HIV positive people
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HIV positive people are people who have the human immunodeficiency virus HIV, the agent of the currently incurable disease AIDS.
Over the years of coping with the virus along with the stigma and discrimination that have occurred in most societies, a large number of support groups have been formed. In these groups the term most often applied to people who are HIV positive is, "People Living With HIV/AIDS." This is often abbreviated as "PLWHA," "PLWA" or even "PLA." Recently "People Living Positively" has been also used. These terminologies help point out that a person who has HIV in their bloodstream is still LIVING a life just like others, and should enjoy the rights and freedoms as any other person.
The largest and oldest of the worldwide networks of people living with HIV is the Global Netowork of People Living With HIV/AIDS (GNP+,) with affilate networks on all continents.
Currently UNAIDS estimates the number of people living with HIV at over 40,000,000. However fewer than 20% of them actually know it.
Infection by the HI virus is determined by a HIV test.
HIV positive people are often discriminated against on the basis of testing positive, on the one hand because of (often irrational) fears of infection, on the other hand because the infection is often seen as a consequence of promiscuity, homosexuality or drug addiction. In recent years, the rights of HIV positive people have been a major source of debate and controversy.
On January 20, 2004, the Bombay High Court ruled that HIV positive people cannot be denied jobs just because they are HIV positive. Doing so infringes their constitutional right to earn a livelihood and right to equality. See Constitution of India
For a list of famous people who are known to have or to have had the virus, see List of HIV-positive people.