HIV and stigma

Abstract

This paper presented the results of the research of social attitudes towards people infected by HIV. The conclusions developed from several focus groups show the mecha nisms of stigma development on the level of everyday interaction. Stigmabased atti tudes block social integration of people infected by HIV. Most of such attitudes are resulted from social myths production, prejudice, and interpretation of massmedia. The exclusion takes place on the societal and individual levels simultaneously.