FEAR AND LOATHING IN HEALTH-CARE SETTINGS REPORTED BY PEOPLE WITH HIV

People with chronic or terminal diseases not only have to face the bio physical consequences but also the social impact of illness. The socia l impact or stigma associated with HIV/AIDS is high due to its infecti vity and association with deviant behaviour. Social interaction with h ealth professionals is critical for subsequent social adjustment to po ssession of a discreditable disease, including HIV. This paper examine s the subjective reports of 61 people with HIV within this context and identifies processes of stigmatisation in health care settings. In ag reement with surveys of health care workers, fear of contagion is iden tified as the principal source of negative reactions towards people wi th HIV in health care settings. Issues of confidentiality and the resp onse of people with HIV to stigma in health care settings are also dis cussed. It is concluded that, although the biomedical model in which h ealth professionals are trained ignores the social impact of disease, HIV-related stigma in health care settings in Scotland is declining as health professionals become familiar with treating people with HIV.