Since time immemorial, it has been established that to combat the epidemic, it is necessary to address the immediate concerns of access to prevention and care, but also to denounce the societal conditions that make people more vulnerable to HIV/AIDS and influence them.
“We are experiencing an ‘HIV-phobia’ or an ‘AIDS-phobia’ in our emotional intimacy, in our sexuality, in our family intimacy, at work, or with certain caregivers. Often, it is unlivable to live alone with HIV. Often, it is unbearable to carry your HIV alone. So, if we wish to say it, we must say it without fearing judgment, exclusion, and without shame or guilt. If we do not want to say it, we must be able to decide not to say it and not be forced to do so.”
Claim at the General Assembly of Persons Affected by HIV/AIDS November 2004
“The prerequisite for taking care of oneself is being in life, not in survival, that is, having a roof and a minimum income. The second condition is to have or regain an interest in a body attacked by the undesirable effects of treatments, to retain the right to feel beautiful or handsome. The third condition is to have morale. To have morale, we need to be able to make professional and family plans, to keep the desire for activities, to regain a positive vision and not just be HIV-positive.”
Claim at the General Assembly of Persons Affected by HIV/AIDS November 2004
“Experience has shown that there is no change in the lives of people affected by HIV/AIDS if they are not there to say the direction in which our society must move.”
Christian Saout, President of AIDES Opening speech at the General Assembly of Persons Affected by HIV/AIDS November 2004
There emerges from the multiple spaces of dialogue opened in AIDES a fundamental need for people living with HIV to be able to talk about their illness, both in the private sphere and the public sphere, without risking being stigmatized or rejected by loved ones and/or society.
It is for these reasons that AIDES wanted its new awareness campaign to carry a message of tolerance towards people living with HIV and to question everyone’s respect for others. Thanks to the work of the agency TBWAParis and the commitment of personalities (Johnny Hallyday, Jean-Pierre Foucault, Claire Chazal, Muriel Robin, Laurent Ruquier, Cauet, …) by our side, the campaign “It’s AIDS we must exclude, not HIV-positive individuals” was able to take shape and will be launched at the end of October.
HIV in numbers
40 million people affected by HIV worldwide.
2.8 million AIDS deaths in 2005 – UNAIDS 2006
7,000 new diagnoses of contamination per year in France: resurgence of the AIDS epidemic in France
AIDES, the leading French association in the fight against AIDS
AIDES, recognized as a public utility organization in 1990, was created more than 20 years ago. It now comprises over 1,000 activists distributed throughout France.
AIDES directly supports 15,000 HIV-positive people in France and distributes approximately 2.5 million prevention tools per year.
AIDES is a partner of 23 African associations fighting against AIDS and works closely with the main European associations.
