Imagine being excluded from your place of worship, denied employment or losing income, all because of your HIV status. This remains a reality for thousands of South Africans, according to the newly released People Living with HIV PLHIV Stigma Index 2.0, which shows that discrimination, though reduced over the past decade, persists in homes, workplaces and healthcare settings.
Launched on Tuesday by the National Association of People Living with HIV and Aids NAPWA, the PLHIV Stigma Index 2.0 is a globally standardised tool that measures the impact of stigma, discrimination and human rights violations on people living with HIV. The latest survey includes 5,065 individuals aged 18 and older and 252 participants aged 15 to 17.
The report shows that external HIV-related stigma has improved significantly, dropping from 14.3 in 2014 to 6.1 in 2024. Yet internalised stigma remains high: 48.6 of respondents reported experiencing shame, guilt or fear of disclosing their HIV status.
