If public comments on HIV have evolved, if social players all say they are convinced of the need to fight discriminations, real life situations demonstrate every day that being HIV positive is still not only a barrier to integration into society but also a motive of rejection and stigmatisation in the private sphere.

The survey carried out by Sida Info Service in 2002 on the issue very much speaks for itself: 45% of respondents say they were denied access to an insurance or were penalised, 36% were ostracised at work (moral harassment, dismissal, ...) and 33% mention discriminations in the field of health care. All of this "because" of the disease. Statistics thus show that mentalities and "reality" don’t evolve at the same speed, and that some behaviours unjustly offset improvements in diseased peoples’s living conditions as well as longevity.

Whether it is dental care, employment or credit, too often it is needed to "prove oneself acceptable" to have access to it. Is being diseased a misdemeanor? Does being diseased forbid making long term projects?

 

Tired of all this, we decided to address the public and decision makers with this awareness campaign promoting solidarity with affected people, by highlighting some discriminations they suffer from.

 

Strong – or even disturbing – visuals to make people think about attitudes affected people have to face every day of their life.

Four 40x60 posters relating to various types of discrimination people affected by HIV/Aids still suffer from in France today – access to health care, insurance, housing and employment – with "No New Ghetto" as a signature.

 

AIDES network, partners