In medicine, stigmas can have deadly results. Take for example HIV: fears about the perceptions of being HIV positive has caused some people to avoid getting tested for the disease. The CDC estimates that 20% of people with HIV are unaware of their condition because they have not been tested.
Early testing leads to early treatment, and in the case of HIV patients, that means better long-term prognoses. Now, a community in North Carolina is trying to fight the stigma with a advertising campaign. The campaign will feature television commercials and print media that will convey the message that HIV positive individuals are deserving of the same respect and human rights as any other members of society.
Additionally, the group will attempt to gather 5,000 signatures from community members as a way of showing AIDS patients that they have the community’s support. It will be interesting to see if the rates of HIV testing go up after the campaign launches. If so, there is a case to be made for this to be replicated in other communities where stigmas hinder testing rates.
In the news, see these two local news stories.
