HIV-Related Violence Living with HIV/AIDS means dealing with both health problems, and other people's fears, misinformation, and prejudices about HIV and AIDS. Often, people believed to be HIV-infected are judged by others and blamed for having the virus or getting sick. HIV/AIDS-related violence takes many forms, from verbal harassment to physical assault to homicide. Anyone can be a target of HIV-related violence. Because the violence is based on the abuser's perception that the victim has HIV or AIDS, victims are just as likely to be people with HIV/AIDS as people who are HIV-negative. Remember: A person's actual or suspected HIV/AIDS status is not an excuse for violence. No one has the right to abuse, assault, or harass you. VIOLENCE AGAINST PEOPLE WITH HIV/AIDS CAN INCLUDE: DISCRIMINATION Discrimination is the most common form of victimization faced by people with HIV/AIDS. Discrimination in housing, employment, public places, and public services is illegal under New York City and State human rights laws. Examples of HIV-related discrimination are: an employer who fires an employee who tests HIV positive, a landlord who refuses to rent an apartment to a person who is suspected of having AIDS, or restaurant staff who refuse to serve a person known to have HIV/ AIDS. VERBAL HARASSMENT Calling someone a name such as "AIDS carrier," "AIDS faggot," or "AIDS junkie," is a form of harassment. Sometimes verbal harassment can escalate to physical assault. BIAS ASSAULT Sometimes criminals attack people with HIV/ AIDS who appear sick or disabled. This is a bias assault. A bias assault is an attack motivated by prejudice against the victim's race, sexual orientation, disability, national origin, gender, ethnicity, or religion. Bias assaults are usually more vicious and brutal than other attacks. DOMESTIC VIOLENCE Domestic violence includes any form of abuse by a lover, relative, spouse, friend, or roommate. In domestic violence situations, the abusive partner may use physical, emotional, sexual or economic abuse to control the actions, thoughts, and emotions of another person. Sometimes a partner's HIV AIDS status is used as an excuse for abusive behavior. HIV AIDS-related abuse can include: revealing HIV status to others, threatening to leave a partner who is sick, forced unsafe sex, using a partner's HIV infection as an excuse for having sex outside the relationship, and withholding medical attention or medication. ABUSE AND/OR NEGLECT BY SERVICE PROVIDERS Sometimes people with HIV/AIDS are abused or neglected by the people who are supposed to help them. It is against the law for hospital workers, home health care attendants, ambulance workers, doctors, dentists, mental health workers, police officers and other public servants to deny care to people with HIV AIDS. SPECIAL CONCERNS FOR PEOPLE WITH HIV/AIDS Disclosing your HIV status. It may be difficult to decide whether or not to reveal your HIV status when seeking assistance after an assault. Often you will have to make a decision while you are in a state of crisis. Unless you think your HIV status is relevant to solving the crime or getting proper medical attention, you may want to wait to reveal your status until you have appropriate support. An assault may trigger feelings about your HIV status. Surviving a crime often brings up feelings about other difficult experiences in our lives, including dealing with our own HIV status and the death of friends. It is important to discuss these feelings with a supportive lover, friend, family member, social service provider, or advocate. An assault can increase trauma and stress in your life. Everyone who is assaulted feels trauma and stress. However, if you have a compromised immune system, the trauma from an attack may intensify existing physical and mental symptoms, or add new complications. It is important to seek assistance for both the medical and psychological impact of the crime. Deciding to pursue a crime. The decision to press charges against an assailant, file for an Order of Protection, or leave an abusive home can be a hard decision to make. However, with the proper support, pursuing a crime can help you regain a sense of control, reduce feelings of isolation or depression, or find a healthy outlet for anger.