What is stigma?

What is stigma?

• A. A process that promotes inclusion
• B. Negative labeling that marginalizes; example: stigma toward people living with HIV
• C. Providing support to stigmatized groups
• D. Understanding stigma as a positive concept

Answer: (B)

Stigma involves negative labeling that marks people as different and, as a result, marginalizes them. It’s a social process where groups are tagged with discrediting traits, which then justifies unfair treatment or exclusion. For example, people living with HIV have historically faced stigma, facing judgment, social isolation, or restricted access to services simply because of their health status. This makes stigma fundamentally about labeling and marginalization, which is why that description fits best. Descriptions about promoting inclusion, providing support, or viewing stigma as a positive concept describe opposite or unrelated ideas, so they don’t capture what stigma truly is.

Stigma involves negative labeling that marks people as different and, as a result, marginalizes them. It’s a social process where groups are tagged with discrediting traits, which then justifies unfair treatment or exclusion. For example, people living with HIV have historically faced stigma, facing judgment, social isolation, or restricted access to services simply because of their health status. This makes stigma fundamentally about labeling and marginalization, which is why that description fits best.

Descriptions about promoting inclusion, providing support, or viewing stigma as a positive concept describe opposite or unrelated ideas, so they don’t capture what stigma truly is.