From the moment scientists identified HIV and AIDS, social responses of fear, denial, stigma and discrimination have accompanied the epidemic. Discrimination has spread rapidly, fueling anxiety and prejudice against the most affected groups, as well as those living with HIV or AIDS. It goes without saying that HIV and AIDS are as much about social phenomena as they are about biological and medical concerns. Across the world, the global HIV/AIDS epidemic has proven capable of triggering responses of compassion, solidarity and support, bringing out the best in people, their families and communities. But the disease is also associated with stigma, repression and discrimination, as individuals affected (or believed to be affected) by HIV have been rejected by their families, loved ones and their communities. This refusal is as true in the rich countries of the North as it is in the poorer countries of the South. Stigma is a powerful tool of social control. Stigma can be used to marginalize, exclude, and exercise power over individuals who exhibit certain characteristics. Although social rejection of certain social groups (e.g., “homosexuals, drug addicts, sex workers”) may predate HIV/AIDS, the disease has, in many cases, reinforced this stigma. By blaming certain individuals or groups, society can absolve itself of responsibility for caring for such populations. This is evident not only in the way “foreign” groups are often blamed for bringing HIV into a country, but also in the way such groups are denied access to the services and care they need. Why is there stigma attached to HIV and AIDS? In many societies, people living with HIV and AIDS are often seen as shameful. In some societies the infection is associated with minority groups or behaviors, for example homosexuality. In some cases HIV/AIDS can be linked to “perversion” and infected people will be punished. Furthermore, in some societies HIV/AIDS is seen as the result of personal irresponsibility. HIV and AIDS are sometimes thought to bring shame to the family or community. And while negative responses to HIV/AIDS sadly exist widely, they often feed into and reinforce dominant ideas of good and bad regarding sex and disease, and right and wrong behaviors. Factors contributing to HIV/AIDS-related stigma: HIV/ AIDS is a deadly disease People are afraid of contracting HIV The association of the disease with behaviors (such as sex between men and drug use for parenterally) which are already stigmatized in many societies