People are still afraid of those three letters': Fighting the stigma of HIV

Fear and stigma toward HIV remain a major obstacle in Brazil, according to accounts shared at the International AIDS Conference in Rio de Janeiro. Gareth Thomas, a former Welsh rugby star who disclosed in 2019 that he is HIV-positive, said people are still afraid of “those three letters,” and urged broader education through the Tackle HIV campaign. Welton Gabriel, a 36-year-old event organizer from São Paulo, described learning he was HIV-positive 12 years earlier and facing a hard period after developing a treatment-resistant strain; it took seven months for doctors to control it. Although Brazil’s public healthcare system offers free medications, UNAIDS Brazil research cited in the article says more than half of people living with HIV have experienced discrimination. Gabriel also reported losing friends and being excluded from work and family after disclosure, attributing stigma largely to fear.