Stigma: It can play a role in the ways people view their relationships, their careers, their health, their lives. Because of the ways it creeps into and clouds judgment on other aspects of the epidemic, many who are living with HIV/AIDS and/or working in the field believe that stigma is the most profound challenge we face in the fight against HIV/AIDS. We asked HIV/AIDS community members from all over the U.S. to tell us about the different forms stigma takes in their lives. HIV stigma looks like a lot of fear and a lot of shame among young girls and young women. They are fearful to talk about it. They're ashamed to get tested because of the stigma around HIV. And ultimately, they're ashamed to come to the doctor with any kind of illnesses. They're afraid to come to the doctor to get tested for HIV, because there is still a lot of shame and fear around the three letters of HIV.