Everyone is different.
But how do you react when you see a person
with an obvious disease?
Do you stay cool?
Do you feel sorry for them?
Do you make fun of them?
Are you grossed out?
Are you afraid of getting infected?
It’s stigmatizing to treat others unkindly
or disrespectfully
due to their appearance or their illness.
This happens more often than you think...
It might have even happened to you,
unintentionally.
Now imagine you’re the girl
no one wants to sit next to.
Or imagine you’re the boy
who keeps hearing snide remarks.
You’re not contagious –
you’re just stuck in your own skin.
This can make you sad or insecure –
and sometimes maybe even angry.
How can one learn to accept one’s self,
when others don’t?
And how can we manage to stop stigmatizing
others just based on their appearance?
There’s a lot you can do to avoid stigmatization!
Simply being informed about diseases
makes a difference.
Research, relating our own experiences,
and talking about it all can help.
For example, by finding out about illnesses,
by discovering what’s behind the appearance
and by listening to stigmatized people
to understand them.
Because:
Knowledge is the key to fighting prejudice.
Striving for a togetherness
without stigmatization!
We’re here to help.