Issued by: Gauteng Provincial Government Health Department
3 April 1997
HIV epidemic is gaining ground rapidly in Gauteng. Already 15 percent of our youth may be infected with HIV. A cure still eludes us and a vaccine may only be ready in ten years.
The media plays an important role in informing and educating the public. In recent news items many confusing terms have been used. It is with this in mind that we have drawn up a list of terms that we believe will do much to reduce discrimination against People living with AIDS.
I hope you will find these terms useful.
Yours sincerely
A L Myburg MBChB GAUTENG HEALTH SERVICES DIRECTORATE AIDS AND COMMUNICABLE DISEASES
Tel: 011-355 3384 Fax: 011-355 3385
Recommended terms when reporting on HIV/AIDS related news. Gauteng Health: AIDS and Communicable Diseases Directorate
Outdated, inaccurate, or inappropriate term.
AIDS: for confidentiality purposes it does not matter whether a person is medically diagnosed with the advanced stage of HIV infection.
Recommended term.
HIV infection: broadly includes every stage of infection and illness. There is no need to distinguish between HIV infection and AIDS.
Outdated, inaccurate, or inappropriate term.
AIDS carrier: often perceived as stigmatizing, and not scientifically accurate.
Recommended term.
Person living with HIV or AIDS: not considered stigmatizing.
Outdated, inaccurate, or inappropriate term.
AIDS-related complex (ARC): refers to a stage of HIV infection when symptoms occur but AIDS has not been diagnosed. This terms is not officially defined or recognized by the CDC and is now rarely used in the medical community.
Recommended term.
Symptomatic HIV infection: more accurate.
Outdated, inaccurate, or inappropriate term.
AIDS tests: this shorthand term is misleading because the tests most often used do not detect the virus itself, only antibodies to the virus.
Recommended term.
HIV antibody test: more accurate.
Outdated, inaccurate, or inappropriate term.
AIDS victim/ AIDS sufferer: implies helplessness, and a moral judgement about innocence and guilt.
Recommended term.
Person living with HIV or AIDS: implies that the person is still in control of his or her own life.
Outdated, inaccurate, or inappropriate term.
AIDS virus: misleading: a person infected with the human immunodeficiency virus might not have AIDS.
Recommended term.
HIV, or the virus that causes AIDS: more accurate.
Outdated, inaccurate, or inappropriate term.
Body fluids: vague use of this term can cause confusion. It is usually better to specify exactly which fluids are meant.
Recommended term.
Blood, semen, breast milk, vaginal secretions: these can contain HIV in concentrations sufficient to cause infection.
Saliva, sweat, tears: these have been shown not to cause infection.
Outdated, inaccurate, or inappropriate term.
Barrier method: the Cervical cap does not prevent HIV transmission.
Recommended term.
Latex condom, female condom: are highly effective in preventing HIV transmission if used correctly and consistently.
Outdated, inaccurate, or inappropriate term.
Contagious: an infectious disease capable of being transmitted by casual contact between people through normal, day-to-day contact. Colds, flu, or measles are contagious. In contrast, HIV is not transmitted through casual contact or in public places like schools.
Recommended term.
Communicable: any infectious disease that can be transmitted from one person to another, including HIV infection.
Outdated, inaccurate, or inappropriate term.
Dormant HIV: HIV is never truly dormant: at every stage of infection HIV is active within the lymph system and continuously infects immune system cells.
Recommended term.
Incubation period: the time interval between initial exposure to infection and appearance of the first symptom of disease.
Outdated, inaccurate, or inappropriate term.
Germ: a casual term that is not scientifically meaningful.
Recommended term.
Pathogen: refers to any disease-causing agent including viruses, bacteria, fungi, and parasites.
Outdated, inaccurate, or inappropriate term.
High-risk group: no one is automatically at risk of HIV infection simply because of who he or she is.
Recommended term.
High-risk behaviour / situations: the risk of infection arises from what a person does, not who he or she is.
Outdated, inaccurate, or inappropriate term.
High-risk youth: this stigmatizing term can make a young person feel that HIV infection is a matter of fate.
Recommended term.
Youth in high-risk situations: the focus needs to be on a person's conduct and is easier to understand.
Outdated, inaccurate, or inappropriate term.
Intravenous drug: drug use that risks HIV transmission does not always involve injection into veins.
Recommended term.
Injectable drug: broader, more accurate, and easier to understand.
Outdated, inaccurate, or inappropriate term.
Latent: see dormant
Recommended term
Clinical latency: the period of HIV infection when there are no observable symptoms, averaging ten years in adults.
Outdated, inaccurate, or inappropriate term.
Safe sex: self-contradictory. The only truly safe sex is consistent abstinence from sexual intercourse, that is, no sex at all.
Recommended term.
Safer sex: a set of techniques can reduce a person's risk of acquiring HIV, but never entirely eliminate it.
Outdated, inaccurate, or inappropriate term.
Spreading disease: this phrase connoted a conscious intention to infect other people.
Recommended term.
Transmission of infectious agent: in contrast, this phrase puts the focus on the pathogen, not the person it is within.
Reference: Glossary of HIV/AIDS-related terms, HIV/AIDS Treatment Information Service, June 1995.
Inspired by the Safe Choice Guide of the National Network of Runaway and Youth Services.