Information for counsellors

Aids service organisations (Aidshilfen) have been campaigning for decades against discrimination against people with HIV and groups particularly threatened and affected by HIV. These include gay men as well as drug users, sex workers, people in prison, migrants from regions where HIV is widespread and trans* people.

Anti-discrimination work is at the heart of the concept of structural prevention. This is why Aids service organisations (Aidshilfen) see themselves as a point of contact for people with HIV who have experienced discrimination.

Aids service organisations (Aidshilfen) as places of trust for HIV-positive people know that discrimination is not an isolated incident, but is still commonplace today. For example, research conducted by the Counselling Centre for Sexual Health and Education in West Mecklenburg in 2015 revealed that of 105 dental practices, over a quarter (27%) would not treat HIV-positive patients and almost a third (31%) had discriminatory restrictions for these patients. 70% of the cases analysed by the German Aids Service Organisation's (DAH's) HIV-related discrimination contact point involved discrimination in the healthcare sector.

With specialist knowledge on HIV and sustainable positive self-help, Aids service organisations (Aidshilfen) have a lot to offer that is needed for good anti-discrimination work.

The anti-discrimination work of Aids service organisations (Aidshilfen) includes many components, for example prevention services, mutual empowerment in self-help, political and structural measures such as training for medical professionals and, last but not least, anti-discrimination counselling.

In anti-discrimination counselling, it is important to be aware of the social and structural dimension of discrimination in order to be able to bring about change beyond the individual case.

The basic principles of counselling are partiality, empowerment, orientation towards the needs of those seeking advice, consideration of multiple discrimination, networking and cooperation.

Counselling in cases of discrimination - step by step:
In the initial counselling session: create a basis of trust

• Gather information
• Clarify expectations and goals
• Select forms of support and intervention
• Co-operate and network
• Derive preventive, political and structural measures
• Obtain power of attorney
• Create case documentation 
• Forward the case documentation form (form only available in German) to the DAH contact point for HIV-related discrimination for statistical purposes

Detailed information on counselling in cases of discrimination can be found in the guidelines for anti-discrimination work in Aids service organisations (Aidshilfen) (guidelines only available in German), the quality standards for anti-discrimination work (document only available in German) and the quality characteristics derived from them.