Fear of isolation,rejection exacerbates impact

Discrimination:The fear of rejection and isolation is often worse than fear of the disease when someone is diagnosed as HIV-positive, a senior social worker has said.

Sinead Flynn, senior social worker at the Genito-Urinary Infectious Diseases clinic at St James's Hospital, Dublin, said the emotional impact of a new diagnosis is hugely exacerbated by concerns about being rejected.

"When someone gets a new diagnosis it is one of the biggest issues. It's not like any other illness. Many feel they cannot even disclose it to closest family members."

She said she had seen people "rejected" by siblings and parents after news of a diagnosis.

"Now some have good experiences but the stigma is an issue that comes up on a daily basis. There are people who have difficulty getting a dentist to treat them, getting a chiropodist. And there is awful discrimination against people in insurance, which means they can't get a mortgage."

She said she felt the discrimination was rooted in fear and ignorance and that it was vital that this ignorance be addressed. She stressed the only way HIV could be contracted is through blood-on-blood contact, sharing needles, sexual intercourse or from mother to child - though this is becoming less and less frequent - and through breast milk.