According to the Public Health Agency of Canada, HIV – the human immunodeficiency virus – is a virus that attacks the immune system, leading to chronic illness and progressive which makes people vulnerable to opportunistic infections and cancers. (Canada 2008) Essentially, over time, when your body can no longer fight the virus, it progresses to a disease known as acquired immune deficiency syndrome or AIDS. HIV transmission occurs when one person's contaminated bodily fluids enter another person. Unprotected sex (vaginal, anal or oral), sharing of needles, use of unsterilized equipment for body modification, mother-to-child transmission, as well as occupational exposure in health care health are all means of spreading HIV. HIV/AIDS as a disease is relatively new. The first reported case of AIDS in the world was in 1981, and a year later in Canada. Scientists around the world are busy searching for a cure or vaccine to treat the millions of people dying from HIV/AIDS around the world. The stigma and discrimination that comes with a positive HIV/AIDS diagnosis is overwhelming. FreeDictonary.com defines discrimination as “treatment or consideration based on class or category rather than individual merit; bias or prejudice. Essentially, discrimination is about actions and stigma is about beliefs and attitudes. However, both are built on negative views of a person simply because they are part of a specific group. Across the world, there are well-documented cases of people living with HIV being denied the rights to health care, work, education and freedom of movement, among others. (UNAIDS 2005) This stigma and discrimination exists globally, although it appears differently...... middle of article ......w.ca/publications/interfaces/downloadFile.php? ref=41 (consulted in 2012 1-April).WARN. AVOID HIV and AIDS. http://www.avert.org/hiv-aids-stigma.htm (accessed March 17, 2012). Blumer, Herbert. Symbolic interactionism: perspective and method. Berkeley. Englewood: Prentice-Hall, Inc., 1986. Canada, Public Health Agency. 2008 йил February 12. http://www.phac-aspc.gc.ca/aids-sida/info/index-eng.php (accessed March 8, 2012). Nwanna, Chinwe R. SOCIAL CONSEQUENCES OF HIV/AIDS: STIGMA AND DISCRIMINATION IN THE WORKPLACE IN NIGERIA. Lagos Nigeria: International Population Conference, 2005. UNAIDS. “Declaration of Commitment on HIV/AIDS”. New York, 2002, 9.UNAIDS. HIV-related stigma, discrimination and human rights violations: case studies of successful programmes. UNAIDS Good Practice Collection, WHO Library Cataloging-in-Publication Data, 2005, 4-5.