Back to: HIV Stigma Workshop Kit
One of the most powerful ways to reduce stigma is simply to talk about HIV. Silence allows myths and fear to grow, and dialogue helps normalize HIV and create an open-minded service delivery environment. Many harm reduction communities don’t talk about HIV enough especially in smaller urban, rural, and remote areas. By bringing HIV into everyday conversation, we help dismantle stigma. The key is to provide accurate, simple information and to answer questions openly, even if it means following up later.
Why it matters – Dialogue about HIV and widely sharing key messages helps people understand how the harms of HIV can be prevented and treated. Reducing the harms of HIV through open communication can reduce the harms of stigma.
How to do it
In this kit, we’ve provided HIV information in the HIV Knowledge Essentials module. A newer harm reduction worker in the learning stage might find in convenient to refer to this section on their mobile phone during an outreach encounter when community members might have questions about HIV. And of course regular internet searches or organizational training material also works.
A person can also create awareness by building and hosting their own local community stigma reduction workshop. This kit provides resources in the “Build Your Own Workshop” module.
For people in the early stages of learning about HIV, memorizing and communicating key messages about HIV is an excellent place to start and then build from…
- Is a virus that attacks the immune system.
- Can be transmitted through vaginal or anal sex without a condom with someone who has HIV.
- Can be transmitted through sharing needles, syringes, or drug use injecting equipment with someone who has HIV.
- Can be transmitted to a child from a mother who has HIV during pregnancy, childbirth, or breastfeeding.
- Has no cure but can be managed through treatment to prevent AIDS.
- Is preventable.
- Cannot be passed from someone who is undetectable (U=U)
EXPLORE MORE
HIV & AIDS Awareness Resources (Government of Canada)
HIV Basics (CATIE)
Communicating U=U: From Awareness to Confidence (CATIE)
Build Your Own Resource (CATIE)
Indigenous AIDS Awareness Day/Week (CAAN) – An example of how to create awareness
Infographic Library (Village Lab)