USING READING TO DE-STIGMATISE PEOPLE LIVING WITH HIV/AIDS: AN EXPERIMENT FROM NIGERIA

Reports have shown a progressive increase in the cases of stigma and discrimination against people living with Immunodeficiency Virus/Acquired Immune Deficiency. One of the probable causes of this ugly trend is public's dearth of knowledge about the disease. This work, therefore, is an experimental study that explores the effectiveness of reading as a communication tool for educating members of the public about Human Immunodeficiency Virus/Acquired Immune Deficiency (HIV/AIDS), and erasing public misconceptions about the disease and those who are living or believed to be living with the virus. Anchored on media effect theories, information processing and psychological models of learning, the work reveals that exposure to relevant information through reading enhances people's understanding of HIV/AIDS . Again, the study shows that reading is a potent strategy for making people develop positive dispositions towards and willingness to interact freely with people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA).