This paper describes the regional experience of stigma and discriminations and offers a review of community-based interventions that have attempted to reduce them. The evidence presented comes primarily from unpublished literature and anecdotal evidence gained through interviews with project staff throughout the region. Ideally, people seek counseling and testing to identify their HIV status without fear of repercussions. Those who test positive then receive available care, and are encouraged to change their behaviors to protect others from infection. A stigmatizing social environment, however, poses barriers at all stages of this cycle.
People fear discrimination and thus refrain from seeking testing.
They thus do not seek care and support, nor do they contribute to reducing future transmission. Stigma and discrimination can be challenged, however. Although one way to reduce their impact is at the legislative level, the focus of this review is on community-based interventions. Although these activities represent initiatives in a number of both countries and contexts of discrimination, they nonetheless share certain components worth highlighting. When HIV-positive people are brought to the forefront of the response and are involved at all stages of an intervention, they demonstrate their ability to remain productive members of their community.