Margaret A. Anderson, MA, Faster Cures, 509 7th St., NW, Washington, DC 20004, 202.654.7093, manderson@fastercures.org, Stacey Little, PhD, Center on AIDS & Community Health, Academy for Educational Development, 1825 Connecticut Ave., NW, 9th Floor, Washington, DC 20009, and Fatema Salam, MPH, Center on AIDS & Community Health, Academy for Educational Development, 1825 Connecticut Ave., NW, 9th Floor, Washington, DC 20009.

Issue: HIV-related stigma has an enormous impact for people living with HIV and AIDS, as well as those at risk for HIV infection. It affects the quality of life for people living with HIV and AIDS, and shapes the decisionmaking environment for those at risk for HIV. Although there is a growing body of literature on the impacts of this stigma on people’s lives, there is little on interventions or strategies to combat HIV-related stigma.

Description: This presentation will examine ways that anti-stigma work can be infused into existing HIV prevention and care interventions. It will report on a five-site demonstration project in the U.S. that began in December 2003 and ends in June 2005. These community-based sites (funded by the Ford Foundation) are currently working on anti HIV/AIDS stigma projects in African American, Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, and African immigrant communities. Each of these sites is implementing a program that is population specific and community driven.

Lessons Learned: Year One evaluation results will be presented, specifically around health communications and social marketing approaches. The presentation will also focus on the sites’ needs assessment strategies, and their program planning.

Recommendations: Community-based organizations working on HIV prevention and care issues must evaluate the role that HIV-related stigma plays in the lives of their clients. This project will shed light on programmatic steps that can be taken to combat this stigma, thus improving the lives of those living with HIV and AIDS and potentially preventing HIV infections.

Learning Objectives:

• List impacts of HIV stigma on people at risk for and living with HIV/AIDS.
• Demonstrate understanding of the scientific literature in this area.
• Provide an overview of the five demonstration sites in the AED Ford stigma project.

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.