“Speaking of someone with AIDS….”: Identity constructions of persons with HIV disease

Abstract

Labels are central components to the social construction of identity, especially for persons who live with stigmas. However, labels and the consequences of labels are within the scope of influence for those to whom they are attached. Labels and identities can be socially managed by individuals by way of manipulation of language. This paper examines the ways that persons living with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) disease construct and manage virtual and actual social identities through the language they use to refer to themselves. By influencing the identities others attribute to them, persons with HIV disease seek to minimize the negative consequences of their possession of a discreditable status. The patterns of labeling perceived as acceptable and appropriate for persons with HIV disease are examined across persons with HIV disease as well as within the categories of gay men, heterosexual men, and heterosexual women.