Someone living with HIV/AIDS, you may experience prejudice, or stigma (when someone tries to make you feel bad or ashamed). Too many people still don’t understand how the virus is spread, and a social stigma is attached to many of the communities that have been most affected by AIDS. AIDS has been wrongly associated with the lifestyles of so-called “high-risk groups,” rather than with risky activities. Add to this the misconceptions that HIV is easily spread and that testing HIV positive means you’re on the verge of death, and it makes some people feel that those living with HIV/AIDS are dangerous.
Whether you’re gay or not, you may have to deal with homophobia - fear and hatred of lesbians and gay men. If you are lesbian, gay, or bisexual, or if you don’t label yourself in any of these ways but have sex with members of the same sex, homophobia can hurt you in a very personal way.
If you are straight, you may find it difficult to use the services of AIDS groups which mostly serve the gay community. And you may resent people being prejudiced against you because they think you are something that you aren’t, especially if you dislike or fear homosexuality yourself.
The stigma associated with HIV/AIDS is much broader than homophobia. Gender, class, cultural beliefs, language, education, ability, etc., all affect how easily people can use services. If you are not connected to people who are affected by HIV or AIDS, you may find it difficult to get information and support.