2026 Theses Doctoral

A Consumer-driven Approach to Addressing Stigma for HIV Care and Treatment Programs

Alexander, Nadine

This Chapter provides an overview of the history of HIV stigma in the U.S., describes early HIV advocacy efforts, highlights different initiatives that have been implemented to reduce stigma, and proposes efforts to address HIV stigma in HIV care and treatment programs. More specifically, it highlights discriminatory state-sanctioned laws, like HIV criminalization laws that included behaviors not scientifically proven to transmit HIV/AIDS, describes the efforts of advocates like Ryan White and Larry Kramer to reduce HIV stigma and increase public HIV education, and the enactment of the Ryan White Comprehensive AIDS Resources Emergency Act in 1990. It provides the history of government-sanctioned efforts to address stigma in the United States, an overview of stigma, and describes the three aims proposed for addressing stigma among three priority populations in HIV care and treatment programs.