Reports on a book with situations of stigma/discrimination of People Living With HIV/ AIDS in Brazil

ABSTRACT

Related to the activities of the Brazilian Interdisciplinary AIDS Association in 2021, the project ‘What if it was with you? Lived Stories of Stigma and Discrimination in 40 Years of HIV/AIDS’ was developed. The project aimed gathering real stories of stigma and discrimination, but also presenting the traumatic experiences lived by people with HIV/AIDS, and stimulating empathy and solidarity around the group. This article is a report on the experience of the project, carried out by calling volunteers on the social networks of the Association. Among the volunteers, ten individuals were selected, considering types of situations experienced, age groups, genders, races, sexual orientations, and origin, trying to show different aspects of living with HIV/AIDS in Brazil. To guide the interviews, a semi-structured script was prepared, with dozens of questions adapted to the individualities of each participant, to address different life stories. From the interviews, ten different stories were written, punctuating situations of stigma and discrimination, in different moments of life, as well as frames of confrontation and resistance. On the occasion of World AIDS Day in 2021, the book was launched at the same Association’s seminar ‘Refazendo a Prevenção’, and it is available for free download.

KEYWORDS
HIV; Social stigma; Social discrimination; Life history traits; Brazil