HIV positive people

HIV positive people are people who have the human immunodeficiency virus HIV, the agent of the currently incurable disease AIDS.

Over the years of coping with the stigma and discrimination that accompany the diagnosis in most societies, a large number of support groups have been formed. In these groups, the term most often applied to people who are HIV positive is "People Living With HIV/AIDS." This is often abbreviated as "PLWHA," "PLWA" or even "PLA." Recently "People Living Positively" has also been used. These terms help point out that a person who is HIV positive should still enjoy the rights and freedoms granted to all other people.

The largest and oldest of the worldwide networks of people living with HIV is the Global Network of People Living With HIV/AIDS (GNP+), which has affiliate networks on every continent.

Currently UNAIDS estimates the number of people living with HIV at over 40,000,000. However, fewer than 20% of them are actually aware of the infection. Infection with HIV is determined by an HIV test.

HIV positive people are often discriminated against, on the one hand because of (often irrational) fears of infection, on the other hand because the infection is sometimes associated with promiscuity, homosexuality or drug addiction. In recent years, the rights of HIV positive people have been a major source of debate and controversy.

On January 20, 2004, the Bombay High Court ruled that HIV positive people cannot be denied jobs because they are HIV positive. Doing so infringes their constitutional right to earn a livelihood and right to equality.