Media hurts: Perspectives of people living with HIV on HIV stigmatization in Chinese media discourse.

Recent study findings revealed serious HIV stigmatization in Chinese media discourse. However, it is unknown how people living with HIV (PLHIV) responded to the media's stigmatizing practice, particularly language identified by previous studies. The current study, using a rare opportunity for access, interviewed individuals living with HIV in China, and explored their perspectives on HIV stigmatization in media. Overall, the findings provide health communication experts and anti-stigma advocates new evidence of HIV stigmatization in the media context. Perspectives from PLHIV confirmed the notion that Chinese media tend to reinforce the dichotomous relationship of health moral us and diseased immoral them. Specifically, this study found that PLHIV reported that media stories about HIV/AIDS tended to stereotype and overstate threats to the non-affected population, caused PLHIV to curtail their own media consumption, and acted as barriers to seeking adequate healthcare. Stigmatizing news stories may interfere with anti-stigma efforts and creating barriers to better health policies in China. Implications for intervention are discussed.