Despite tremendous advances in HIV treatment and prevention, HIV-related stigma persists, which is why the language and terms we use to describe HIV and AIDS as well as people living with HIV matter. Certain words can help foster positive attitudes about people living with HIV while other words and phrases we choose can fuel stereotypes, stigma and discrimination.
“People-first language” is one way of reducing stigma because it focuses on the person instead of the person’s health status or disability. Rather than use labels to define individuals with health issues, it is more appropriate to use terminology that describes people as having been diagnosed with an illness or disorder. This type of language is often used in other health-related contexts. For example, in the context of diabetes, rather than referring to someone as a “diabetic,” it is more appropriate to say “a person living with diabetes.” Similarly, instead of referring to a person as “mentally ill,” it is more appropriate to say “a person living with a mental health condition” or “a person living with depression.”
The concept of people-first language was first introduced in 1983 when a group of HIV activists created “The Denver Principles,” a self-empowerment manifesto that includes the following:
“We condemn attempts to label us as ‘victims,’ which implies defeat, and we are only occasionally ‘patients,’ which implies passivity, helplessness, and dependence upon the care of others. We are ‘people with AIDS.’”
Being referred to as “infected” or a “patient” or identified as a disease is exhausting and unnecessary. Emphasizing the individual living with HIV, rather than the virus itself, helps to eliminate generalizations and stereotypes and presents a more respectful portrayal of a person.
The preferred non-stigmatizing language guidelines that follow were created for and by people living with HIV. Click here to download a PDF.
| Stigmatizing Language | Preferred Language |
|---|
| HIV infected person HIV or AIDS patient AIDS or HIV carrier Positives or HIVers | Person living with HIV or PLHIV. Do not use “infected” when referring to a person. Use “people first language,” which emphasizes the person, not their diagnosis |
| Died of AIDS, to die of AIDS | Died of AIDS-related illness, died of AIDS-related complications or end stage HIV |
| AIDS virus | HIV (AIDS is a diagnosis not a virus—it cannot be transmitted) |
| Full-blown AIDS | There is no medical definition for this phrase—simply use the term AIDS, or Stage 3 HIV |
| HIV virus | This is redundant; use HIV |
| Zero new infections | Zero new HIV acquisitions or transmissions |
| HIV infections | HIV transmissions, diagnosed with HIV, PLHIV |
| HIV infected | Living with or diagnosed with HIV, contracted or acquired HIV |
| Number of infections | Number diagnosed with HIV, number of HIV acquisitions |
| Became infected | Contracted, acquired, diagnosed with |
| HIV-exposed infant | Infant exposed to HIV |
| Serodiscordant couple | Serodifferent, magnetic or mixed status couple |
| Mother to child transmission | Vertical transmission or perinatal transmission |
| Victim, innocent victim, sufferer, contaminated, infected | Person living with HIV, survivor, warrior (Do not use “infected” when referring to a person) |
| AIDS orphans | Children orphaned by loss of parents/guardians who died of AIDS related complications |
| AIDS test | HIV test (AIDS is a diagnosis, there is not an AIDS test) |
| To catch AIDS, to contract AIDS, transmit AIDS, to catch HIV | An AIDS diagnosis, developed AIDS, to contract HIV (AIDS is a diagnosis, which cannot be passed from one person to the next) |
| Compliant | Adherent |
| Prostitute or prostitution | Sex worker, sale of sexual services, transactional sex |
| Promiscuous | This is a value judgment and should be avoided, instead use “having multiple partners” |
| Unprotected sex | Condomless sex with PrEP, condomless sex without PrEP, sex not protected by condoms, sex not protected by antiretroviral prevention methods |
| Death Sentence, fatal condition or life- threatening condition | A serious health issue, chronic health condition or manageable health for people who have access to care and treatment |
| “Tainted” blood; “dirty” needles | Blood containing HIV, shared needles or shared syringes |
| Clean, as in “I am clean are you?” | Referring to yourself or others as being “clean” suggests that those living with HIV are dirty. Avoid! |
| “A drug that prevents HIV infection” | A drug that prevents the transmission of HIV |
| End HIV, End AIDS | End HIV transmission. Be specific: are we ending HIV or AIDS? |
| Stigmatizing Language: HIV infected person HIV or AIDS patient AIDS or HIV carrier Positives or HIVers |
|---|
| Preferred Language | Person living with HIV or PLHIV. Do not use “infected” when referring to a person. Use “people first language,” which emphasizes the person, not their diagnosis |
| Stigmatizing Language: Died of AIDS, to die of AIDS |
|---|
| Preferred Language | Died of AIDS-related illness, died of AIDS-related complications or end stage HIV |
| Stigmatizing Language: AIDS virus |
|---|
| Preferred Language | HIV (AIDS is a diagnosis not a virus—it cannot be transmitted) |
| Stigmatizing Language: Full-blown AIDS |
|---|
| Preferred Language | There is no medical definition for this phrase—simply use the term AIDS, or Stage 3 HIV |
| Stigmatizing Language: HIV virus |
|---|
| Preferred Language | This is redundant; use HIV |
| Stigmatizing Language: Zero new infections |
|---|
| Preferred Language | Zero new HIV acquisitions or transmissions |
| Stigmatizing Language: HIV infections |
|---|
| Preferred Language | HIV transmissions, diagnosed with HIV, PLHIV |
| Stigmatizing Language: HIV infected |
|---|
| Preferred Language | Living with or diagnosed with HIV, contracted or acquired HIV |
| Stigmatizing Language: Number of infections |
|---|
| Preferred Language | Number diagnosed with HIV, number of HIV acquisitions |
| Stigmatizing Language: Became infected |
|---|
| Preferred Language | Contracted, acquired, diagnosed with |
| Stigmatizing Language: HIV-exposed infant |
|---|
| Preferred Language | Infant exposed to HIV |
| Stigmatizing Language: Serodiscordant couple |
|---|
| Preferred Language | Serodifferent, magnetic or mixed status couple |
| Stigmatizing Language: Mother to child transmission |
|---|
| Preferred Language | Vertical transmission or perinatal transmission |
| Stigmatizing Language: Victim, innocent victim, sufferer, contaminated, infected |
|---|
| Preferred Language | Person living with HIV, survivor, warrior (Do not use “infected” when referring to a person) |
| Stigmatizing Language: AIDS orphans |
|---|
| Preferred Language | Children orphaned by loss of parents/guardians who died of AIDS related complications |
| Stigmatizing Language: AIDS test |
|---|
| Preferred Language | HIV test (AIDS is a diagnosis, there is not an AIDS test) |
| Stigmatizing Language: To catch AIDS, to contract AIDS, transmit AIDS, to catch HIV |
|---|
| Preferred Language | An AIDS diagnosis, developed AIDS, to contract HIV (AIDS is a diagnosis, which cannot be passed from one person to the next) |
| Stigmatizing Language: Compliant |
|---|
| Preferred Language | Adherent |
| Stigmatizing Language: Prostitute or prostitution |
|---|
| Preferred Language | Sex worker, sale of sexual services, transactional sex |
| Stigmatizing Language: Promiscuous |
|---|
| Preferred Language | This is a value judgment and should be avoided, instead use “having multiple partners” |
| Stigmatizing Language: Unprotected sex |
|---|
| Preferred Language | Condomless sex with PrEP, condomless sex without PrEP, sex not protected by condoms, sex not protected by antiretroviral prevention methods |
| Stigmatizing Language: Death Sentence, fatal condition or life- threatening condition |
|---|
| Preferred Language | A serious health issue, chronic health condition or manageable health for people who have access to care and treatment |
| Stigmatizing Language: “Tainted” blood; “dirty” needles |
|---|
| Preferred Language | Blood containing HIV, shared needles or shared syringes |
| Stigmatizing Language: Clean, as in “I am clean are you?” |
|---|
| Preferred Language | Referring to yourself or others as being “clean” suggests that those living with HIV are dirty. Avoid! |
| Stigmatizing Language: “A drug that prevents HIV infection” |
|---|
| Preferred Language | A drug that prevents the transmission of HIV |
| Stigmatizing Language: End HIV, End AIDS |
|---|
| Preferred Language | End HIV transmission. Be specific: are we ending HIV or AIDS? |
Special thanks to Vickie Lynn, MSW, MPH, who is a doctoral candidate at the University of South Florida, and Valerie Wojciechowicz, who is a nutrition and fitness expert. Both are advocates living with HIV. Click here to read more about people-first language and reducing stigma in HIV communication.
Last Reviewed: April 20, 2018
