What to do in case of exclusion?
Are you being discriminated against because of your HIV infection? Whether at work, in a public authority, in hospital or in a doctor's surgery: you don't just have to put up with it. The contact centre „HIV-related discrimination“ of Deutsche Aidshilfe supports you.
The contact centre is there for you if you want to talk, informs you about complaint options, supports you in your personal decision and also accompanies you through the complaints procedure if you wish. It works closely with the local AIDS service organisations.
In addition to individual counselling, the contact point is also fundamentally committed to reducing discrimination.
Rejection during sex
The study positive voices 2.0 clearly shows how strongly people with HIV are still confronted with rejection: More than half of those surveyed had been rejected at least once during sex in the past twelve months.
It is therefore not surprising that almost half of the people with HIV surveyed find it difficult to talk about their HIV status during sex. Almost 80 per cent generally consider it risky to talk openly about their HIV infection.
Prejudices and myths
„Don't drink from the same cup.“
„HIV-positive people are all irresponsible.“
„You don't grow old with HIV.“
Unfortunately, such prejudices and myths still exist today. However, they have little to do with reality.
Today, people with HIV can lead a good and long life. Although the infection has lost much of its horror thanks to effective therapies and is now considered a chronic disease, HIV treatment also means taking medication for the rest of your life and attending regular medical check-ups.
Above all, however, many HIV-positive people still experience marginalisation and discrimination - and this is precisely the greater burden for many.
What needs to be done?
The good news is that 40 per cent of those surveyed said that they have been able to use the Protection through therapy experience less discrimination.
Protection through therapy means: HIV medication suppresses the multiplication of the virus in the body to such an extent that HIV can no longer be transmitted during sex.
HIV is not transmissible under effective therapy.
Many in the gay community are already aware of this fact - but not everyone is. This makes it all the more important to spread knowledge and make it clear: For people with HIV in Germany, it is usually not HIV itself that is the biggest problem, but marginalisation, rejection and discrimination.
What we want to change together
We from ICH WEISS WAS ICH TU will continue to be:
- raise awareness of discrimination against people with HIV, including in the gay community
- help to reduce the stigmatisation of people with HIV
- Making discriminatory structures visible, breaking them down and changing them
- show real and authentic pictures of life with HIV
- Strengthen solidarity with stigmatised and discriminated groups
