UNAIDS has just released their new terminology guidelines. The [him] moderator looks forward to the announcement that they have changed their name to UNHIV. And 'key populations at higher risk' sounds like something in Florida.

********************************

UNAIDS Terminology Guidelines – Summary of Preferred Terminology

Don’t use HIV/AIDS. Use HIV unless specifically referring to AIDS. Examples include people living with HIV, the HIV epidemic, HIV prevalence, HIV prevention, HIV testing, HIV-related disease; AIDS diagnosis, children made vulnerable by AIDS, children orphaned by AIDS, the AIDS response. Both HIV epidemic and AIDS epidemic are acceptable.

Don’t use AIDS virus. There is no “AIDS virus”. The virus associated with AIDS is called the Human Immunodeficiency Virus, or HIV. Please note: the phrase HIV virus is redundant. Use HIV.

Don’t use AIDS infected. Avoid the term infected. Use person living with HIV or HIV-positive person. No one can be infected with AIDS, because it is not an infectious agent. AIDS is a surveillance definition meaning a syndrome of opportunistic infections and diseases that can develop as immunosuppression deepens along the continuum of HIV infection from primary infection to death.

Don’t use AIDS test. There is no test for AIDS. Use HIV or HIV antibody test.

Don’t use AIDS sufferer or AIDS victim. The word “victim” is disempowering. Use person living with HIV. Use the term AIDS only when referring to a person with a clinical AIDS diagnosis.

Don’t use AIDS Patient. Use the term patient only when referring to a clinical setting. Preferred: patient with HIV-related illness.

Don’t use risk of AIDS. Use risk of HIV infection; risk of exposure to HIV.

Don’t use high risk groups or vulnerable groups. Use key populations at higher risk (both key to the epidemic’s dynamics and key to the response)

Don’t use commercial sex work or worker. Use Sex work or commercial sex or the sale of sexual services

Don’t use prostitute. Use only in respect to juvenile prostitution; otherwise use sex worker.

Don’t use intravenous drug user. Use injecting drug user. Drugs may be injected subcutaneously, intramuscularly or intravenously.

Don’t use sharing needles and syringes. Use non-sterile injecting equipment if referring to risk of HIV exposure; use contaminated injecting equipment if the equipment is known to contain HIV or if HIV transmission has occurred.

Don’t use fight against AIDS Use response to AIDS

Don’t use evidence based. Use evidence-informed

Don’t use HIV prevalence rates. Use HIV prevalence. The word ‘rates’ connotes the passage of time and should not be used here.

Don’t use acronyms and abbreviations. Please spell out all terms in full. For example PMTCT should be prevention of mother-to-child transmission, etc.