Monroe County, Indiana

Stigma

The CDC states that 'often, illicit drug use is viewed as a criminal activity rather than a medical issue that requires counseling and rehabilitation. Fear of arrest, stigma, feelings of guilt, and low self-esteem may prevent people who use illicit drugs from seeking treatment services, which places them at greater risk for HIV' and other health issues.

To learn more about the role of stigma as it relates to HIV, HCV, and drug use, please see the following resources:

The Harm Reduction Coalition has created a training specifically aimed at addressing drug user related stigma. The materials at this site are able to be accessed, downloaded, and printed for free. 

“Stigma exists when the following interrelated components converge. In the first component, people distinguish and label human differences. In the second, dominant cultural beliefs link labeled persons to undesirable characteristics – to negative stereotypes. In the third, labeled persons are placed in distinct categories so as to accomplish some degree of separation of ‘us’ from ‘them.’ In the fourth, labeled persons experience status loss and discrimination that lead to unequal outcomes. Stigmatization is entirely contingent on access to social, economic and political power that allows the identification of differentness, the construction of stereotypes, the separation of labeled persons into distinct categories and the full execution of disapproval, rejection, exclusion and discrimination.”

- Link BG, Phelan JC. Conceptualizing stigma. Annual Review of Sociology. 2001;27:363-385.

This page was updated/reviewed 6/2024

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