STIGMA AND DISCRIMINATION - A PERSONAL RISK ASSESSMENT
(Adapted from 10 Steps Towards Dealing with HIV/AIDS-related Stigma 
by Canon Gideon Byamugisha of ANERELA+ and World Vision)

It's all too easy to make assumptions and moral judgements about people living with HIV.  That's where stigma and discrimination begin.  

But we need to start by being honest with ourselves.   Look back at your life...

Remembering that HIV has a lengthy incubation period...



Yes
Not sure
No
1
have you ever done skin piercing or had a tattoo?



2
have you ever had a blood transfusion?



3
have you ever had an injection with a needle that may not have been sterile?



4
have you ever done intravenous drug injecting?



5
have you ever had sex with anyone who's had sex with someone else?



6
have you ever had more than one sexual partner?



7
have you ever had time apart from your partner and then gone back to a sexual relationship with each other?



8
have you ever had a sexually transmitted infection?



9
were you a virgin when you married? (if unmarried are you a virgin now?)



10
was your partner a virgin when you married?



11
do you use a condom correctly and consistently every time you have sex?





Tick a box for each question – while the questions were designed originally for an African context, they can be easily translated into our Scottish environment and experience.

Score 10 for Yes
Score 5 for Not sure
Score 0 for No						Write your total score here   ________


Now reflect on your own score and how you feel about people living with HIV in the light of the scriptures...

Psalms 88 and 86 could both have been written by people experiencing HIV stigma and discrimination.  One is in despair, the other has found hope. How can we enable people living with HIV to move from despair to hope?   

How might John 8: 2 – 11 speak to those living with HIV?  How does it speak to you in the light of your total score above?
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