The People First Charter was launched on 20th July 2021, during the Berlin IAS Conference, to promote person first language in the field of HIV. 

Language matters. People living with HIV experience stigma & discrimination. The wrong language perpetuates stigma & marginalises people.

As the World Health Organisation states:

 "Positive, inclusive language creates new opportunities for advancement and collaboration, instead of exclusively focusing on ending existing problems".

Let's ensure our language matches our goals: to ensure all people living with HIV are supported to enjoy the highest attainable standards of health, as is their fundamental human right.  

 We aim to ensure all policy makers, researchers, conferences, journals, clinicians & allied care providers follow our clear  terminology guidelines & other examples of best practice through:
 

1. Continuously updating our terminology guidance 
2. Calling for all materials related to HIV to use people first terminology 
3. Asking reviewers of scientific abstracts & papers to ensure appropriate terminology is used 
4. Seeking Charter endorsement from individuals & organisations involved in HIV research & care 

 Further ahead we hope to collaborate other organisations outside the HIV field  to promote People First language throughout health care, science, & beyond! 

 Ultimately we hope all communities will use person first language, but first we must embed consistent use of appropriate terminology within our own sector. First our own field...then the world! 

Sign up to learn more about how to commit to the People First Charter when it launches & help us ensure promote the use of the right words in the right way.

If you hear or see language that is not people first, please encourage the use of People First terminology. Please correct people kindly & gently. We ALL get it wrong sometimes and it takes TIME to embed change.