Stigma has profound effect on people with Aids (PWAs) globally. PWAs experience discrimination, avoidance by strangers, rejection from homes, and physical abuse (Herek et al., 2002). Because of the fear of stigma, PWAs have refused to visit healthcare facilities for testing. In the United States, there is growing ostracism and avoidance towards PWAs and a feeling that they deserve their illness.

The study reveals that the citizens of the United States have a negative attitude towards social groups affected by AIDS such as gay men and drug users. The widespread stigma in the country resulted in a commitment to utilize non-coercive measurers in the prevention of AIDS to avoid prejudice and discrimination that can impede HIV testing and treatment (Herek et al., 2002). This study explores the prevalence of HIV-related stigma in the United States. It also identifies various trends in stigma in the 1990s. The study relies on data from surveys of U.S. adults in 1997 and 1999.

All English-speaking adults residing in 48 contiguous states and who have telephones provide a sampling frame for this study. The research contacted 2009 households between September 1996 and 1997 in the 1997 study. Out of this number, 1309 individuals completed interview questions thereby producing a response rate of 65.1% (Herek et al., 2002). A similar survey was carried out between September 1998 and May 1999 (1999 study) in which 1153 households were contacted but only 669 households completed interview questions, representing a response rate of 58% (Herek et al., 2002). Some of the questions asked included support for mandatory testing, beliefs regarding PWAs, responses to PWAs, support for stigmatizing AIDS policies and hypothetical situations such as whether to have a child go to the same school with a PWA. The study assessed beliefs about the transmission of HIV including casual contact, blood donation, symbolic contact, and magical contagion.

At the beginning of the decade, 33% of respondents support the need to impose quarantine on PWAs while 29% support the idea that PWAs should disclose their status publicly (Parker & Aggleton, 2003). However, these perceptions declined in the 1997 and 1999 studies. Majority of the respondents supported the idea that pregnant mothers, immigrants, individuals with high risk of AIDS to should receive mandatory testing. By 1999, the support had decreased remarkably for high-risk people and immigrants. Although negative feelings towards PWAs were high at the beginning of the decade, about 20% and 17% of people had feelings of fear and disgust respectively towards PWAs by 1999 (Herek et al., 2002). PWAs were blamed to be responsible for their illnesses and there was a belief that they got what they had wanted at the beginning of the decade. More than half of the respondents said that they believed scientists who revealed that AIDS can be transmitted through blood donation but not through casual contact.

The study reveals significant and worrying outcomes regarding HIV stigma in the United States. There is a general decline in expressions of stigma towards PWAs. The support for imposition of quarantine and public disclosure of PWAs has reduced significantly, indicating a change in attitude towards people with AIDS. However, it is disturbing that nearly twenty years of AIDS epidemic, 20% and 17% of American adults still harboured feelings of fear and disgust respectively (Herek et al., 2002). About 25% of respondents were not comfortable having symbolic contact with PWAs. This figure suggests the slow rate of acceptance of people living with AIDS in the society. Beliefs and opinions have continued to shape people’s perceptions regarding AIDS. There is an increased perception that AIDS is caused through sexual contact, thereby creating a feeling that victims are responsible for their illness. In this regard, there is a need for the country’s public health policy to recognize the existence of stigma and formulate goals towards combating HIV.