‘They are not responsible enough to use protection’: The blind spot of stigma and discrimination towards young people in healthcare settings

“Efforts to reach the 95-95-95 treatment targets in adolescents and young people living with HIV (AYPLHIV) are failing, with HIV testing, treatment and viral suppression rates worse than adults. UNAIDS warns that HIV-related stigma and discrimination in healthcare settings discourages AYPLHIV from accessing HIV services and can contribute to them living in shame, fear and anger. The ramifications of stigma can hinder efforts to demystify the disease, enhance awareness and prevent onward transmission. Confronting marginalisation in HIV care is therefore critical to ensuring service access and positive treatment outcomes for AYPLHIV. UNAIDS calls for urgent action to eliminate HIV-related stigma. The WHO consolidated guidelines list eight global standards for responsive adolescent- and youth-friendly health services (AYFHS), one of which is for health providers to respect, protect and fulfil the right to information, privacy, confidentiality, non-discrimination and non-judgemental attitudes.”