Stigmatizing
Preferred
HIV Infected Person, HIV Patient, AIDS Patient, Positives or HIVers, AIDS or HIV Carrier
Person Living with HIV
Died of AIDS, to die of AIDS
Died of AIDS-related illness, AIDS-related complications, or end stage HIV
AIDS Virus
HIV (AIDS is a diagnosis, not a virus)
Full-blown AIDS
Stage 3 HIV (Full-blown AIDS isn’t a medically recognized term)
HIV Virus
HIV
Zero new infections
Zero new transmissions, diagnosed with HIV
Number of infections
Number diagnosed with HIV/number of acquisitions
Became infected
Contracted/Acquired/Diagnosed
HIV-exposed infant
Infant exposed to HIV
Unprotected sex
Condomless sex; sex not protected by condoms or antiretroviral prevention methods
Serodiscordant couple
Serodifferent/magnetic/mixed status couple
Mother to child transmission
Vertical transmission, perinatal transmission
Victim, innocent victim,
Person living with HIV, survivor (never use the term infected when referring to a person)
AIDS Orphan
Children orphaned by loss of parents or guardians who died of AIDS related complications
AIDS test
HIV test
To catch AIDS, to contract AIDS, to catch HIV
An AIDS Diagnosis, developed AIDS, to contract HIV
Compliant
Adherent
Prostitute or prostitution
Sex worker, sale of sexual services, transactional sex
Promiscuous
This is a value judgment and should be avoided. Us “having multiple partners”
Death Sentence, “HIV is not a death sentence anymore.” “HIV does not have to be a life-threatening condition.”
HIV, chronic health condition, manageable health condition
“Tainted” blood, “dirty” needles
Blood containing HIV, shared needles
“If we spoke a different language, we would perceive a somewhat different world” – Ludwig Wittgenstein
Authors of this person-centered language resource guide:
Vickie Lynn, MSW, MPH, Tampa, Florida – 30 year survivor; Caroline Watson, Social Justice and Communications Coordinator, HIVE, San Francisco, California; Morenike Giwa-Onaiwu, MA, Houston, Texas – 12 year survivor; Venita Ray, Houston, Texas – 12 year survivor; Brandyn Gallagher, Executive Director, Outshine NW, Seattle, Washington; Valerie Wojciechowicz, Sarasota, Florida – 30 year survivor