The power of language

The power of language

By: Robert Mitchell
An article published in the SSO on 28 May (-˜AIDS has had its day’) said that NAPWA is advocating for a change in the language used to describe people with HIV. This article generated a lot of interest and so we’d like to explain in a little more detail what’s going on.

The article said NAPWA had issued a statement calling for a move away from terms like -˜HIV/AIDS’ (in favour of just -˜HIV’) and -˜PLWHA’ (replaced by -˜PLHIV’). It was based on a document published on the NAPWA website -” our internal style guide. The style guide was adopted last October, but has only recently been published on the web.

The move away from the term -˜AIDS’ reflects a change in the terminology used by medical professionals and global bodies such as WHO and UNAIDS. In the early days of this epidemic, HIV and AIDS were considered distinct conditions, with people progressing through four distinct stages -” asymptomatic HIV, symptomatic HIV, AIDS-related complex (ARC) and AIDS.

That terminology hasn’t been used for a long time -” HIV disease is now rightly seen as a spectrum, not as a series of inevitable stages. The treatment approaches for people at one end of the spectrum may be different from those at the other, but people with HIV are all treated as having the same condition -” HIV infection.

The power of language to influence perceptions is well known -” the GLBTI community is well aware of the stigma created by offensive epithets and the empowerment that comes from taking control of language. Just as gay men and lesbians have reclaimed words like -˜queer’ and -˜dyke’ over the years, people with HIV infection have also claimed the right to influence the words used to describe them.

In the early years, we were known as -˜AIDS patients’, -˜AIDS cases’ or, more pejoratively, -˜AIDS victims’, -˜sufferers’ or -˜carriers’. All these terms dehumanise, disempower and stigmatise people with HIV.

In response, the term -˜people with AIDS’ was adopted, and this evolved into -˜people living with AIDS’ and later -˜people living with HIV/AIDS’. Today NAPWA and many other organisations have adopted -˜people living with HIV’ as the preferred term, with the initialis -˜PLWHA’ being replaced by -˜PLHIV’. We’re progressively incorporating this new style into printed resources and our website as well as internal communications.

The same evolution has occurred in the name changes adopted by Positive Life NSW (formerly PLWHA NSW) and Treataware (formerly the AIDS Treatment Project Australia).

We’re not trying to push this change onto anybody (four of our member organisations use the PLWHA form in their names) and nor are we planning to change the name of our organisation any time soon.

But we are very clear that the way we talk about ourselves is a strong way to encourage others to adapt to changing times.

Robert Mitchell is the president of NAPWA.

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3 responses to “The power of language”

  1. Is AIDS curable? I think one of the most insidious definitions retained from the early days of the HIV epidemic is the rule in the definition of AIDS that says once you have had AIDS you will always be said to have AIDS even if you are cured of the infection or cancer that ticked the box for diagnosis. For some people this definition can be a badge of pride in that they have survived a certain number of years with AIDS but ultimately they continue to be labelled as victims.

    In my own experience, I almost died of viral meningitis but as a AIDS-defining virus was not detected in my spinal fluid, I have never had AIDS. However, if I was in the US, I would be labeled with AIDS as they have added having had less than 200 CD4 T cells to the definition – I had only 70 CD4 cells at diagnosis. This definition of AIDS in the US allows access to treatment and AIDS is used similarly in much of the developing world for access to healthcare and for monitoring the epidemic.

    I am privileged to feel that AIDS isn’t very relevant to my experience with living with HIV but we must remember those for which AIDS is relevant.

  2. The problem with society is that they are too focused on the swine flu vaccine – yet in 30 years (1979) since HIV/AIDS have been around guess what in 2009 – NO VACCINE!!!!

    I do know that a protein strand on the edge of the HIV virus can be controlled, however the genetic time contraint within the virus that can multiply within the body can be extreamly hard to treat – drugs can help – BUT WE NEED A CURE NOW!!!!!

    HIV/AIDS is killing millions world-wide and I am outraged by society still treating HIV positive people as sick – well I have had it, it is time for a MASSIVE education campaign!!!