Using Multicultural and Social Justice Counseling Competencies to Conceptualize and Treat People Living With HIV

Although there are 50,000 cases of new HIV diagnoses each year in the U.S., people are living longer with HIV/AIDS (CDC, 2022). HIV is a manageable condition and with proper treatment and medication management. Marginalized groups are disproportionately affected by HIV/AIDS, which increases the risk of experiencing discrimination for both having HIV and being a part of a marginalized group. People living with HIV/ AIDS (PLWHA) experience discrimination because of the stigma associated which negatively impacts treatment and prevention efforts. There are still many biased and misinformed healthcare providers working with PLWHA; however, counseling professionals have the ethical duty to be social justice advocates. The ACA’s Code of Ethics promotes social justice and advocacy withTespect for human dignity and diversity. This paper explores the counseling professionals’ role and significance in HIV/AIDS mental health care services and prevention, for treating PLWHA via a multicultural and social justice counseling lens.