Stigma Action Network (SAN) is an international network focused on research, education and advocacy concerning

HIV The human immunodeficiency viruses (HIV) are two species of ''Lentivirus'' (a subgroup of retrovirus) that infect humans. Over time, they cause acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), a condition in which progressive failure of the immune ...

stigma and discrimination reduction.

History

The concept of an international network to encourage reduction efforts for HIV stigma and

discrimination against people with HIV/AIDS Discrimination against people with HIV/AIDS or serophobia is the prejudice, fear, rejection, and stigmatization of people with HIV/AIDS ( PLHIV people living with HIV/AIDS). Marginalized, at-risk groups such as members of the LGBTQ+ community, i ...

came of a meeting convened by

MAC AIDS Fund M∙A∙C AIDS Fund (M·A·F) is a public charity established in 1994 to support people living with HIV/AIDS worldwide. It donates funds to communities and organizations that offer services to people with HIV/AIDS and help to prevent the disease ...

(MAF) and the

International Center for Research on Women The International Center for Research on Women (ICRW) is a non-profit organization headquartered in Washington, D.C., United States, with regional offices in New Delhi, India, Nairobi, Kenya, and Kampala, Uganda. ICRW has project offices in Mumba ...

(ICRW) in November, 2008 that brought 58 individuals with HIV and other affected populations, implementers and program designers, advocates, researchers, donors and trainers together. Participants analyzed best practices to reduce HIV stigma and discrimination, identified obstacles and opportunities for a cohesive response, and agreed upon the inception of a global network. On the outcomes of a working group meeting in 2009, a budget and business plan were developed with MAF awarding a grant for support for the first year of network planning and development. As a result, the SAN was formed. Launched in 2010 at the

International AIDS Conference The International AIDS Society (IAS) is the world's largest association of HIV/AIDS professionals, with 11,600 members from over 170 countries , including clinicians, people living with HIV, service providers, policy makers and others. It aims to r ...

in Vienna, SAN is a collaborative undertaking which aims to establish and augment research, program, and advocacy strategies for reducing HIV stigma worldwide, including mobilizing those invested or interested, delivering program and policy solutions, and maximizing investments in HIV services and programs. Research has attested to the concept that reducing stigma and discrimination is critical to the success of HIV care, treatment and prevention efforts. Stigma – and fear of being stigmatized – increase the probability that people avoid taking an HIV test, disclosing their

serostatus Serostatus refers to the presence or absence of a serological marker in the blood. The presence of detectable levels of a specific marker within the serum is considered seropositivity, while the absence of such levels is considered seronegativity. ...

to partners or potential partners, requesting care and adhering to treatment. As such, HIV-related stigma and discrimination remain a hindrance to the global response to HIV.

Focus

Specific areas of focus are care and treatment, discrimination and legal issues, faith-based organizations, community members, healthcare workers, measurement, people living with HIV, prevention of

mother-to-child transmission A vertically transmitted infection is an infection caused by pathogenic bacteria or viruses that use mother-to-child transmission, that is, transmission directly from the mother to an embryo, fetus, or baby during pregnancy or childbirth. It can ...

(PMTCT), counseling and testing, injection drug users,

sex workers A sex worker is a person who provides sex work, either on a regular or occasional basis. The term is used in reference to those who work in all areas of the sex industry.Oxford English Dictionary, "sex worker" According to one view, sex work is d ...

men who have sex with men Men who have sex with men (MSM) are male persons who engage in sexual activity with members of the same sex. The term was created in the 1990s by epidemiology, epidemiologists to study the spread of disease among all men who have sex with men, r ...

transgender A transgender (often abbreviated as trans) person is someone whose gender identity or gender expression does not correspond with their sex assigned at birth. Many transgender people experience dysphoria, which they seek to alleviate through tr ...

individuals, women, children and youth and the intersection of multiple stigmas.

Regions

Stigma-related HIV journal articles, reports, toolkits, surveys and communication and training materials are divided and searchable by geographic location. They are listed by continent,

UN subregion The United Nations geoscheme is a system which divides 249 countries and territories in the world into six regional, 17 subregional, and nine intermediate regional groups. It was devised by the United Nations Statistics Division (UNSD) based on ...

and country with an extensive library of downloadable material.

References

{{Reflist

External links

Stigma Action Network
HIV/AIDS organizations

History

Focus

Regions

Sponsors

References

External links