Discriminacion y VIH/SIDA. Una aproximacion a la realidad del estigma y la discriminacion por VIH en Espana

This article summarises the main findings of a recent research led by the Bartolomé de las Casas Institute of human rights at the Carlos III University in Madrid, together with the Spanish Red Cross and Spain two biggest NGOs involved in protecting and supporting people living with HIV/AIDS. The goal of the research was to draw up a first description of the possible situation of discrimination that people living with HIV/AIDS in Spain have to face on an everyday basis in ten different fields (I. Health care; II. Employment; III. Justice/legal process; IV. Administration; V. Social welfare; VI. Housing; VII. Education; VIII. Reproductive and family life; IX. Insurance and other financial services; X. Access to other public accomodation or services), analysed in terms of three possible sources of discrimination (legislation, internal regulations and procedures of public and private bodies, organisations or groups occurring in practice). The research was designed and based critically on the methodology and objectives of the Protocol for the identification of discrimination against people living with HIV drawn up by UNAIDS in 2001/2002