AIDS Discrimination and Stigma
If you think someone has discriminated against you, keep good written records of what happens to you. Stay calm and continue to do your job. Contact a local HIV service organization for a local attorney or go to www.nela.org or www.aclu.org.
Your health and medical rights. The ADA, as well as some local and state laws, also protects against AIDS discrimination in health care. Here are two of your rights:
If you think someone has discriminated against you because you're HIV-positive, you can file a complaint with the Office for Civil Rights. It enforces federal laws prohibiting AIDS discrimination by health care and human service providers.
Your housing rights. The Fair Housing Act, as well as state and local laws, protects HIV-positive people against housing AIDS discrimination. They prohibit landlords from discriminating against people with disabilities, including HIV. Under these laws:
If you think someone has discriminated against you, contact a civil rights attorney right away. Or contact a local organization that provides legal assistance to HIV-positive people.
In this article
- What's Behind AIDS Discrimination and Stigma?
- How to Cope With AIDS Stigma
- Examples of AIDS Discrimination
- Know Your Rights If You Have HIV/AIDS
Know Your Rights If You Have HIV/AIDS continued...
If you think someone has discriminated against you, keep good written records of what happens to you. Stay calm and continue to do your job. Contact a local HIV service organization for a local attorney or go to www.nela.org or www.aclu.org.
Your health and medical rights. The ADA, as well as some local and state laws, also protects against AIDS discrimination in health care. Here are two of your rights:
- A health care professional cannot refuse to treat you.
- A health care professional cannot demand that you say whether or not you are HIV-positive.
If you think someone has discriminated against you because you're HIV-positive, you can file a complaint with the Office for Civil Rights. It enforces federal laws prohibiting AIDS discrimination by health care and human service providers.
Your housing rights. The Fair Housing Act, as well as state and local laws, protects HIV-positive people against housing AIDS discrimination. They prohibit landlords from discriminating against people with disabilities, including HIV. Under these laws:
- A landlord cannot harass or refuse to rent to someone who is HIV-positive.
- A landlord cannot evict an HIV-positive tenant except for valid reasons, such as not paying the rent or breaking the lease.
If you think someone has discriminated against you, contact a civil rights attorney right away. Or contact a local organization that provides legal assistance to HIV-positive people.