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via BLackDoctor:

A national epidemic like HIV should make you look up and pay attention. Unfortunately, many people are looking everywhere except where they should. They are looking with judgment at others, they are looking with pity at statistics, and they are even looking with paranoia over their shoulders.

But one of the ugly monsters that contribute to the rise in HIV is the oppressive, stigmatizing language we use to talk about the people living with it. And like many who unknowingly sustain oppression and racism in our culture, when it comes to HIV and stigma, we rarely look where we should: in the mirror.

Even if your HIV status is negative or undetectable, you have a responsibility to eliminate stigma. According to the Centers for Disease Control, negative attitudes and discriminatory behavior toward people living with HIV can make them less likely to get tested or seek treatment. This is because stigma causes isolation, feelings of shame and fear of disclosing one’s status. Hence, stigma is a contributor to the overall rise or stagnation in HIV diagnoses. That should set off all of our alarm bell

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