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Why
language matters

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Many words society uses every day were never intended to cause harm. But language evolves — and so does our understanding of respect and inclusion.
When we use person-centered language, we help create environments where people feel safe seeking healthcare, asking questions, getting tested, and engaging in treatment.
Inclusive language isn't about being politically correct. It's about being compassionate, accurate, and human.

1 in 5

People with HIV report being afraid to disclose their status due to stigma.

40%

Of people avoid HIV testing out of fear of judgment or discrimination.

Words

Are often the first barrier — or the first open door — to care.

Say this → not that

The terms below reflect current, person-centered guidance from organizations including the CDC, NIH, and UNAIDS. Language is always evolving — these are the standards we follow at McGregor Clinic.

HIV & AIDS

Say this:

Person living with HIV

Not that:

HIV-infected person
Defines the person by their diagnosis rather than their full humanity.

Say this:

HIV-positive

Not that:

Dirty
Implies moral judgment — and is medically inaccurate.

Say this:

Transmitting HIV

Not that:

Spreading HIVt
"Spreading" frames HIV as something a person deliberately does to others — which reinforces fear and blame.

Say this:

HIV-negative / does not have HIV

Not that:

Clean
Calling someone "clean" implies that a person with HIV is unclean. This language is harmful and false.

Say this:

People with HIV / the HIV communityt

Not that:

AIDS victims / HIV sufferers
These terms remove agency and reduce people to their diagnosis. Most people living with HIV reject them.

Say this:

HIV treatment / antiretroviral therapy

Not that:

AIDS cocktail
Outdated slang that trivializes life-saving medical treatment.

Substance use & recovery

Say this:

Person in recovery

Not that:

Clean or addict / ex-addict
"Clean" implies that people who are still using are "dirty." Recovery is a process, not a finish line.

Say this:

Person with a substance use disorder

Not that:

Junkie / addict
Dehumanizing labels that reinforce stigma and make people less likely to seek treatment.

Say this:

Using drugs / substance use

Not that:

Abuse / drug abuser
"Abuse" frames substance use as a moral failing rather than a health condition.

Say this:

Positive drug test / testing positive for substances

Not that:

Dirty urine / dirty test
Clinical slang that carries shame — and has no place in compassionate healthcare.

Mental health

Say this:

Person living with a mental health condition

Not that:

Mentally ill person / the mentally ill
Person-first language acknowledges that a diagnosis is one part of a person, not the whole of who they are.

Say this:

Person living with schizophrenia

Not that:

Schizophrenic
Reducing a person to a single diagnosis strips them of their full humanity.

Say this:

Died by suicide / took their own life

Not that:

Committed suicide
"Committed" implies a crime was committed. Person-first language reduces stigma and better reflects the reality of mental health crises.

Say this:

Seeking mental health support / in therapy

Not that:

Crazy / going to a shrink
Casual language trivializes mental healthcare and discourages people from seeking help.

Disability

Say this:

Person with a disability

Not that:

Handicapped / crippled
Outdated terms that most disability communities have moved away from. Person-first language is the current standard.

Say this:

Person without a disability / non-disabled person

Not that:

Normal / able-bodied
"Normal" implies that disability is abnormal. All bodies have different abilities — that's not a deficit.

Housing instability

Say this:

Person experiencing homelessness

Not that:

Homeless person / the homeless
Housing is a circumstance, not an identity. Someone experiencing homelessness is still a whole person.

Say this:

Person without stable housing

Not that:

Transient / vagrant
These terms carry historical associations with criminality. They dehumanize rather than describe.

Sexual health & STIs

Say this:

Sexually transmitted infection (STI)

Not that:

VD / venereal disease
An outdated term with heavy moral stigma. STI is the current, medically accurate language.

Say this:

Has an STI / living with an STI

Not that:

Dirty / infected / diseased
These words are moral judgments, not medical descriptions — and they stop people from getting tested.

Say this:

Sexual behavior / practices

Not that:

Risky lifestyle / promiscuous
This framing shifts focus from health information to judgment. It doesn't help anyone make safer choices.

Stigma lives in words

Stigma rarely begins with discrimination.
It often begins with a word. A joke. A label. An assumption. A careless comment.
Over time, those messages become barriers — barriers that prevent people from seeking healthcare, disclosing their status, asking for support, or accessing services.
For someone living with HIV, struggling with mental health, navigating recovery, living with a disability, or experiencing housing instability — words can either open doors or close them.
We have the power to choose words that heal instead of harm.

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