UNDP HIV-RELATED LANGUAGE POLICY

Language and the images it evokes shape and influence behaviour and attitudes. The words used locate the speaker with respect to others, distancing or including them, setting up relations of authority or of partnership, and affect the listeners in particular ways, empowering or disempowering, estranging or persuading, and so on. The use of language is an ethical and a programmatic issue.

UNDP has adopted the following principles to guide its HIV-related language.

Language should be inclusive and not create and reinforce a Them/Us mentality or approach. For example, a term like "intervention" places the speaker outside of the group of people for or with whom he or she is working. Words like "control" set up a particular type of distancing relationship between the speaker and the listeners. Care should be taken with the use of the pronouns "they", "you", "them", etc.

It is better if the vocabulary used is drawn from the vocabulary of peace and human development rather than from the vocabulary of war. For example, synonyms could be found for words like "campaign", "control", "surveillance", etc.

Descriptive terms used should be those preferred or chosen by persons described. For example, "sex workers" is often the term preferred by those concerned rather than "prostitutes"; "people living with HIV" or "people living with AIDS" are preferred by infected persons rather than "victims".

Language should be value neutral, gender sensitive and should be empowering rather than disempowering. Terms such as "promiscuous", "drug abuse" and all derogatory terms alienate rather than create the trust and respect required. Terms such as "victim" or "sufferer" suggest powerlessness; "haemophiliac" or "AIDS patient" identify a human being by their medical condition alone. "Injecting drug users" is used rather than "drug addicts". Terms such as "living with HIV" recognize that an infected person may continue to live well and productively for many years.

Terms used need to be strictly accurate. For example, "AIDS" describes the conditions and illnesses associated with significant progression of infection. Otherwise, the terms used include "HIV infection", "HIV epidemic", "HIV-related illnesses or conditions", etc. "Situation of risk" is used rather than "risk behaviour" or "risk groups", since the same act may be safe in one situation and unsafe in another. The safety of the situation has to be continually assessed.

The terms used need to be adequate to inform accurately. For example, the modes of HIV transmission and the options for protective behaviour change need to be explicitly stated so as to be clearly understood within all cultural contexts.

The appropriate use of language respects the dignity and rights of all concerned, avoids contributing to the stigmatisation and rejection of the affected and assists in creating the social changes required to overcome the epidemic.

HIV AND DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME PUBLICATIONS LIST - May 1998
Documents listed below are also available on the HIV and Development Programme World Wide Web Page: http://www.undp.org/hiv

Issues Papers

1. The HIV Epidemic and Development: The Unfolding of the Epidemic, 1992 (Also available in French, Spanish)

2. The Economic Impact of the HIV Epidemic, 1992 (Also available in French, Spanish)

3. Female Genital Health and the Risk of HIV Transmission, 1991 (Also available in French)

4. People Living with HIV: The Law, Ethics and Discrimination, 1992 (Also available in French, Spanish)

5. Sharing the Challenge of the HIV Epidemic: Building Partnerships, 1992 (Also available in French)

6. Placing Women at the Centre of the Analysis, 1990 (Also available in French, Spanish)

7. Behaviour Change in Response to the HIV Epidemic: Some Analogies and Lessons from the Experience of Gay Communities, 1991 (Also available in French)

8. Women, the HIV Epidemic and Human Rights: A Tragic Imperative, 1991 (Also available in French)

9. "A Tora Mousso Kele La" A Call Beyond Duty: Often Omitted Root Causes of Maternal Mortality in West Africa, 1991

10. Gender, Knowledge and Responsibility, 1992

11. The Role of the Law in HIV and AIDS Policy, 1991 (Also available in French)

12. Young Women: Silence, Susceptibility and the HIV Epidemic, 1992 (Also available in French, Spanish)

13. Children in Families Affected by the HIV Epidemic: A Strategic Approach, 1993 (Also available in French)

14. Approaching the HIV Epidemic, 1993

15. HIV and the Challenges Facing Men, 1995

16. Development Practice and the HIV Epidemic, 1995

17. Development as a Moral Concept: Women's Practices as Development Practices, 1994

18. Meanings of Sustainability for HIV Programmes: From Financial Independence to Long Term Behaviour Change, 1995

19. Living With HIV, 1994

20. HIV Prevention in Multicultural Contexts, 1996

21. Women and HIV: Our Silences and Our Strengths, 1995

22. The Impact of HIV on Families and Children, 1996

23. HIV Epidemic and Development in Nicaragua, 1996

24. What Constitutes Effective IEC Programmes?, 1997

25. Neurological Disorders of HIV Infection and AIDS in Africa: Clinical Diagnosis, Treatment and Care, 1997

26. Strengthening National Capacity for HIV/AIDS Strategic Planning, 1998

27. Poverty and HIV/AIDS in sub-Saharan Africa, 1998

28. The Vulnerability of Women: Is This Useful Construct for Policy and Programming, 1996

29. The HIV Epidemic and Sustainable Human Development, 1998

30. The Impact of HIV/AIDS on Children, Families and Communities: Risks and Realities of Childhood During the HIV Epidemic, 1998

Study Papers

1. The HIV Epidemic in Uganda: A Programme Approach, 1993

2. The Socio-Economic Impact of HIV and AIDS on Rural Families in Uganda, 1994

3. Wheeling and Dealing: HIV and Development on the Shan State Borders of Myanmar, 1994

4. Other Ways of Doing Things, 1994

5. Riding the Roller Coaster: Experiencing Transitions from HIV to AIDS, 1997

Working Papers

1. Some Thoughts on Women and HIV

Why Women and HIV? It Takes Two to Tango, Safely, 1992
Young Women and the HIV Epidemic, 1990
Women, HIV and Development, 1989

2. Some Ethical Issues of the HIV Epidemic

Lost Souls, 1989
Towards an Ethical Response to the HIV Epidemic, 1994 (Also available in French)
Care Research and Ethics, 1995 (Also available in French)

3. Behaviour Change: A Central Issue in the Response to the HIV Epidemic, Informal Consultation Report, Dakar, Senegal, December 1991

4. Challenges for UNDP in a Changing World 1990-2000: Social Trends, 1991

5. HIV Coordination at the United Nations, 1992

6. HIV and Development in Africa, 1993 (Also available in French)

7. The Linkages Amongst Population, Development, Women and the HIV Epidemic, 1994

8. Mainstreaming Policy and Programming Responses to the HIV Epidemic, 1995

10. Rwanda: Did the HIV Epidemic contribute?, 1994

Books and Monographs

1. Development and the HIV Epidemic: A Forward Looking Evaluation of the Approach of the UNDP HIV and Development Programme, United Nations Development Programme, 1996 (Also available in French, Spanish)

2. HIV & AIDS: The Global Inter-Connection, United Nations Development Programme, 1995. Published by Kumarian Press, Inc., available at book sellers in the U.S. and distributed by the HIV and Development Programme to developing countries.

3. The Feeling of Infinity, 1993. Published by the National Library of Australia, Canberra.

UNDP HIV and Development Information Kit

· Legal and Ethical Networking: Enabling a Community Response, 1996

· African Network on Ethics, Law and HIV: Dakar Declaration, 1994 (poster)

· Law, Ethics and Human Rights: Cebu Statement, Philippines, 1993 (poster)

· Statement of Belief on Behaviour Change: Saly Portudal, Senegal, 1991 (poster)

· UNDP Guiding Principles on HIV & AIDS, 1991 (poster)

· The Challenge of the HIV Epidemic, 1991

· Workshop on the Development Dimensions of the HIV Epidemic, 1993

· United Nations Volunteers. The Role of UNV Specialists in HIV/AIDS-Related Work: A Community-Oriented Programme Approach, 1992

· UN HIV/AIDS Personnel Policy, 1993

· Role of UNDP in Combating HIV/AIDS: Policy Framework for the Response of UNDP to HIV/AIDS (DP/1991/57), 1991

· UNDP HIV-Related Language Policy, 1992

Contents available separately or as a complete kit. Available in English, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Arabic & Russian.

To receive publications, please fill in order form, or contact us via e-mail at; [email protected]

United Nations Development Programme
304 East 45th Street, Room FF 986
New York, NY 10017, USA
Telephone: 1 212 906 6978
Facsimile: 1 212 906 6336
E-mail: [email protected]
World Wide Web: http://www.undp.org/hiv

To help us improve our publications development, we would be grateful if you could take the time to answer these questions:

1. What category best describes your agency?

· Education
· Donor agency
· Government - Please specify: ___________________________________
· Media
· Nongovernmental organisation
· Research institution
· UN agency
· Other - Please specify: _________________________________________

2. Which aspect of HIV and development is of most interest to you?

· Children and affected families
· Communities - NGOs, CBOs
· Gender
· Governance and planning
· Human rights and law
· Social and economic support
· Socio-economic impact
· Treatment and access to drugs
· Other - Please specify: _________________________________________

3. How did you first learn about the HIV and Development Programme?

· NGO
· UNDP Country Office
· World Wide Web
· Other - Please specify: _________________________________________

4. Your comments on this publication are welcome

United Nations Development Programme
HIV and Development Programme

The UNDP HIV and Development programme draws together UNDP’s headquarters, regional and country programming and other initiatives designed to strengthen the capacity of nations and organizations to respond effectively to the HIV epidemic. The activities covered in this programme include:

· establishing priority needs through consultations with those directly affected by the epidemic;

· national capacity building through field missions, consultations and HIV and development workshops on multisectoral programme development and coordination;

· development of gender-sensitive and community-based approaches through pilot programmes, consultations, workshops and publications;

· multisectoral policy development and advocacy through intercountry consultations, colloquia, the establishment of regional networks (legal, economic, for example), publications and technical assistance;

· programme development through workshops and facilitated study tours which explore innovative ways of increasing and measuring programme effectiveness and sustainability;

· mainstreaming HIV in key programming areas, for example, in village self-help schemes, food security systems, regional planning approaches, etc., through studies, workshops, training and technical assistance;

· establishing operational research priorities relevant to effective and sustainable programme and policy development and evaluation through colloquia, commissioned reviews and consultations; and

· mobilising and coordinating the response of the UN system and other players at the national level to maximise the effectiveness of their support for the national response to the epidemic.

The work of the UNDP HIV and Development programme is coordinated within the UN system by the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS). The HIV and Development Programme was established by the UNDP Governing Council and its mandate is contained in its Policy Framework and Guiding Principles (DP/I 991/5 7). UNDP works in close collaboration with UNAIDS and other multilateral and bilateral agencies, national governments, non-governmental and community based organizations, and academic and private sector institutions to contribute towards an effective, sustainable and coordinated response to the HIV epidemic.