European Stigma & Discrimination Forum 2023

The European Stigma & Discrimination Forum 2023 took place as a hybrid meeting at Golden Tulip Warsaw Centre in Warsaw, Poland on 17 October 2023.

Stigma and discrimination can cause complex challenges for people living with HIV.

HIV-related stigma has been linked to depression, psychological distress, compromised adherence to therapy, and overall poor treatment outcome and quality of life. It also largely affects timely diagnosis due to a fear of public perception of living with HIV.  

Discrimination and stigma can be experienced at individual, facility, community, or national levels. Thus, orchestrated efforts of all relevant stakeholders are required to eliminate misconceptions, increase awareness, and implement adequate communication and behaviour models to reduce stigma and discrimination.

This indicates an urgent unmet need to educate healthcare professionals, social workers, community representatives, advocates, and policymakers on how to reduce HIV-related stigma and discrimination.

The European Stigma & Discrimination Forum aims to meet this need, tailored to the region-specific aspects of the HIV epidemic, national policy, guidelines, and societal context.

General Information 

Practical Information 

• 1st Edition - European Stigma & Discrimination Forum 2022, Glasgow, United Kingdom 

Barts Health NHS Trust / Queen Mary University of London, United Kingdom