The interface of Aids, stigma and identity: some considerations

Abstract

This work is reflections and discussions resulting from the professional work of the authors with people living with HIV/AIDS in individual care and in groups in non-government organizations (AIDS NGO's) in the city of Belo Horizonte, state of Minas Gerais. This article had the objective of presenting concepts and discussing aspects of the close relation of the stigmatization process and the restructuring of identity after a positive HIV diagnosis. The authors consider that the way these factors intervene in living with being HIV positive can be determining in the re-signifying of the experience lived and underline the imperative of continuous reflection and carrying out of research that covers these crucial issues for the analyses and understanding of the psycho-social context of people who live with HIV/AIDS.