-˜AIDS’ has had its day

The National Association of People Living with HIV/AIDS wants people, particularly the media, to stop using the terms -˜AIDS’ and -˜PLWHA’ in favour of words with less stigma.

The peak body of organisations representing HIV positive people in Australia indicated it might also drop -˜AIDS’ from its title, but will keep the acronym NAPWA.

Misuse of the word -˜AIDS’ in media reports, such as -˜AIDS victims and carriers’, were insulting and contributed to stigma and discrimination, it said in a statement last week.

-œIt’s time we looked at the language we use around HIV. Some of it, such as -˜HIV/AIDS’, has served its time. -˜HIV’ alone is adequate as it encompasses all stages of the disease, including AIDS.

It recommended the long-standing term PLWHA be replaced with PLHIV for people living with HIV. However, four of its state member organisations still use PLWHA as their name.

The NSW organisation representing people with HIV changed its name to Positive Life in 2007.

PLWHA Victoria acting president Paul Baines said although it may be difficult for some people to get used to abandoning the term, the NAPWA guidelines are in line with United Nations policy.

-œSometimes that politically correct fence can be a little sharp to sit on, and I’m sure you’ll always find someone happy to stand on the other side of the fence, but I suppose we’ve got to collectively decide that on the whole it is probably better to change the way we speak about this.

Baines said the mainstream press use the term inappropriately at times in the quest for bold headlines.

-œI think mainstream press have from time to time used AIDS as a defining term to cover or blanket people living with HIV.

-œIt is a sensationalised term. It does create a headline, it does demand attention.

-œSome of that’s all good, but some of that can also be damaging.

Baines said stigma attached to the word is largely due to fear campaigns in the 1980s.

-œThe Grim Reaper certainly did a good job in that regard.

-œI think -˜AIDS’ has probably had a stigma of death attached to it… but I think we’re moving more into a place, when we are collectively talking about people living with HIV, it’s not quite as doom and gloom as in the past.
Additional reporting by Harley Dennett