There is no better way to cite the history of the movement
for the self-empowerment of people living with HIV than to quote the principles
articulated in Denver in 1983. They are as relevant and powerful today as they
were then.
We condemn attempts to label us as "victims," a term which implies
defeat, and we are only occasionally "patients," a term which implies
passivity, helplessness, and dependence upon the care of others. We are "People
With AIDS."
RECOMMENDATIONS FOR ALL PEOPLE
1. Support us in our struggle against those who would fire us from our jobs,
evict us from our homes, refuse to touch us or separate us from out loved ones,
our community or our peers, since available evidence does not support the view
that AIDS can be spread by casual, social contact.
2. Not scapegoat people with AIDS, blame us for the epidemic or generalize about
our lifestyles.
RECOMMENDATIONS FOR PEOPLE WITH AIDS
1. Form caucuses to chose their own representatives, to deal with the media,
to choose their own agenda and to plan their own strategies.
2. Be involved at every level of decision-making and specifically serve on the
boards of directors of provider organizations.
3. Be included in all AIDS forums with equal credibility as other participants,
to share their own experiences and knowledge.
4. Substitute low-risk sexual behaviors for those which could endanger themselves
to their partners; we feel people with AIDS have an ethical responsibility to
inform their potential sexual partners of their health status.
RIGHTS OF PEOPLE WITH AIDS
1. To as full and satisfying sexual and emotional lives as anyone else.
2. To quality medical treatment and quality social service provision without
discrimination of any form including sexual orientation, gender, diagnosis,
economic status or race.
3. To full explanations of all medical procedures and risks, to choose or refuse
their treatment modalities, to refuse to participate in research without jeopardizing
their treatment and to make informed decisions about their lives.
4. To privacy, to confidentiality of medical records, to human respect and to
choose who their significant others are.
5. To die - and to LIVE - in dignity.