US NIAID updates HIV guide to person-centred language

17 October 2024. Related: Treatment advocacy, Book and film reviews, On the web.

Simon Collins, HIV i-Base

Earlier this year, the large US research agency NIAID updated their HIV language guide to emphasise the importance of using language that is appropriate to the people concerned, especially in regard to HIV.

This includes a general preference for using person-first language for most infection-related settings. This is a generally more humanising approach and that, for example, HIV is only one aspect of a person’s life. The guide also stresses the negative impact that inappropriate language can have on generating and worsening stigma.

The guide also included examples where some people prefer condition-first language, such as deafness and autism, because the conditions are a more intrinsic part of their identity.

The guide covers language specifically related to HIV, research, disability, sex, gender, race and ethnicity.

Reference

US NIAID. HIV language guide. (May 2024).
https://www.niaid.nih.gov/research/hiv-language-guide (web page)
https://www.niaid.nih.gov/sites/default/files/niaid-hiv-language-guide.pdf (direct PDF)