Respect confidentiality

People with HIV routinely experience discrimination – and sometimes violence – due to their HIV-positive status.

A person’s HIV status should not be disclosed without their explicit permission unless it is already a matter of public record (for example, in court proceedings) – and even then it is important to consider whether the person’s HIV status is at all relevant to the matter.

If permission to disclose a person’s HIV status is being sought, the journalist has a responsibility to ensure that the person understands the potential repercussions of the disclosure.