
People First Charter
People First Charter

The People First Charter was launched in July 2021, during the Berlin International AIDS Society Conference, to promote person first HIV & Sexual Health language.
Language matters. People living with or at risk of 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".
Our language should match our goals: to ensure all people living with HIV or at risk of HIV and sexually transmitted infections (STIs) are supported to enjoy the highest attainable standards of health, as is their fundamental human right.
Ensure policy makers, researchers, conferences, journals, clinicians & allied care providers follow our clear terminology guidelines & other examples of best practice through:
Further ahead we hope to collaborate with organisations beyond HIV & STIs 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 & help us ensure promote the use of the right words in the right way.
If you are able to translate the guidance please get in touch!
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.
People are people, not conditions. We should avoid terms like 'HIV-infected' and use 'people living with HIV', use 'person with diabetes, not 'a diabetic'.
The field of HIV is also rife with terms associated with stigma & blame: 'patients failing treatment', 'became infected' and 'serodiscordant' are examples.
Journal of the British HIV Association & European AIDS Clinical Society
Leading UK association representing HIV care professionals www.bhiva.org
Journal of the British Association of Sexual Health & HIV https://journals.sagepub.com/home/std
Pan-European specialist organisation with the aim of reducing HIV disease burden across Europe
NAM provides independent, accurate and accessible information about HIV: www.aidsmap.com
Enhancing the health & social wellbeing of children young people & young adults living with HIV: www.chiva.org.uk
A specialist pharmaceutical company 100% dedicated to HIV medicines and research and focused on people living with HIV and AIDS: https://viivhealthcare.com/
A global, scientific organization dedicated to paediatric research: https://penta-id.org/
Please reach us at info@peoplefirstcharter.org if you cannot find an answer to your question.
PeopleFirstCharter (PFC) is a voluntary & entirely independent project led by Dr Laura Waters, an HIV & Sexual Health doctor based in London, UK. Support is provided by colleagues across the world who help promote the site & translate the terminology guidance.
Endorsing organisations support the principles of PFC & promote it's use where possible, For example, HIV Medicine links to our terminology guidance in their instructions for reviewers. Endorsers are invited to suggest additions & amendments to the guidance, as is anyone with an interest in or passion for using the right language! Endorsers provide no financial support.