensifying everywhere, and take many forms: from in-school curriculum changes, to public information campaigns, focused on high risk groups (such as young people, prostitutes, migrant workers or truck drivers) as well as the general public. These directly address cultural and social ‘norms', often with considerable public scepticism, if not downright resistance.

The photo on the left shows one of these campaigns. Click on the image to see a bigger version.